From espn.com: “According to the Boston Herald, the Red Sox’s recent sloppy play is a clear indication they are getting worn down and desperately need their upcoming day off May 17 — the team’s first scheduled off day in three weeks. ‘Our schedule has been awful and we’ve been playing really bad, so the day off is going to be huge,’ Johnny Damon told the newspaper. ‘We’re tired and when you get tired, you start making mental mistakes. A few more errors come into play, your defense isn’t as sharp and you start swinging at pitches over your ear. We’re tired, but… we’ll be fine.'”

Call me insensitive or just a plain ol’ jerk, but stuff like this piece, from espn.com (quoting the Boston Herald), really steams my toffee. These guys are professional athletes, paid boatloads of dough to play a boy’s game for little more than half the year. I don’t want to hear that you get tired or worn down. I want nothing short of Steve Austin-esque performance from Opening Day to the parade down Tremont Street. Winter’s for sleeping, dude.