ALCS Notes: Manny Being Manny infuriates Nation--again

"Why should we panic? We've got a great team. It doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."--Manny Ramirez on the possibility of the Sox losing the ALCS

By now everyone has heard the latest shot heard 'round the world from the immortal ManRam, his open interpretation of what would happen should Josh Beckett and the anemic offense prove to be unable to carry the slumping Sox to the World Series, and the response in the Nation has been fast & furious

My reaction to Manny's candor: he's right.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that they've already "reversed the curse" by winning it all in '04, rendering any future postseason failures less earth-shattering, at least for the foreseeable future, or maybe it has to do with the fact that anyone who's religiously followed the club all year could easily have foreseen this collapse coming.

But whatever the underlying reason I find that his comment was nothing more than a candid observation as to what would happen should the Sox get ousted from the playoffs this evening.

Will we like it?

Obviously not.

Will be pissed off for a few days, go around snapping at our spouses and coworkers while wearing an "I hate the world" expression on our faces?

Most definitely.

But after the initial shock and aw! wears off, life will go on, and soon enough there will be that all-too familiar cry of "wait till next year" ringing throughout the Nation. And with the nucleus of the team coming back and plenty of money to spend on new additions, Manny is right in believing that if they don't get the job done this season, they will have a decent shot at try, trying again next year.

So for all those who have vilified Manny for speaking his mind, I say be careful what you wish for.

Because for a man who doesn't speak too the public very much and is often accused of having an empty head, his thoughts on this subject were right on the money.

For the record, though, let's hope "it" doesn't happen tonight.