Last Chance for the Red Sox

The Red Sox are terrible; plain and simple. As a lifelong Sox fan, I find it extremely difficult to watch. It's been over a year since we've seen the Red Sox succeed at the game of baseball. The problem dives much deeper than simple on-field performance issues. The clubhouse is in turmoil, running rampant with coaching and player underachievement. This team is simply unlikable; a bunch of spoiled brats who took advantage of having too much freedom and ultimately got their coach fired. The same coach that turned the franchise around, breaking an 86 year drought and leading the team to win two World Series Titles. They whine and complain, blame everyone and everything but themselves, and just flat out stink.

I haven't watched since the All-Star break. I just don't see the point. I will watch this week, however. Why? Well as the saying goes in Boston, "I have two favorite teams, the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees." Although Boston hasn't had a chance at making the playoffs in a while now, that doesn't mean they can't drag the Yankees down with them. New York and Baltimore are in a dead even tie for first place with only three games left in the season for each team. They have both clinched playoff spots, however with the new wildcard system in place, the difference between the division title and wildcard selection is bigger than ever. This year, two wildcard teams are going to be selected from each league, at which point they will play each other in a one game playoff before the Division Series begins. Baltimore is set to face Tampa for their three games as New York is set to face Boston.

If there is any hope of ensuring a silver lining for the season, beating the Yankees would be the way to do it. To be honest, I doubt that the Sox have it in them. In past years, the Red Sox embodied the fire and passion that makes baseball the romantic sport that it is. You don't get to be 'lovable losers' simply by losing. It's the way you lose. In the pre-2004 World Series days, the Red Sox would come so close, yet always fall short. However, it seemed as if they were as broken up about it as the fans were. This painted a picture of relatability. It created the appearance that the organization was fighting side by side with the fans. When the Red Sox win, everyone wins. When they lose, everyone faces it together as one. This team just doesn't seem to have any of that passion. Although this probably isn't the case, it appears to most fans that they simply don't care. The least they can do for Red Sox nation, who has suffered enough these past two seasons, is to muster up the energy to knock the Yankees down a peg. Is that really so much to ask?

Torrey Smith

I will not be writing about the Seahawks vs. Packers hail mary drama or the cornucopia of blown calls and sloppy officiating throughout the season so far because that story will be beat to death on every media outlet that even remotely covers sports. Instead, I will talk about a far more spectacular story. Baltimore Ravens' wide receiver Torrey Smith lit up the New England Patriots this week on Sunday Night Football. He had six receptions for a 127 yards, an average of 21.2 yards per catch, as well as reeling in two touchdowns. Smith was the difference maker for the Ravens who bested the Pats 31 to 30. However, the stats aren't the only thing that make this story remarkable. Less than 24 hours before Smith caught his second touchdown, setting Baltimore up for a game winning field goal, Smith faced unspeakable tragedy. Early Sunday morning, Smith received news that his younger brother, Tevin Jones, had lost control of his motor cycle and crashed into a utility pole. The 19 year old was pronounced dead at the scene. In addition to being a big brother, Torrey Smith acted as a father figure to Jones, as well as his five other younger siblings, assisting his single mother who was often busy working to support her family. Sports have the unique ability to provide healing in so many different ways to so many different people. It is stories like this that remind us what the game is all about. Truly inspiring.