24 hours and it still hasn't fully hit me. I mean, I know the Red Sox are in the World Series, and I remember seeing them celebrate on the Yankee Stadium field...but did that all really happen? It's still so incredibly surreal to me.

Here...this is what I mean.

The Yankees were 3 outs away from sweeping the Red Sox en route to yet another World Series...with Mariano Rivera on the mound. And they blew it.

Can you read that and fully comprehend every word? I can't.

The Red Sox were the first team in MLB history to win a series after going down 3-0. And they did it against the Yankees.

No comprende.

The Red Sox not only beat the Yankees in a playoff series, but handed them their worst defeat OF ALL TIME.

I'm sorry...what did you say?


I keep replaying the events of last night over and over in my head, starting with Kevin Brown's inevitable breakdown on the mound and ending with Pokey's toss to Mientkiewicz. They beat the Yankees. They were 3 outs away from booking tee times. The World Series begins Saturday at Fenway. At Fenway!

Factually, I understand. But emotionally, it still has not hit me. And it probably won't until the Sox meet the Yankees next year in the regular season and the fans at the Toilet are just a little bit quieter than usual.

I can't wait.
___________________

The last week has been one of the most fun and time consuming weeks ever. I've been splitting my time evenly between struggling to keep my eyes open at work and watching the Sox games at the bar down the street. I assume I spent some time in the car but I don't remember it. If you asked me what color my house is, I couldn't tell you, considering the last time I saw it in daylight was probably two weeks ago. Needless to say, I've really been slacking when it comes to the blog, and unless Christie's Sports Bar installs laptops with wireless internet, that will continue through the next week (at least). Anyway, these are some of my favorite memories of the last week, all of which should fit somewhere and seem to fit nowhere. So here they are.


*Game 5 at Christie's. 14 looooong innings. Fat Tire on draft. When the winning run crossed the plate, my cell phone rang. It was my friend Matt calling from Fenway. No conversation..he just held up the phone so I could hear the crowd. I'll never forget the sound of that crowd.

*Tuesday night. After watching the first 6 innings of Curt Schilling's Game 6 (which is how it should always be referred to from hereonout), I set my VCR and leave for the Pixies show. We make our way to get wristbands, my mind focused on the game I'm missing. I'm looking forward to the show, but part of me just wants it to be over so I can return home and finish the game. As my wristband is being put on my wrist, I look down a realize at that second that the Red Sox are going to force a game 7. Why? Most wristbands have ads for beer or the venue on them. That night's wristband? A Reebok ad, featuring one word: outperform.

*Game 7. We're at our lucky table at Christie's, 5 feet from the 98" projection screen that is currently showing the Red Sox leading the Yankees by a shocking score of 8-1. As Johnny Damon, the hero of the night, steps up to the plate, John, a coworker of mine, walks into the bar. Now, this is not just any coworker. This guy could pass for Charles Manson on a dark night, but when he puts on his favorite Red Sox hat over his mess of hair, he bears a striking resemblance to Johnny Damon. So as Johnny steps up to the plate, John walks into the bar and the place erupts. I mean, erupts. Screams, cheers, people chanting Johnny's name, drunk guys getting their pictures taken with John...it was insane. And it still makes me smile.

*Throughout Game 7, my cell phone was ringing constantly. I had friends at bars all across Boston, and though we couldn't watch the game we'd all been dreaming about together, we weren't going to be stopped from celebrating together. The bar I was at was packed and loud. The bars they were at were packed and loud. Conversations were not actual conversations but rather random words chosen carefully to express our joy.

"Oh! My! God!"

"Too loud...call later..I love you!"

"I'm coming to Boston! I'm coming to Boston!"

The only thing better than watching something like what happened on Wednesday is having people you love to enjoy it with.

*Back in August, my password to log on to my computer at work expired. It had been "Fucktheyankees" for months, so when it came time to change it, I entered the first thing that entered my mind.

RedSoxin7.

I have typed that into my computer every single morning for the last 3 months. Words can not describe the feeling I had typing that yesterday morning. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up.

*Thanks to two of my favorite coworkers, I was able to thank Gabe Kapler (and in turn, the other 24 guys) on the air yesterday for making this the most memorable Red Sox season of all time. None of us will ever be able to repay these guys for what they have done, and we will probably never be able to personally thank them for making an entire Nation's dreams come true. But it was a nice start...