Is everyone amped for the Yankee-Sox serious this weekend? I know Red Sox Nation sure is. The players on both sides are. The local papers are replete with hype today. New York Times columnist William Rhoden is bored of the same ol-Yankees win storyline. So he's openly pulling for the Sox. Gimme a break, brother. So sorry you're bored. What paper do you work for again? Ahhh, it's not even worth getting worked up about.

El Duque will pitch tonight so long as the weather holds up. He hasn't lost yet. Will the Sox have his number? Are you an optimist or a pessimist? I'm heading up to Vermont tomorrow to visit Emily's folks for a few days, so I'll be smack dab in the heart of the Nation for this one. In order to overtake the Bombers I'd say that Boston needs to win 5-6 over the next two weekends. While these games should be characteristically tense and dramatic, I won't be overly excited should the Yankees win 4-6, just relieved. After all, this is just a warm-up for the playoffs. (If the Yanks sweep Boston but lose to them in the playoffs, think anyone will remember these games? Stay in the moment, dude, stay in the moment.) Then again, every Yankee-Sox series is played as if the fate of the modern world were at stake.

To quote Chuck D, "Don't believe the hype, it's a sequel." Enjoy the mishegoss. May the best team win.