At the conclusion of the pre-game ceremonies before the Boston Red Sox took the field at Fenway Park for the first time since the Boston Marathon bombings and subsequent detention of the suspects, David “Big Papi” Ortiz addressed the crowd, and all those watching and listening elsewhere.
“This jersey that we wear today, it doesn’t say Red Sox, it says Boston,” Ortiz said, explaining the team’s unusual uniforms. “We want to thank you, Mayor Menino, Governor Patrick, the whole police department, for the great job they did this past week. This is our fucking city! And nobody’s going to dictate our freedom! Stay strong!”
Ortiz is the sole player remaining from Boston’s 2004 World Series Championship squad.
Soon after the conclusion of the game, Federal Communications Committee (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski defended Ortiz’s choice of words, tweeting, “David Ortiz spoke from the heart at today’s Red Sox game. I stand with Big Papi and the people of Boston – Julius.”
Genachowski was born in Brookline, Mass., and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School. Earlier this spring, the chairman announced he would step down from the FCC, but that transition has yet to transpire.•
