Sports Redux: Now You Can Talk to Us About Playoffs

Your 2009 Boston Red Sox clearly don't like to make anything easy. They hit losing skids, slugging droughts and pitching woes. They load the bases before settling in to retire the batters. They fall into deficits before they creep back to make the game thrilling.

And while they could have spent the late night hours celebrating clinching the American League wild card with a victory over the Blue Jays, the Sox lost, 7-8, on Tuesday night. Not only was it the team's fifth consecutive loss, it meant that the team had to wait - or go home, wait and come back - in order to celebrate the Rangers losing to the Angels and an official welcome to the postseason.

Now we could talk about Tuesday night's game. About the six home runs, including three by Adam Lind alone and one by cowboy-turned-turncoat Kevin Millar (we did - mostly), and the way Clay Buchholz looked like he'd been watching the wrong Josh Beckett game tapes for inspiration. We could, on the other hand, talk about the way the team came back, led by the mighty late-season bat of JD Drew. We could even stand on a soapbox and lecture Kevin Youkilis about how you should NEVER sit back and let a called third strike happen, let alone with the game on the line in the bottom of nine.

But know what? Today's special. There was champagne sprayed inside Fenway last night and Papelbon was likely getting his dance on. The team has said that the first step is to get invited to the postseason dance. Well, here we are. Rangers fans are getting refunds. The question remains, Red Sox - what are you going to do with this opportunity? Our vote? Start winning, mmmkay?

In other sports news, Kevin Garnett might be ready to go full blast, but that doesn't mean Doc Rivers is ready for him to do so. Pats cornerback Jonathan Wilhite's late scratch on Sunday seems to stem from an incident that morning involving two men approaching the football player in the parking lot of his home. And on the ice, the Bruins are gearing up for Thursday's season opener - expectations are to exceed expectations.