The Red Sox rolled to a 13-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies in game one of the World Series last night, behind another sterling performance from Josh Beckett.

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Jeff Horrigan says that the rout reminds some of the four game sweep in 2004. Dan Shaughnessy notes that game one did nothing to dispel the popular notion that the Red Sox are going to win the series with ease. Joe McDonald has the Red Sox making a statement in game one. Gordon Edes says that the Rockies’ “baptism onto baseball’s biggest stage instead resembled a ritual drowning.” Jeff Goldberg notes that the Rockies crumbled on the ninth day since their last game. Lenny Megliola has game one turning into a cruel joke for the Rockies. Ron Chimelis says that the only thing brighter than Beckett might’ve been the Red Sox offense. Bill Ballou has the Sox providing Beckett with plenty of support last night. Joe Haggerty has the Sox getting the early lead in the Series.

Bob Ryan says that we shouldn’t be shocked if the Red Sox lose this series. History says that upsets happen. Bill Reynolds says this was the statement game for the Red Sox. Jon Couture examines the most lopsided score to open a World Series. Jeff Jacobs says that last night was about the Good, the Bad and the Impossible. David Brown looks at a rude awakening for the Rockies.

Sean McAdam says that the Josh Beckett deal looks like a no-brainer now, even if we weren’t sure at the time. Tony Massarotti notes that in October, with Beckett on the mound, the Red Sox look bulletproof. Alex Speier says that the Rockies couldn’t touch Beckett last night. Nick Cafardo says that Beckett was so locked in last night he could’ve probably found Varitek’s mitt blindfolded. Art Davidson says Beckett is out of this world.

Jackie MacMullan notes that the offense has come alive at exactly the right time. Rob Bradford has Pedroia and Youkilis once again leading the way for the offense. McDonald has more on the success of the top two hitters for the Red Sox. Amalie Benjamin has Youkilis feeling very confident at the plate right now. Silverman has the offense setting records in bunches last night. John Powers says that getting off to a fast start helped the Red Sox put the Cleveland series behind them. Jim Donaldson says that two out hitting made the game easy for the Red Sox. Toland also looks at the 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup for the Sox.

Steve Buckley says that last night showed again that the NL is vastly inferior to the AL. Steven Krasner has Beckett going to his fastball early and often last night. McAdam has the offense seemingly scoring at will against baseball’s top teams. Paul Doyle says that the angst is gone for Red Sox fans. Haggerty reminds us that there is a lot to like about Mike Lowell.

Michael Silverman looks at Curt Schilling’s preparations for tonight’s start. MacMullan has Schilling settling into his new role this postseason. McAdam notes that Schilling is willing to do what it takes to get the job done in the postseason. Jennifer Toland has Schilling ready to take the ball tonight.

Krasner has Beckett living in the moment this postseason. Massarotti has Derek Lowe speaking highly of both Josh Beckett and his former team. Speier notes that the Red Sox are showing that change is good when it comes to building a team. Paul Jarvey has the injury to Wakefield messing up the Red Sox planned rotation. Kevin Gray notes that Jacoby Ellsbury has impressed at every level, whether it is terrorizing the NH Fisher Cats this season, or starting in the World Series. McDonald also has a look at the rookie sparkplug who routinely gets among the loudest cheers at Fenway Park.

Speier also has a piece on the rookie infielders Tulowitzki and Pedroia, who find themselves in the spotlight for this series. Bradford has Jon Lester hoping to write a triumphant final chapter to his recovery. Benjamin notes that in addition to Lester, being a part of the World Series roster is a big deal for Kyle Snyder as well. McAdam also has Snyder glad to get the role call for the Series. Brown has David Ortiz getting back on track last night. Jerry Beach takes a look at Francona’s way of managing.

Shaughnessy has Carl Yastrzemski still able to bring the Fenway crowd to its feet. Doyle has more on Yaz and the 1967 American League champions being honored again before last night’s game. Doyle has more on Yaz in The First Pitch.

Kevin Paul Dupont has a look at more offseason changes coming up for Fenway Park.

Reynolds laments that this Series is not even close to what we felt in 2004. George Lenker is also still in love with 2004.

Yesterday it was Brian McGrory lamenting the loss of the time when the Red Sox were lovable losers, today it is Steve Almond in the Globe telling us that being a Red Sox fan “means second-guessing every move the team makes, whining after every loss (and most wins), and generally reveling in the misery of defeat.” He also adds “Sox fans are actually happiest when pursuing their own despair. I’m sure they would never admit it, but after so long as exalted losers the thought of winning a second Series in four seasons must be unbearable to them.”

