Face of the Franchise

As we approach the start of football season (which means hockey season isn't too far away either), the number one question that seems to be floating around Patriots camp is, "When will they sign Brady to an extension?" If he didn't sign (which I highly doubt as Belichick and Bob Kraft know how much Brady means to the franchise), that would a drastic change in what we have all come to know and love about the Patriots since their magical run through the 2001 playoffs to their first Super Bowl win. It got me thinking, if you look around the Boston sports landscape, many seen as the "face of the franchise" may be on their way out.

Celtics - Paul Pierce. Pierce recently re-signed with the team for 4 more years which will almost certainly take him to the end of his career. But in the past couple years, there has been a definite downturn in his abilities leaving some to even argue that it is now Rajon Rondo's team. I won't quite go that far but it is clear Pierce is on the downside and his time as the centerpiece of the Celtics are numbered. Add in the aging bodies of Ray Allen & Kevin Garnett and you see the whole make up of the men in green in serious flux.

Bruins - Zdeno Chara. This one is tough. Some will claim that it is Milan Lucic - but how can someone who barely even played last year be the face of the franchise. You could make a case for Marc Savard but his contract may soon be voided so his time with the Bruins is limited at best. Quite frankly, if the Bruins do lose him one might argue its a good outcome as they have been trying to unload Savard and his heavy contract all off-season, though I bet they would rather trade him than lose him to free agency. Which leaves us with Big Z, Zdeno Chara, who's contract is up at the end of the season. The Bruins are notorious for not giving big time free agents their due but that seemed to change when they signed Chara and Savard before the 2006-07 season. Whether they will be willing to part with big money to keep the Norris trophy winning blueliner remains to be seen. What is not a mystery is that if they don't, the Bruins would be parting with or actively looking to part with what was once considered the Big Three in Chara, Savard, and expensive goaltender Tim Thomas. That would certainly be a change.

Red Sox - David Ortiz. He has come to epitomize the attitude and the heart that Bostonians have come to love about their Sox since 2003. His smile, his size, and his production have made him a fan favorite. When David is on the DL or when he is in a slump, something about the team just doesn't seem right. The Sox have a $12.5 million option on Big Papi for the 2011 season. Will exercise or not? They almost certainly will part ways with Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, and Tim Wakefield at the end of this season. Losing Ortiz as well will give this team a very different feel and no matter how loyal Red Sox Nation may be, losing that many local heroes in one year is a lot to absorb and the Sox may feel it in the worst place of all, their wallets. Personally, I think it is time to let him go and begin a new era. If that includes a guy like Adrien Gonzalez to make up the difference, so be it.

Any way you slice it - change is coming to Boston sports. Tom Brady will almost certainly re-sign (for more money than even he probably deserves but that is a discussion for another day). But for the other three major sports teams in Boston, the old guard are on the way out. This is the time when franchises either sink or swim. How do you replace the face of the franchise? We're going to find out.