Sports Redux: Start Spreadin' The Snooze

Clearly, winning the AL East is a low priority for the Red Sox. Considering how heated the Boston/LA rivalry's has become in the last few days, obviously Terry and the boys feel like another Sox/Angels series is the only way to clear up the bad blood.

That's an explanation we'd rather hear than our first instinct, which is that the Yankees are a far superior team and the Sox don't really even belong on the same field as them. Yesterday, C.C. Sabathia treated the Sox like they were a turkey sub, allowing just one hit over seven innings. Daisuke Matsuzaka matched him in runs allowed, if not pitch count or walks or Maalox ingested by his manager, until the sixth when Robinson Cano broke up the shutout with a solo HR. Johnny Damon drive in two insurance runs in the eighth off Country Time Wagner, and that was that.

Dan Shaughnessy puts on his sleuthing hat and comes to the conclusion that the Sox aren't making a big push to beat the Yankees and win the division. When you hear things like "both of us are probably going to the playoffs. We’ve just got to go out now and win three games so we can make the playoffs" (Kevin Youkilis), what's the exact opposite of a sense of urgency? Maybe they just wanted to clinch at home so they can sell tickets to another Papelbon dance medley.

The Revolution didn't feel much like dancing when captain Steve Ralston suffered a knee injury in the first half, with the team trailing 1-0 to a tough Seattle team. But the team brought it together - "At halftime that was the heart of our speech: ‘Let’s do it for Rallie.’", said Jay Heaps - and Shalrie Joseph took control of things, scoring two goals to give the Revs the 2-1 win. Ralston is likely out for at least a couple of games.

The injury the sports world (besides Ralston fans and Jon Lester fans, that is) is buzzing about most this morning is former Heisman winner and current QB of the Florida Gators Tim Tebow, who may have gotten a concussion during their blowout in Kentucky. Florida is already freaked out about a teamwide swine flu outbreak, so this can't help. Coach Urban Meyer: "He got hit pretty good, but that's one tough cat. Our team will pray for him and he'll be fine," which may lead to another Bostonist Skepchick column.

Closer to home, BC watched Wake Forest come into the Heights and dismantle a 24-10 lead in the last nine minutes of regulation. But in OT, the Eagles got a field goal, and got Wake right where they wanted them (four yards away from a game-winning touchdown), before Isaac Johnson forced Wake's Riley Skinner to fumble away both the football and the football game. The Eagles are 3-1.