Are these people completely out of touch with reality?

The Herald notebook has Julian Tavarez seeing the handwriting on the wall as far as his future with the Red Sox is concerned. Edes’ notebook says that the Souther California wildfires may prevent Dave Roberts from having a role in the postseason activities with the Red Sox. Goldberg’s notebook has Snyder calling his activation for the Series one of the proudest moments of his life. Davidson’s notebook also looks at Snyder being added to the roster. Chimelis’ notebook has Schilling ready to go tonight. Ballou’s notebook has Pedroia’s only hit on the night a big one for the Red Sox. Couture’s notebook has more on Snyder rounding out the staff.

In Series Chatter Cafardo says that the Pirates might be making a play for Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell to be their new manager. The Projo Quick Pitch has Bronson Arroyo glad to be in Boston for the Series.

Rockies

Kevin Cullen informs us that Coloradans will not lose sleep over the World Series. Donaldson says that the Rockies are not the only show in their town. Dom Amore has the Rockies offering no excuses for their play. Bill Doyle has the series getting off to a Rocky start. David Brown looks at how Clint Hurdle keeps perspective.

Bob Ryan has the Rockies magic touch deserting them last night. Jim McCabe says that last night was a Rocky horror show for the Colorado pitchers. Speier has the Rockies vowing to do a better job in game two. Michael Vega says that the Rockies are not down and out after the loss. Donaldson says that it seems pretty clear that the long layoff cooled off the Rockies.

Speier also has a look at Rockies rookie Ubaldo Jimenez, who will take the mound tonight, and is viewed by the Rockies as an ace in the making. McCabe also has a look at Jimenez, who he says is deserving of the start on baseball’s biggest stage. Amore says that the rookie is not fazed by the postseason. Couture agrees that Jimenez will be up for the challenge.

Kevin Paul Dupont has Colorado forced to go to the bullpen early and often last night. Powers has a look at Aaron Coo, who will start game four for the Rockies. McCabe’s notebook has Ryan Spilborghs getting the call at DH for the Rockies last night. Amore’s notebook has the Rockies treating the DH almost as an afterthought.

Patriots

Adalius Thomas and Ray Lewis engaged in a bit of a war of worlds this week, based mainly on Thomas’ comments about the way the Ravens do things in last week’s Sports Illustrated. Mark Farinella has a look at the back and forth. Karen Guregian has Lewis calling Thomas a coward, while Dan Pires has Thomas not backing down from the comments. Shalise Manza Young also looks at the situation. Chris Kennedy also has Thomas giving it right back to Lewis.

You gotta love Lewis saying on his radio show that if he’s got a problem with someone, he talks to them privately.

Mike Reiss looks at Richard Seymour returning to practice with the Patriots. Rich Garven says that the return of Seymour would be huge for the Patriots. Karen Guregian has Tom Brady ignoring the barbs of critics. Michael Parente wonders if the Redskins will be the team to cool off the Patriots. Robert Lee says that the Redskins present a top defense. Douglas Flynn has praise flowing between the two opponents. David Heuschkel has Joe Gibbs defending his “biggest underdog in the history of sports” line after Brady called him on it.

Guregian’s notebook has more on Seymour returning to practice. The Globe notebook has Belichick throwing some high praise in the direction of Randy Moss. The Projo notebook has more on Seymour.

Check in with CelticsLinks.com and BruinsLinks.com for the rest of your sports coverage.

Game one of the 2007 World Series is set for Fenway Park tonight, and the morning papers are filled with stories of every type about the Series.

Tony Massarotti gives us his Five keys to the series as the teams set to open tonight. Michael Silverman brings us the Series matchups – position by position. Steven Krasner tries to answer the question Who are these guys? McAdam also looks at the matchups for the series. Mike Fine also tries to tell us who the Rockies are. Garry Brown says that the experience of the Red Sox gives them the edge. David Brown says that experience isn’t a factor.

Gerry Callahan says that the Red Sox will steamroll the out-of-their-class Rockies in five games. Dan Shaughnessy says that no one is taking the Rockies seriously in this series. Sean McAdam says that the Rockies won’t be strangers for very long. Jeff Horrigan says that the Red Sox aren’t just happy to be in the World Series, they want more. Jeff Goldberg notes that a second World Series title would really cement how much the Red Sox have been transformed in the new century. Alex Speier looks at a non-deal that worked out for both teams this spring. Couture says that this series will be won by the Rockies in 6.

