Inside The Red Sox

Former Red Sox Fan Favorite Causes Stir With Patriots Post

New England really used to have it all...
Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA;  New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) and cornerback Carlton Davis III (7)  react after an interception during the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) and cornerback Carlton Davis III (7) react after an interception during the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

A lot of Boston Red Sox fans were happy on Sunday, though not necessarily about the direction of their baseball team.

For the 10th time in the last 25 years, the New England Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl. Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye, and Co. punched their ticket to Santa Clara for a date with the Seattle Seahawks by taking down the Denver Broncos 10-7 in a driving snowstorm.

It was a callback to the good old days of Boston sports, but Red Sox fans also received a reminder that their team has made all sorts of gaffes over the last decade plus.

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Patriots make Don Orsillo's Sunday

Drake Maye
Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) holds the AFC Championship trophy while speaking to the media after defeating the Denver Broncos in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

After New England's win on the gridiron, former Red Sox broadcaster Don Orsillo, now the television play-by-play man for the San Diego Padres, posted a tweet of himself wearing a Tom Brady jersey and celebrating his hometown team's AFC championship win.

"We are back! And back big!" Orsillo bragged in the caption.

Orsillo has been in San Diego for more than a decade, and it would be fair to say he still has a majority-Boston audience. The post had over 10,000 likes within 13 hours of posting, with the entire comment section full of fans blaming Red Sox ownership for cutting ties with Orsillo at the end of the 2015 season.

"F*** John Henry we miss you," read the most liked comment, as of Monday morning.

Orsillo, who grew up a Red Sox fan and broadcasted for the Pawtucket Red Sox in Triple-A before transitioning to the majors in 2001, spent 15 years as the Red Sox's primary play-by-play man.

His replacement at the end of the 2015 season was abrupt and never properly explained, and the fact that things ended on a sour note was exacerbated by the Red Sox choosing not to play a video tribute from Orsillo at a 2022 ceremony held in honor of the late Jerry Remy, his longtime color analyst.

Orsillo just finished his first decade in San Diego and just signed a long-term extension, but the Boston area native will always be the one that got away to Red Sox fans.

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org