Because who doesn’t love a useless question that ultimately means nothing?
No. I’m not talking about the face of Boston sports from a historical perspective. That’s for the Brady, Bird, Russell, Orr, Williams royalty crew.
But watching Patriots quarterback Drake Maye Thursday night got me thinking . . .
This guy is humble, popular, well-spoken, and knows how to play at an elite level. (MVP?)
He just might be the face of Boston sports.
It’s much easier to play this game with other cities. New York has Aaron Judge, Kansas City has Patrick Mahomes, Los Angeles has Shohei Ohtani (sorry, LeBron), Pittsburgh has Sidney Crosby, Milwaukee has Giannis Antetokounmpo, Washington has Alex Ovechkin, and so forth.
But Boston is tricky.
Remember: This is the face of Boston sports — not necessarily the best athlete.
Guys like Jayson Tatum (25 PPG, NBA champion, 5x All-NBA), David Pastrnak (402 career goals, three 100-point seasons, 4x All-Star), and Garrett Crochet (2.59 ERA, 2025 All-Star) might have something to say about being the best.
Even guys like Jaylen Brown and Christian Gonzalez are in that conversation. Hopefully Roman Anthony in a few years.
That said, Maye might be the face.
He’s transitioning from a “great player” who Patriots fans talk about to a regional celebrity at this point. My mom and sister don’t live and breathe this stuff like we do, but they’re Maye fans now.
On top of “M-V-P” chants Thursday, the fans at Gillette Stadium applauded him just for stepping onto the field. That’s Brady-like . . .
He’s also extremely humble. Kirk Herbstreit — whom I enjoy — must’ve said it 100 times during Thursday’s broadcast.
And like retired commentator Jack Edwards often said about Patrice Bergeron, it’s hard to hear Maye say the words “I” or “my.”
The 23-year-old from North Carolina just fits here. You could say that once Maye was drafted by the Patriots, he began to “love that dirty water.”
He shipped up to Boston and took in Celtics and Bruins games as a rookie.
You can even catch him at high school football games. Maye was there when powerhouses Catholic Memorial and Xaverian squared off a few weeks ago.
Selfies with fans included . . .
I could go all day regarding likability. He played college football (UNC) in his home state and married the girl he’s been dating since middle school.
But at the end of the day, all I really care about is Pastrnak scoring goals, Tatum making baskets, Crochet striking out batters, and Maye staying poised in the pocket.
They’re all big-time. It’s just something to think about . . .
