New England Patriots - NESN.com
Boston sports fans have spent the summer and fall watching two young athletes emerge as future stars. That led Bill Simmons to pose a difficult hypothetical.
On Friday’s episode of “The Bill Simmons” podcast, The Ringer founder asked TV writer Kevin Hench which player he would keep if forced to choose between New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony. Hench reluctantly picked Anthony.
“Goodbye, Drake,” Hench said. “I love you … I love Roman Anthony.”
Hench called Anthony “one of one” when Simmons observed that the “Last Man Standing” producer may also favor the MLB rookie over Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum. Simmons concurred, calling Anthony’s plate appearances “must-watch” TV.
“It was the first time in a couple years where I was going out of my way to watch at-bats from a Red Sox hitter,” Simmons said. “…Manny (Ramirez) was the last one where I was like, I don’t want to miss a single pitch with this dude.”
Hench also applauded Anthony’s character and off-field demeanor.
“The way he carries himself, his interviews, he seems like he’s from another time,” Hench said. “He’s just so classy … I’m just in love with that guy.”
Luckily, nobody has to pick between the two.
Anthony instantly made his mark with the Red Sox, batting .292/.396/.463 in 71 games before suffering a season-ending oblique injury. Boston fans can watch him for a while longer, as he signed an eight-year extension in August.
Meanwhile, Maye has opened his sophomore season with a 109.4 quarterback rating and 74.0 completion percentage. This could be an even tougher question to answer if he leads the Patriots to a “Sunday Night Football” upset over the Buffalo Bills.
