FanNation - The Republic of Sport

It's my first post since the Series ended.  Thank you Theo, Tito and Co. for putting forth a wonderful team and letting what was unthinkable just 3 1/2 years ago happen twice in four seasons. 

2007 isn't like 2004.  It would be impossible to be.  2004 was about exorcising 86 years of futility, about not being the bridesmaids anymore.  It was a year that's unlikely to be matched, unless the Sox go another 86 years between titles.  And with the lineup they have now, it doesn't appear that this will happen.  In this age of free agency, I'm not about to annoint the Sox a dynasty in the making.  Too many things can happen and an also-ran one day can be a pennant winner the next (see the 2006 Detroit Tigers). 

After the 1946 season, it appeared the Sox were set to be dominant throughout the rest of the 40's and early '50's.  But a few untimely injuries to some of their young pitching pheneoms and it was another 21 years before the Sox sniffed the post-season. 

Pap's agent has him all over the place.  He was on QVC last night prior to the Letterman show, shilling (or is that Schilling?) Series memorabelia.  With QVC in Jersey, it was an easy call for his agent to say go tape Letterman in the afternoon and head over the river to Jersey to do QVC. 

It's exceptionally easy to see Pap fitting in with the 2004 band of "Idiots".  The kid's got personality, that's for sure.

Moving on to the Pats.  All I hear right now is how the Patriots are evil for running up the score.  Well here are a few thoughts

1.  Look at these scores: 49 - 14; 41 - 10; 41 - 9; 51 - 24.  What do those represent?  A four game stretch of the Indianapolis Colts in 2004.  Now that's a tremendous stretch, but I don't recall there being this huge outcry that the Colts were running up the scores during this stretch.  But the Pats put up some similar scores and Belichick is the anti-Christ.  

2. (I heard this on WEEI today)   When Tiger Woods is utterly destroying the field, do people ask him to let up, to stop playing well, to throw a couple of double-bogeys in there to make it a bit closer?  

3.  Should the Pats stop playing or let up a bit?  If you're getting whipped, here's a simple solution:  Stop them. Even though they're treating the rest of the league like they were one of Michael Vick's dogs, the opposing teams are professional athletes getting paid to be among the best in the world, no?  Experts say the difference between the best and worst team in the NFL is very minimal, so what does that say about this year's edition of the Pats?  Are they that much better than the rest of the league?

Suck it up media.  You clearly have a vendetta against the team that not that long ago was your little darlings.  Everyone likes an underdog, but when they're on top too long, you turn on them.

Go Sox, Pats, Celts, B's and UMass.

I'm out.