Champs

So the Red Sox are the 2004 World Series Champions. I didn't really, really believe it was true until I saw the banner unfurled at Fenway yesterday and the big chunky (ruby-studded?) championship rings given out to the players. Yesterday was full of high spirits, good cheer, and grown men crying at the ballpark. Even the Yankees (who were on hand to witness the ceremony) applauded for the champs. Although did I miss that picture of A-Rod clapping? Yeah, must have missed that.

One of the funnier moments of the day was when Fenway cheered wildly for Mariano Rivera, the Yankees' once-infallible closer. Rivera (I called him Skeletor back then) would take the mound to close the game, and we would know we were over. Just iced. He had something like 33 1/3 hitless innings of relief in the 2000 playoffs. But last season (starting with James's 30th birthday game at Yankee Stadium), Skeletor started melting down and blowing saves against the Sox, eventually blowing not one but two games in the ALCS, allowing us to win the series against all odds. So yesterday Fenway fans took a moment to appreciate his part in bringing us the championship (i.e. uncharacteristically sucking), and he was good sport enough to laugh and tip his cap to the crowd. I didn't know Skeletor's jaw could move before that.

Amidst all the joy of Red Sox nation are, of course, the naysayers. People who are sick of the Sox and want the whole thing just to go away. Party-poopers include the disgruntled Mariners' fan who gives us 86 reasons to hate the Red Sox and another guy complaining about how the Red Sox have infiltrated every aspect of his life. (Sad life, maybe?) I will admit that Johnny Damon has officially become insufferable (my sister is ready to burn her #18 jersey), but as for the other stuff, people need to relax. After all, we've collectively had the Yankees shoved down our throat as "America's team" for years now. (If the Yankees are "America's team," I guess behemoth Hummers are "America's car" and Enron is "America's company.") So let us enjoy the moment already.

Speaking of enjoying the moment, I want to take a moment to thank the good fortune sent down to me personally from that Fenway in the sky. On Monday, I might have said something like:

"Although, who knows when I will actually get to go to a game, being neither celebrity, large corporation, nor scion of a famous New England family."

The answer is tonight, 7:05 pm, Red Sox vs. Yankees. Did I mention it's Curt Schilling's debut? Thank you, baseball gods, for friendly benefactors.