Sour Grapes

From today's Soxaholix:

Bill:

Remembah the good old days when hack sports columnists who were suffering writer's block would dip into the old "Red Sox fans are such whiners" or "Red Sox fans identify themselves with pain and loss" bin of cliched storylines?

Mike:

Yep, but now it's all a scramble to come up with a new hackneyed mail-it-in column and it seems all they've can derive is the "you're annoying us with being so cocky and happy."

They are referring to two ESPN columns: "86 Things We Hate About You" and "Red Sox Overload." There have been others, scattered across the nation's newspapers. ... Do not click on these links -- they are presented for illustrative purposes only.

Schilling: "I'm ready. It's been a long time, a lot of months. I'm nervous. I'm very nervous. It's the start of the year. We're home. It's the Yankees. I'm very nervous." ... To make room on the roster for Schilling, Blaine Neal will likely be designated for assignment.

In New York, the Post's Mike Vaccaro: "[P]anic may be a premature reaction. But concern, deep concern, seems an appropriate alternative, even this early in the season." Back page.

The Schedule: 15 games in the next 15 days, a day off (April 28), then 13 games in 13 days. Once the Yankees series has been played and the New York blackout is lifted, I'll be getting my nightly dose of NESN. The season has truly begun.