Bob Ryan looks at the sore shoulder (or is it his back) that has Tim Wakefield sitting this series out. Steve Buckley has more on the painful decision keeping Wakefield out of the series. Amalie Benjamin has more on Wakefield getting left off the World Series roster. Joe McDonald also reports on the downer for Wakefield in being unable to play. Lenny Megliola looks at the seriousness of the injury for Wakefield, who could’ve put himself at risk by pitching. Paul Jarvey has more on Wakefield being unable to shoulder the load any longer. Jon Couture also examines the tough decision that led to the knuckleballer being left off the roster.

Jackie MacMullan has a look at Terry Francona, who is totally immersed in his trade, agonizing over the tough personnel decisions, even to the detriment of his health at times. Tony Massarotti has Josh Beckett on a quest to be the best, and doing it his way. Gordon Edes has Josh Beckett on a Bob Gibson-like postseason run. McDonald looks at the matchup of Beckett vs Francis to open the series tonight. Fine also looks at the pair of aces that will go head-to-head tonight. Ron Chimelis says that Beckett should win the American League Cy Young. Joe Haggerty says that Beckett is the best there is.

Michael Vega has a piece on Dustin Pedroia, who has gone from struggling rookie to key component this season. Michael Silverman has Jon Lester getting ready for his game four start in place of Wakefield. Krasner has Jonathan Papelbon wondering how the Red Sox can be 2-to-1 favorites with the Rockies on such a roll. Ron Chimelis has a look at both teams getting ready to play ball. Jarvey looks at a pair of rookie infielders who could have a big impact on the series. Bill Ballou says Manny was right and next year is here already.

Benjamin has Eric Gagné glad he was able to post a scoreless inning his last time out, in game six of the ALCS, and grateful for the chance to win a World Series. McAdam notes that Gagne won’t be the only native of his country playing in the series, as it will feature two Canadians, Gagne and Rockies ace Jeff Francis. Bradford has good luck charm Parlay the Parrot being returned to the Sox bullpen after being found in a NU freezer. Mike Petraglia has a look at Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan. Haggerty has a piece on the intensity of Kevin Youkilis.

Yahoo! Sports has launched the Rox & Sox Blogtoberfest for the World Series. Dan LaMothe from the Red Sox Monster blog is one of the writers.

Rob Bradford has a key to this World Series appearance for the Red Sox their being able to forget 2004. Edes examines the blueprint that guided the Sox to repeating their success in getting back to the World Series this season. With only eight players remaining on the roster from the 2004 series, Bradford charts the whereabouts of the rest of that squad.

Stan Grossfeld has kids allowing their children to stay up late on school nights to watch the Red Sox in the postseason. Kerry J. Byrne offers up some tasty eats for the series.

Edes’ notebook has Francona in line for a contract extension after the season. Horrigan’s notebook has Jacoby Ellsbury staying in the lineup for game one. Krasner’s notebook looks at the trade that wasn’t from this past offseason, which nearly had Rockies first baseman Todd Helton coming to the Red Sox. Goldberg’s notebook has more on Wakefield being unable to pitch in the Series. Chimelis’ notebook has Ellsbury getting the start in centerfield for game one. Jarvey’s notebook has Francona with some praise for the Rockies.

Rockies

Jim McCabe has the Rockies squeezed in the tiny visitors clubhouse at Fenway, but not feeling tight as the Series opens. Brendan McGair and Joe McDonald look at Rockies backup catcher Chris Iannetta, a native New Englander from Providence, and the first Rhode Island native since Davey Lopes to play in the World Series. Brown looks at Rockies MVP candidate Matt Holliday.

Jon Couture says that the Rockies are not concerned about their long layoff. Peter May has more on Todd Helton, finally enjoying a World Series appearance after 11 years with the Rockies. Megliola has the Rockies not in awe of Fenway and the World Series. Brown says that the Rockies can play both sides of the ball. Joe Haggerty welcomes the Rockies to town with a look back at their last visit.

In McCabe’s notebook, he chats with Rockies assistant Walt Weiss, who had some moments on the big stage in his career, including against the Red Sox.

We’re glad to see that reprimand from the ESPN Ombudsman has really shaken up Gregg Easterbrook.

We’re rapidly reaching the point where we’re just going to totally ignore Easterbrook and his clearly clouded and slanted efforts to stir things up. After all, by writing this, we’re giving him more attention.

