Sports Redux: Unacceptable Losses

Your optimists can say that the Red Sox still have a decent lead in the AL East. That October is a foregone conclusion at Fenway. That Schilling is back and hitting his stride just at the right time.

That's why optimists don't last long around here. Games like last night, when the Sox couldn't get ONE SINGLE measly solitary guy around to score against the Devil Rays, break their spirit. In the midst of first, we are in death, et cetera.

Schilling was great. The only Tampa run (thus the only run of the game; sorry, but we're fixated on this) came on a double and two sacrifices. Not exactly roaring thunder. But Scott Kazmir, who had been a problem for the Sox all year, was better. Two Red Sox made it to second base. None made it to third (hence the return of the tumbleweed). Tim Wakefield goes for the Sox tonight, and as much as he's feasted on Devil Ray hitters all year, he CAN'T WIN unless the offense SCORES RUNS. Got that, guys?

* The Patriots might be in trouble with the NFL now. The league confiscated a video camera that they say a Pats employee may have been using to film Jets coaches during Sunday's games, which is naturally frowned upon. They got caught with a camera in the cookie jar last year, too. The league will investigate, and decide whether the Pats will be punished with a fine, loss of a draft pick, or just a frown.

This has the NFL's go-to guy on sportsmanship, LaDainian Tomlinson (you may remember how upset he was last year that the Pats mocked the dance that the Chargers do to mock their opponents), squawking. Yawn.