In recent years, Boston sports fans have staged mini uprisings to publicly lobby for the well-being of their favorite, possibly underrated, local athletes.
They have successfully helped persuade the Red Sox to re-sign Mike Lowell after the 2007 World Series, and they attempted to do the same for James Posey and the Celtics in the summer of 2008.
Their latest mission: Launch an MVP campaign for Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker.
The pesky little wideout leads the NFL with 79 catches and is well on his way to breaking the single-season franchise record for receptions (112), a mark he set in 2007. He also missed two games with a knee injury.
“I don’t look into [the numbers] really too much,” said Welker, who is listed at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds. “I’m out there doing my job and trying to do it well, and everything else kind of falls by the wayside. It’s definitely cool to be able to get those catches, and I’ll probably look back at the end of the year and be able to reminisce about it.”
While Welker’s value can be calculated by the Patriots’ two games without him, it’ll be tough for him to take home an MVP, particularly because his passes come from one of the greatest quarterbacks who’s ever played.
Tom Brady is appreciative of Welker.
“He scoots his way in there, and he’s always fighting for extra yards,” Brady said. “He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever played with.”
