There are some questions that probably won’t be answered. Who shot Kennedy? Is the Bermuda Triangle real? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? That kind of thing.
Fortunately, one of life’s more recent mysteries has been solved: We now know what former Globe sportswriter Ron Borges has been up to.
When last we saw Borges he was accused of “borrowing” copy and printing it word-for-word under his Globe byline. Shortly thereafter, he “retired” from the paper and went on his merry way. Since leaving the broadsheet, we found out he’s been writing for Pro Football Weekly and working on a book about the NFL’s first black coach, former Raider Art Shell. What we didn’t know is that Borges — long famous for his many side gigs, which I detailed in my profile about him before his ignominious fall from grace — has also published at least one story for the Kansas City Chiefs web site. And what is our boy Borges writing about for the Missouri club? Why, the Patriots and Bill Belichick, of course. (Silly reader. You probably thought he’d write about K.C.)
Here’s an excerpt from his latest work, which he may or may not have plagiarized from himself.
The hype machine is cranking. None of the talking heads on cable television dare suggest the Patriots are not a danger to both the league and the ‘72 Dolphins. Yet opposing coaches and their players don’t necessarily buy into the hype machine. In fact, even Patriots owner Robert Kraft, never one to hide his light under a basket, said this summer, “I think maybe expectations have gotten a little bit beyond where it’s reasonable.’’
Where they’ve gotten is to where it’s become distasteful to their opponents. One rival AFC head coach said sarcastically this summer on the eve of the opening of training camp, “I don’t know why any of us are bothering to go to training camp. Why bother to play the season? Just drive the trophy up from New York and give it them. Wouldn’t that just save the rest of us a lot of heartache and wasted time?’’
I never cared that Borges took such pleasure in bashing Belichick and his boys (after all, I’m a Birds fan, and I’ve never forgiven the Patriots for subjecting me to that awful day a few years ago). Nor do I care that he’s reprised that role, counter intuitively, with the Kansas City Chiefs of all clubs (what, no work available with the Jets?). Here’s what bothers me about this whole thing: If he was going to pen something for the Chiefs, couldn’t HBO have had the decency to include him in its otherwise spectacular training camp show Hard Knocks?
Don’t get me wrong, I love shots of Kelli Croyle as much as the next guy, but just think about the depth that someone like Borges would add to the show. A missed opportunity, if you ask me.
