In the era of pink hats this does not surprise me. He got the Red Sox 2 WS wins, and for a lot of people that is a free pass for him to do whatever he wants. I'm sure Francona could come into spring training next march, say at a press conference that he is not even going to manage and just throw the season away, then in September break into every home in New England and mercilessly beat every woman in child in the household and 70 percent would still want him back.