Even though I am supposed to be the Boston correspondent I strongly considered writing a post about the Bill Simmons dubbed, “LeBroncolypse” or “LeBacle.” Bill Simmons did a better job than I would have done and the submissions from his readings are very funny, so I urge you to read it. I don’t think any pro athlete has ever turned me off more in my time as a sports fan. “The decision” was disgusting, heartbreaking, egotistical, stupid and unnecessary. I was as uncomfortable watching it as LeBron looked on camera. God damn it I hated everything about it. OK, I got that off my chest in blog form. Phew.

Let’s move on to last night’s Home Run Derby and its winner. When I was a lot younger I loved the idea of the Home Run Derby – mostly because we didn’t have ESPN in my house until I was about 14 so I think I conjured up a more fascinating event in my head than it actually was/is. Last night my roommates and I watched eight of baseball’s supposedly best home run hitters bore us to the point that “Pawn Stars” on the History Channel (which I may add is a very entertaining show) was a more appealing option. Oh wait… You’re saying Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, Alex Rodriguez, Josh Hamilton, Adam Dunn, Joey Votto and surprising MLB Home Run leader Jose Bautista weren’t in it?? That’s one of my problems with the event: you never get the best guys in it at the same time.

But I don’t want to make you think that I hate it – I’d much rather watch it than “The Decision: Part II” to air in the summer of 2013 when LeBron opts out of his deal because the Heat still haven’t won and South Beach isn’t all Bron Bron thought it would be. Hey, after all, what more visible way is there for Big Papi, David Ortiz, to prove to baseball that he’s back than by winning the derby? I didn’t watch him do it, but I am very happy for the guy. Was he on steroids at one point in his career? Yes! But the fact of the matter is, Ortiz proved a lot of naysayers who deemed his career over last May, wrong.

The fact that Big Papi won the Home Run derby is great but really it’s nothing more than a symbol of Big Papi’s revitalized relevance. Consequently, this upcoming off season surrounding him is going to be far more interesting than most projected it to be last year when it was a forgone conclusion that he and the Red Sox would part ways if they hadn’t already. The way his contract is set up, the Red Sox theoretically have all of the control with a $12.5 million dollar club option for next season. Based on recent ESPN reports, it is pretty clear both that Ortiz and the Red Sox have not discussed any type of alternative and that Big Papi has no desire to come back for one year, go through another April of people wondering whether he’s done and hope he can pull it together enough to get a multi-year deal after the 2011 season. Ortiz is going to end up with a 30 HR, 100 RBI this year so it is pretty reasonable for him to want to get that deal done now.

So what is going to happen? The Red Sox will forever be in debt to Ortiz for what he has provided the franchise in his seven and half seasons with them and especially for his role in helping the Red Sox take down the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. As long as he’s still producing, I would hate to see the two sides part ways. Giving him a multi-year deal is risky however and I don’t know whether Theo Epstein will be willing to do it. Ortiz will be 35 this off season (or so he says) and it is unlikely he’d still be producing at a high level at the end of, lets say, a three year deal. I don’t know. I hope it all ends well. Too many Red Sox stars have departed in less than pleasant circumstances. No matter what happens, when it happens, there is one thing I am confident of: There will not be a one hour special devoted to his decision and he will not crush the city of Boston the way LeBron singled-handedly destroyed the city of Cleveland.