Longtime Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy will return to NESN in 2014 after missing the final two months of last season in the aftermath of his son's arrest on murder charges.
Naturally, there was a mixed reaction from the masses on Remy's return. "He'll be the focus, and take away from the team!" was a common take. Others seem quite pleased about RemDawg's return for his 27th season at NESN. Now I may not be the perfect person to comment on this, as I'm as die-hard a Dennis Eckersley fan as there is in New England, but throwing those biases aside, this is a no-brainer to allow Remy to comeback.
First things first, let me state the obvious: Jerry Remy did not kill anyone. His son Jared did. And as heinous a crime as it is, why should the father have to suffer for the rest of his life because of his son's misdeeds? Jerry Remy's life will forever be different with the shame his son brought upon his name, but why should his professional career be doomed as a result?
Take a look at Dustin Pedroia. Safe to say some shame was brought upon his name by his older brother, right? Brett Pedroia was sentenced to a year in prison back in 2009 on child molestation charges. I don't recall anyone saying Dustin should take some time off from the Red Sox to deal with that situation, do you?
Another way to look at it would be that Remy "did his time." It clearly would have been awkward, if not impossible, for him to broadcast games in August and September of 2013 while tending to his family's needs. As I said earlier, Remy will forever have to deal with the stigma of what his son did. But come opening day, it will have been eight months. And I am by no means trivializing what Jared Remy did, but what more does Jerry need to do? How much time is "enough?"
We're living in a world where Michael Vick killed dogs, Donte' Stallworth killed a person while driving under the influence, and Ray Lewis was kinda sorta maybe involved in a killing once upon a time. All three received second chances in the NFL after "doing time" (or in Lewis's case, disposing of his white suit). Again, Jerry Remy himself did nothing of this kind. Why should his professional career end prematurely?
There's another side to this coin, which is Jerry Remy has long been battling health issues. He's battled low-grade forms of cancer, pneumonia, and depression, just to name a few. His physical limitations could bring an end to his career rather soon anyways. But I firmly believe that Remy, a true professional who offers analysis on a level not many other color guys can, has earned the right to go out on his own terms.
When that times come, we'll have Dennis Eckersley coming in with some high cheese. Until then, welcome back RemDawg.
