John Henry had a crappy week. Well, he had about as crappy a week as one could have being a billionaire with a much younger wife. His Fenway Sports Group empire was in disarray on multiple continents. In the past few days, situations reached a nadir on both sides of the pond.

The Red Sox had already scuttled this season. Players did their part, mutinying against Bobby Valentine. Ownership contributed with a cost-cutting trade, permitting them to rebuild without dipping into their ample profit margins. A seven-game losing streak has since poured salt on the few remaining fans still sensitive enough to be wounded.

The fiasco may be severe enough to send the pink-hat, champagne sipping fans that have spearheaded the club’s chic economic renaissance fleeing back across the Cape Cod Canal. Henry has travelled to Seattle to witness the catastrophe in person.

Then there is Liverpool. Last season was, essentially, the club’s worst league effort of the modern era. This year was supposed to be a new dawn under new manager Brendan Rodgers. Instead, the Reds have had their worst start since 1962. Through three games, Liverpool has earned just one point and is tied for the second-worst goal difference in the league. Exacerbating the losing, Liverpool nickel and dimed its way out of signing Clint Dempsey and left the team so depleted at striker Michael Owen and Didier Drogba may be considered.

Henry issued a letter of apology to Liverpool fans, three matches into the season. That is how bad things are. Rodgers is a solid longterm managerial prospect. Liverpool is headed right for a panicked rehiring of Rafa Benitez around mid-November.

Things are going a bit better in NASCAR, with Greg Biffle first and Matt Kenseth third in the Sprint Cup standings. Though, Roush Fenway’s star, Carl Edwards, has fallen victim to the malaise and looks destined to miss the Chase.

Fans accustomed to excellence. Teams nowhere close to delivering it. Resolving these concurrent messes will take more than Beats By Dre headphones.

[Photo via Presswire]