Stasis? Vertiginous? I feel like I'm reading a movie review! With big words and overused clever word play it seems like you're trying too hard. You're a good writer. Don't change your style now that you're a columnist.

My how the mighty have fallen. I've been using the "dead Sox" phrase for over a month. The way it was supposed to work was Gonzales was our answer to not signing Texeria, right? Is Pedroia the only one who plays with fire in his belly? Maybe because Big Papi's been on DL?Now they have to have a MAJOR house cleaning the off season to play the hope card. Bring up some more rookies in the upcoming weeks and call it a post Theo, Terry rebuilding phase. With all the overpriced non contributing players under contract it could be costly and painful though. Crawford is without doubt a poster child for signing over priced free agents. C'mon - when does a position player have to get Tommy John surgery? Brutal!

Sox upper management pretty much guaranteed this outcome by their inaction, abetting the players, and enabling them to be the whiny, non productive, collection of players that they are today. Alex Gonzalez has been a big disappointment for the most part, we all know Beckett and Lackey must go, Crawford's signing was just plain bad judgement on Theo's part (or maybe a parting shot as he left the sinking ship? For you conspiracy theorists out there). David Ortiz is unhappy because he doesn't feel the love of being overpaid for what he does. And cannot play a complete season due to a chronic condition. I could go on and on with the what has gone wrong this season. Kind of feels like the "old" days when the Sox put on a decent show and then folded the tent by the end of the season and hit the golf course while other teams were battling to get into the WS. Back to the Future! Geez.

"Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" Oh, never mind....

Considering the overall behavior of Boston sports fans, I'd say this is karma.

I hope to hit at least one vertiginous wedge next time I'm on the links.

Chris: Congratulations on getting your own column. I've read your stuff the last couple of years and have enjoyed it for its insight and true understanding of whatever sport it is that you've been writing about. Don't change now that you've been given your own column. We don't need another hack. We don't need another in the long line of Globe attack artists. It's gets old quick, believe me. Stick with who you are and what's gotten you here. Good luck!

Yes baseball is about winning but about winning each game, not just for getting to the playoffs. Most teams are out of the playoffs by now, but their players and fans and the media keep working and rooting, for each play and each game. Boston's fans and especially the media have become so spoiled, expecting playoffs every year and now acting so shocked and arrogant that it aint happening this time. Like everything else is meaningless. Give me break. 38 games is 38 games. Play ball!

Looks to me like firing Francona didn't make anything better, but made things a lot worse for the Red Sox.