I submitted this as well, but I don't think they're going to run it.

True Believer

I am finding out that a big part of who I am as an adult is a reflection of my upbringing. The more I look around at my peers, the more I can see it in other people as well. You can tell which people came from deeply religious households or politically active families. Me? I grew up in a sports house.

I’m from a football-baseball-basketball family. We always root for the local teams, even during the tough times. The losing years make the winning years that much more special. Back in the 80’s, the holy trinity in our house consisted of Bird, McHale and Parish. We have been lucky enough to reach the Promised Land with multiple championships from both the Patriots and the Celtics within my lifetime.

Out of all the local teams, it is the Red Sox to which we have devoted far and away the most mental and emotional energy. And yet it is this team that has rewarded us the least. Eighty-six years since our last championship? Are you (bleeping) kidding me? Why would anyone put up with this? Think about how many people have lived and died within that time and never saw the Red Sox win a World Series.

It is not just the games they have lost… it is HOW they have lost them. Late season collapses… Painful playoff losses… So many times they have snatched defeat out of the hands of near certain victory. The loss to the Yankees in game 7 of the ALCS last year hit me like a punch to the stomach. I was devastated for about a week.

So why bother? Why let them ruin every summer? Why let your heart get ripped out and get sopmed on fall after fall? Well, they DO put a quality product on the field every season. They're not the Milwaukee Brewers. They're almost always competitive. And again, watching the Sox was a big part of my upbringing. I can't remember too many family gatherings between Easter and Columbus Day where there wasn't a baseball game on. By Memorial day, we were cautiously optimistic. Strategies were discussed at length. Every decision of the manager was closely scrutinzed. On the Fourth of July, we were either feeling downright cocky about our team or calling for the manager's head (and is there a tougher job in all of New England than manager of the Boston Red Sox?). By Labor Day, we either had pennant fever or we were saying, "wait until next year."

Following the Red Sox is a lot like being in a cult. The bonds between the Red Sox and their believers are the strongest in all of sports. And sometimes, faith means believing in something you cannot see. If you couldn’t convince yourself that “this is the year” every spring, it wouldn’t be much fun being a Red Sox fan.Now we begin the holy season of the playoffs. This year’s team is by far the best Red Sox team that I can remember. They have balance. They have post-season experience. Sure, there have been a few bumps in the road over the last few weeks, but I have more confidence in this pitching staff than last year’s. The offense lead the league in runs scored. The infield defense is the best in recent memory.

Will this be the team that washes away the sins of seasons past? Is this a championship caliber team? I honestly don’t know. But nobody else out there really scares me right now. We’ve lost a bit of our August momentum, but it’s good to know that we’re capable of playing on that high a level. Besides, one of these years when they do finally win the big one, Boston will be the biggest party you’ve ever seen (maybe next year at this time we’ll be adding Schilling, Ramirez and Ortiz to the Boston sports pantheon…). The entire country will hear the collective sigh of relief from generations of Red Sox fans when they finally win the big one. Until then, you’ve got to believe.