Opening night media storyline

The problem with opening day is that people start looking at a baseball season with a sample size of one. I understand that writers have column inches to fill. I recognize that people like choose a storyline to tie events together. But still, you end up with stuff written that's just plain silly.

Let's take, for example, Sean Mcadam's Projo game story.

The Red Sox looked stale, and the loss -- inconsequential as it might have been in a six-month season -- is sure to prompt some to suggest that the champs spent too much time celebrating their newfound champion status and not enough time preparing for the new campaign.

Sure to prompt "some"? Who, Sean? Certainly not you, right? Did someone actually make that comment in response to that debacle last night, or are you bringing it up as part of a pre-conceived storyline going into the season? I may be wrong, but my reaction is to assume the latter. It's difficult to see it as a reasoned response to what actually took place last night, since the problems were mostly on the part of people who weren't here last year. And, much to my surprise, I haven't seen anyone else make that connection. Only you.

Obviously, no one hit Johnson well, which shouldn't be either surprising or considered a sign of "not enough time preparing." But the guys who were here last year hit .200/.286/.320 and the newcomers hit only .143/.143/.143. The pitchers who will be receiving World Series rings next week through 2 1/3 innings with an ERA of 0 and a WHIP of 1.29. The pitchers who will NOT be receiving World Series rings next week, and therefore should not be suffering any kind of hangover effects, went 5 2/3 with and ERA of 11.12 and a WHIP of 3.18. Damon did mishandle a ball in CF for an error, but the other error was by newcomer John Halama, and you could make a case for at least one for newcomer Edgar Renteria.

One loss doesn't consign the Sox to another eight-plus decades of futility.

Well, that's certainly a relief to know.

But it's been since 1919 since the Red Sox attempted to defend a championship.

Last night suggested they're seriously out of practice.

Sigh. I know that it's a "cute" throwaway line. But last night suggested one thing and one thing only - Randy Johnson pitched better than David Wells. The Yankees played better last night than Boston did. Anyone who wants to read more into it than that needs to look back at the last Yankee victory of 2004, a 19-8 domination of the Red Sox that gave them a 3-0 ALCS lead, and figure out what that suggested...

One game. One game. One game.