Never thought, Old Nick would end up being a sycophant for Sox ownership, or become devoid of logic. We all should feel a lot better because we don't stink as bad as the Pirates and the Padres. Give me a break. This transition to another set of players sounds ominously like rebuilding to me. As for the present set of affairs, everyone has players hurt. Look at the hated Yankees; they can match the Bosox for the loss of key personnel. Our problem stems from ownership allowed the singings of the likes of Carl Crawford, John Lackey and over paying folks like Julio Lugo, Mike Cameron and JD Drew. They assembled a team that for the past few years have resembled the Tidewater Tides, and very few of the recent team play with any fire in their bellies. Even the venerable Big Papi now sounds like a self indulgent slug, worrying about the effects of his recent injury on his future free agency and not how it hurts his current teammates. Oh, by the way, Nick, have you seen the price of a ticket to a Red Sox game? Oh I forgot you have a press pass. My bad.

Nick, you flip flop more than most politicians. One week you are criticizing ownership, the next week you praise them and offer excuses. You have not even touched on the fact that for the most part, ownership has offered their own excuses, not assumed responsibility for the Crawford and Lackey signings, the unwarranted and ill advised Beckett extension...among other things. Ultimately, as in any business, ownership/management is responsible...for the good things and the bad. The tone begins in the executive suite...this team has major PR issues...and every time Lucchino steps front and center it amazes me that he isn't held accountable for being nothing more than a spinmeister...attempting to paint a pretty picture on an old, beat up house. They may eventually rid themselves of the entitled and underachieving elements and atmosphere...but to praise them for what we see now is just misplaced. This team is unlikeable and unwatchable...and it starts right at the top. When you flip flop the way you do, you enable them to continue to duck responsibility and accountability...and make yourself part of the problem.

The transition from the old Sox to the new Sox would probably be going a little better if the team didn't have $500 million tied up in dead or nearly dead money contracts and if there was much in the way of up and coming talent in the farm system. Unfortunately it does and there isn't. So, this is going to be a multiyear fix at best.

The problem when you use the Yankees with your argument Nick is that although they have 1 world series in the last 11 years they have been in the playoffs all 11 except 1 in 2008 and they remedied that by spending and getting players with character like CC and Tex to bring them to a world series the following year. Its the owners fault for letting Theo spend unwisely on expensive players. With the exception of Gonzales the rest have been a signing bust. Henry is not allowed to say he was against the Crawford signing because he had the right to say no, he's the majority owner for Chrissakes. This Sox team is like the one year the Yankees had Randy Johnson and Gary Sheffield, overpriced unlikable players. That is where the comparisons to the Yanks stop because the Yanks make the playoffs where everything from there is a crapshoot. Shame on the Sox for not making it to the playoffs for what will be three years in a row now.

they had the best GM/Manager combination in the history of the team and Larry Lucchino screwed them over. maybe some day they will return to competitiveness, but only when Larry is gone. I'm actually hoping that in memory of Johnny Pesky the team will rise to the occasion for the remainder of this so far disappointing season.

Nick, get out of ownership's pocket. Larry! Please leave! By the way, i'm not a Pirates, Orioles, Royals or A's fan for a reason. They picked the 100th anniversary year of Fenway to be a circus act.