Time to Weird Out With Your Beard Out...

It dawned on me yesterday as to why, let alone even talking about them, Red Sox fans aren't head over heels for the most exciting baseball team to hit this town in a decade. And, yes. that picture above has something to do with it. Now it's your job to find out if it's a clever reference to something sports relaTed, OR merely foreshadowing the fact that I'm going to trick you into clicking on a hyperlink that sends you to WhiteMeatSpin.com...

Your move, Interwebbers...

1) That team a decade ago is part of the problem. This team is '03-'04 Light, from top to bottom. They have great front end pitching and clutch hitting, but both are just a notch behind the Pedro/Schilling Manny/Ortiz combo from back in the day. They've even got some idiot, in 'em. If you're comfortable in assuming that because they have lumberjack-ish beards means their at least somewhat immature. And i totally am...

2) Fantasy football: 10 years ago, I couldn't get a dozen people together to have a $50 league. Now? The average person I know is in at least two,12 team leagues, that cost twice as much. It's distracting, it's addicting, and I can't fault those that find it more entertaining than baseball, and choose to constantly over analyze their fantasy teams as if they were an episode of Breaking Bad . I don't think it's enough to completely ignore a team that's had more comebacks than a Rocky film. But I definitely think it's become a legitimate contender to baseball when it comes to divvying up that precious free time in one's life...

AND

Get ready to see the Sports Ted and Orville Teddenbacher there on
top of the Green Monster in T-minus. Even though Simmons has long since
abandoned talking about the Red Sox...

3) The Bruins: Much like fantasy football, nobody in Boston cared about the Bruins in 2003. At least they weren't willing to admit it publicly...or watch it privately...or discuss it on sports talk radio. So, yeah. Apparently their season starts around this time, too. Even if it feels like it just ended. And there's no doubt that the team's new found popularity has found itself much more of an option than it's been since Cam Neely was helping launch ESPN2 by asking a cameraman to kick his tiny dog...

So, yeah. Long story short is that people have seen this story before (probably even a more entertaining version) and now have more potential legitimate entertainment options than they did back in '04. Even in '07, to a certain degree. But the '03-'04 teams fit my argument better. Even if only one of those teams made the World Series. Something i;m now fully expecting this year's team to do...

Somebody needs to explain this
to me like I'm a 5 year old...

Yup, you heard me right. I'm finally convinced. From "Chicken & Beer" to "Pitching & Beards", this team has come full circle and is ready to become the first team this century to collect 3 World Series titles. Why the change of heart? Well, I wouldn't say I've had one. It's like the judge in Philadelphia says in response to a cocky (but correct) Denzel Washington. I haven't changed my mind. I've merely amplified my answer"...

I wasn't sure this team would have enough front end starting pitching. It's fairly evident now that they do. I wasn't sold on the inexperienced bull pen. But time and again they've answered the call. And the bats? Well, David Ortiz is quietly having on the best seasons of his career, and anyone with a beard has at least 3 game winning hits. I mean, what's not to like? Even "Pitchin' & Beards" sounds enough like "Chicken & Beer" to serve as some sort of poetic redemption, doesn't it? Yeah, you know it does. And it also doesn't hurt that there isn't a dominant team out there that they're going to eventually have to face, either. Which is always nice...

So, yeah. I'm on board now, and anything short of a brutal loss in the ALCS will now be considered a failure. Not saying that's the ideal result, but you get the picture. They're as complete a team as there'll be in that tournament, and no matter how unexpected their success to this point has been, they're in position where they should justifiably be expected to succeed. Which I think they're going to do. For me, the only question remains is whether anyone will actually be watching...

Catch you on Friday for picks, friends...

NFL Picks

Last Week: 7-8-1

Overall: 20-25-3 (.448)

NCAA Picks

Last Week: 2-3-0

Overall: 10-10-1 (.500)

#BAGSMUNMAN