Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Laboring to pen a column while hoping not to offend the masses with anti-Patriots predictions such as “they’ll finish 13-3”:

Seriously folks. When did being a fan of a team mean you have to grab the pom-poms and cheerlead in print? Can’t a writer root for a team but still think it won’t win a championship? Heck, we’ve all be doing that with the Bruins for 36-years, haven’t we? Remember, this same “hater” openly rooted for and predicted an undefeated season after week 5 of last season, arrogantly dismissing those who thought the Giants could merely be competitive, never mind outright win Super Bowl XLII.

I do have to give some of the comments on lowellsun.com credit for creativity, however. The gentleman with the playful adaptation on my last name gets big props, though no print because of vulgarity. One pleasant chap mistook me for a British cigarette. I was called a fool, idiot, talentless and poor excuse for a writer. Some of those comments even came from people outside my immediate family. (My mom will confirm all of the above, though only because she was once my teacher, not because she’s a sports fan)

To the adoring masses, I send back my love and leave you with one more thought: how does it feel to have turned into Yankees fans circa October 2003? That’s right, just like our current Patriots, those Bronx Bombers were three years removed from their last championship and had just been knocked off in a title game by a far inferior opponent (Florida Marlins), yet their easily riled followers (some might say obnoxious) still hadn’t come to grips with the fact the run was over. They sure learned the hard way the following year, didn’t they?

Hey gang, I grew up on the Bruins and Celtics. As I watched Bobby Clarke and the rest of the Broad Street Bullies best the Black and Gold in Game 6 of the 1974 Finals, little did I know the only time Boston would host Lord Stanley’s Cup was when Ray Bourque brought it to City Hall Plaza as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. And I certainly thought the 1989 Celtics had another title or two left in them. Unfortunately, you have to sometimes take a step back from the trees to see the forest.

Enough of that…let’s talk baseball. The Red Sox still have a shot at October baseball, though hearing the names Josh Beckett and Dr. James Andrews in the same sentence sends chills down the spine. Unlike a lot of you, I’m not rooting against Tampa Bay. I want the Rays to make the playoffs as the wild card entry so I can root for them if/when Boston is eliminated. My hunch is the spunky, formerly devilish, Rays are going to become America’s choice in the month before America chooses its next leader.

Speaking of which, I can’t say Sarah Palin has my vote right now. But she does have my admiration. Sportscaster in Alaska? Sounds like perfect training for staying awake through at least four years of eventless State of the Union addresses.

Finally, I’m so excited Jose Canseco is returning to the spotlight. In case you missed the announcement over the holiday weekend, the ‘Roidin’ Rat taped an episode of Fox Network’s “Moment of Truth.” That’s the game show where contestants are hooked up to a lie-detector and asked a series of questions. Reportedly, Canseco was asked about injecting Mark McGwire with steroids.

Now, why didn’t George Mitchell or the Congressional Committee investigating the use of illegal drugs in Major League Baseball think of this first?