But we couldn’t just let this one go unchallenged. There’s no way we could go through the whole piece, if Easterbrook is attempting to ward off being challenged simply by overwhelming potential detractors with words, he may have succeeded, since many of his arguments lack any semblance of reason. This thing reads like a written filibuster.

His premise this week is that the November 4th Colts/Patriots game in Indianapolis is going to be an epic battle of good vs evil.

Argument for the Indianapolis Colts as paladins who carry the banner of that which is beneficent: Sportsmanship, honesty, modesty, devotion to community, embrace of traditional small-town life, belief in higher power, even love of laughter.

Beyond the absolute absurdity of this statement, ask the Steelers (and some other teams) about the Colts and their sportsmanship:

Roethlisberger, Steelers official claim Colts use mikes to enhance their crowd noise

The Colts are the defending champions, so they obviously play well on the field. Yet after winning the Super Bowl, they have remained humble and appealing.

From a Bill Polian chat on Colts.com earlier this month:

Q: Why are there so few Monday Night games in the RCA Dome?

A: NBC told us they don’t like us at home, because we tend to win by rather large scores and that doesn’t make for good TV.

Polian’s words just ooze humility. He’s appealing, too:

In visits to New England, Polian has been demonstrative in the press box, swinging his fists, throwing off his suit coat and pounding the counter in front of him.

Last year, when Patriots backup quarterback Doug Flutie scrambled around during the last play of a 40-21 Colts win at Foxborough, Polian said, “Break his leg.”

And of course, let’s not forget this gem from last year, as reported by FoxSports.com’s Jay Glazer:

According to the sources, Polian was upset that speakers were set up too close to the field. After voicing his displeasure, a Jets operations employee talked to Polian about the issue. It’s unclear what transpired between the two but Polian eventually grabbed the Jet by the lapels of his suit jacket and jacked him up against the wall of the tunnel.

Humble. Appealing.

Through prior years of postseason frustration, they never complained or pointed the finger outside their team.

From a Tom Curran article on NBCSports.com last October:

In the past few years, the Colts have lodged frequent complaints with the league about the Patriots. Last week, the Colts reportedly asked the league to talk to the Pats about the shoddy condition of the turf at Gillette Stadium.

During the 2003 regular season, Indianapolis complained that Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest milked a late-game injury to allow a Patriots substitution. McGinest was later involved in a stirring, game-ending fourth-down stop of Edgerrin James. During the 2003 AFC Championship, Polian went ballistic while watching the Patriots strong-arm Indianapolis receivers. A “rules emphasis” was instituted in 2004 that was dubbed the “Ty Law Rule” after the Patriots corner who picked off Peyton Manning three times that day.

Their players are active in community affairs and don’t carp about being assigned to a nonglamorous Farm Belt city with an antiquated stadium.

Nope, they find other things to do:

These Colts Arrests Are Starting to Pile Up

Their coach, Tony Dungy, smiles in public and answers honestly whatever he is asked: He never yells at players or grimaces at bad plays and, when defeated, doesn’t act as though it’s the end of the world. Although religious, Dungy said on the night he won the Super Bowl that God doesn’t care about football games, which shows perspective.

Manny Ramirez expressed similar sentiments and was ridiculed across the country. Tony Dungy says it, and it’s perspective. Got it.

The team’s star, Peyton Manning, stands for love of family, constantly appearing in public with his brothers, father and mother.

Do commercials really count as public appearances?

Manning is happily married and a major donor to a children’s hospital. Manning spends a lot of time at children’s camps and events, and he constantly makes fun of himself. Ladies and gentlemen, representing Good, the Indianapolis Colts.

I’m convinced. Now, onto the Patriots:

Argument for the New England Patriots as scoundrels in the service of that which is baleful: Dishonesty, cheating, arrogance, hubris, endless complaining even in success.

We’re all familiar with the public version of Spygate. Can you please give just one concrete example of the other items? Just one? Please?

The Patriots have three Super Bowl rings, but that jewelry is tarnished by their cheating scandal.

Only according to you, Gregg. Oh yeah, maybe Peter King too. Great company.

They run up the score to humiliate opponents — more on that below — thus mocking sportsmanship.

The Patriots scored a whopping seven points in the second half on Sunday. Way to run it up. Easterbrook’s arguments later on in the piece about this subject are even more absurd. When the Colts run up the score, they’re “Grinding out the clock” and could score a lot more if they wanted to. When the Patriots do it, they’re God-hating Communists.

