You can debate whether it's the Red Sox or Patriots who own this town (right, Felger?), but take it from the Red Sox president of baseball operations, everyone is chasing the Patriots.
“If you’re going to describe a successful sports franchise now and talk about success, I think you’d start with the New England Patriots in any sport,” Dave Dombrowski told the Boston Herald's Jason Mastrodonato in a lengthy story published Sunday that touches on a number of Red Sox topics. “That’s what you would ultimately love to do. It’s not that easy to do in any sport. If we could do that, anywhere near that, you’d be thrilled.”
While three world championships since 2004 are nothing to sneeze at, three isn't five, and it's the sustained success of the Patriots that is the goal other franchise strive for (see the Sox' last-place stumbles in 2012, '14 and '15, for example).
Dombrowski said he thinks the competition for titles among Boston's teams is a great thing.
“I don’t find that difficult,” he said. “In fact, I think it’s good for the city. Ultimately that’s what you want to do anyway to win world championships. That’s what your goal is, whether they’re here or not here. I think it’s great for the city. It’s not like their success takes away from the Red Sox. We sell out all the time and have a lot of interest. It’s apparent there’s room for successful franchises. The Bruins are in the playoffs, the Celtics same way. It’s a passionate city with sports. It’s great to have that.”