Well, they flipped the switch, and we're still here. Our MVP All-World QB is gone, and we're still here. The Rays are officially going to leave Fenway still in first, and we're still here. And we feel fine.

Fenway last night didn't have that edge-of-Armageddon feeling that it sometimes does when other teams are in town for a September game with first place on the line. And if any of the crowd was extra fired up, it didn't take long for Daisuke Matsuzaka to lull them to coma. It was the quintessential Dice game: some great pitches, many many walks and long counts, getting out of trouble about 80% of the time he got into it. Yet he left on the wrong end of a 3-2 Tampa Bay lead.

Delcarmen and Okajima pitched flawlessly and kept it close until the eighth, when Jason Bay delighted Fenway by smacking a 2-run shot over the Wall. Give the ball to Papelbon and take over the captain's seat, right? Not so fast. Papelbon's first opponent was Dan Johnson, who began the day with AAA-Durham, got to Fenway after the game started, and became the first entry into the Great Moments of Tampa Bay franchise history by taking Papelbon into the bullpen. Tie game. Uncharacteristically rattled, Papelbon gave up two straight doubles, and the Rays led.

The ninth was interesting, in a frustrating kind of way. Kotsay walked, Varitek inexplicably tried to bunt him over and failed, Papi (who didn't start but came in after Rays starter Scott Kazmir had left) drew out a long walk before popping up. Ellsbury (now?) ran for Kotsay, and got to third on the ol' SB/E-2 play. Coco could have been a hero...but he wasn't. Dan Johnson gets all the hero honors for the night. And the Sox will still be in second when this series is over. Beckett tries to stop the skid tonight.

Bill Simmons, who we're very glad is writing again, tries to talk fans off, then on, then off the ledge about the Patriots. The wedding analogy -

,,,me and every other Patriots fan Sunday -- we had our tuxedos on, we were ready to go, and suddenly we were sitting in a waiting room in a hot tuxedo waiting for medical updates on our comatose fiancee and halfheartedly trying to talk ourselves into one of the bridesmaids.

is one we wish we'd thought of, but he makes some good points when he says that this team was built by Coach Bill to survive even catastrophic losses (we'll see), and that the Patriots are the most fun when they feel disrespected and extra motivated. We've gone through all the stages of grief, are in full beard-stroking "this could be interesting", and actually think we're gonna pop the Jets this week. We'll see.

Reports are that the Celtics and Doc Rivers have agreed to an extension that will keep him coaching the C's until 2011. Doc doesn't want to talk to the press about it. So we won't ask.

Image from Wikipedia.