Later on, he also observes:

Stat of the Week No. 2: At one point, Tennessee led Houston 32-7 and held a 311-34 advantage in offensive yards, yet the Titans ended up needing a field goal on the final snap to win.

Maybe the Titans should’ve “run up the score” a little more.

Their coach snaps and snarls in public, seeming to feel contempt for the American public that has brought him wealth and celebrity. Victory seems to give Bill Belichick no joy, and defeat throws him into fury.

“Seeming.” Meaning, “I have no clue, and thus will project onto him what I think he feels.” As for no joy from victory, clearly this is untrue. Anyone who saw the photo of Belichick tossing his headset in the air Mary Tyler Moore-style after an OT victory in Miami a few years back knows better.

Fury…how is that demonstrated? Explain please. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the guy worked into a fury.

Belichick and the rest of the top of the Patriots’ organization continue to refuse to answer questions about what was in the cheating tapes — and generally, you refuse to answer questions if you have something to hide.

Or if the questioning is redundant and idiotic.

The team has three Super Bowl triumphs, yet its players regularly whine about not being revered enough.

Examples please? And “Whining about not being revered enough” is far different from the “no respect” thing a few players like to bring up as a motivation tool.

The team’s star, Tom Brady, is a smirking sybarite who dates actresses and supermodels but whose public charity appearances are infrequent.

This from a middle-aged guy who runs pictures of cheerleaders with his column.

As for the public charity appearances…just because the camera isn’t there, doesn’t mean they are infrequent. Somehow, that actually seems more honorable, doesn’t it? Anyone using Tom Brady in any way to support an evil side of anything exposes himself as an absolute fraud.

That constant smirk on Brady’s face reminds one of Dick Cheney; people who smirk are fairly broadcasting the message, “I’m hiding something.”

Another “what the hell does this even mean” moment.

The Patriots seem especially creepy at this point because we still don’t know whether they have told the full truth about the cheating scandal — or even whether they really have stopped cheating. They say they have, but their word is not exactly gold at this juncture. Ladies and gentlemen, representing Evil, the New England Patriots.

In the Good vs. Evil narrative of the Colts and Pats, running up the score is a telling factor: It reveals a team’s sportsmanship or lack of same, and whether a team shows sportsmanship in public might offer insights into its character in private. New England is scoring so many points the Patriots offense looks like cherries and oranges spinning on a slot machine. The Flying Elvii stand plus-159 in net points, by far the best scoring margin in the NFL. This is supposed to be impressive. But I think it’s creepy, and New England’s creepy on-field behavior is only underscoring the seediness of the Beli-Cheat scandal.

Seriously…the creepy thing here in Easterbrook. The way he has behaved from the start with this…he got publicly criticized by his own ombudsman, for crying out loud, in a piece in which she condemned his “twisted logic” and pronounced him guilty of “manufacturing extended false analogies” in his previous Spygate piece.

Kissing Suzy Kolber (established Patriots haters) also go after Easterbrook for this ridiculous column.

There is no doubt that it is a great time to be a Boston sports fan.

Dan Shaughnessy looks at how much things have changed for Boston sports in seven years. Josh Egerman agrees that Boston sports are on top of the world right now.

Jeff Horrigan has the Red Sox believing that their shorter layoff prior to the World Series will keep momentum on their side. Joe McDonald wonders which team will keep the momentum going in the series. Jeff Goldberg notes that J.D. Drew will be out to beat the team that eliminated his brother from the postseason. Bill Ballou examines whether the Red Sox can cool off the red hot Rockies.

Tony Massarotti notes that after 162 regular season games and 10 playoff games, the Red Sox have finally found their identity. Bill Burt says that we need to give Theo Epstein a little credit. Steven Krasner says that game seven was no walk in the park for the Sox, no matter the final score.

Bob Ryan is enjoying the Jacoby Ellsbury era. Steve Buckley has more on Ellsbury, who had quite the baseball journey this season, from the AA Portland Sea Dogs, to Pawtucket, to the Red Sox and now the World Series. Alex Speier has Dustin Pedroia coming up huge for the Red Sox in the last few games of the ALCS. Lenny Megliola looks at how Pedroia took over the final two games of the series.

Rob Bradford notes that David Ortiz will again be playing first base in the road games for the series, and how that might impact his aching knee. Mike Fine has Daisuke Matsuzaka looking to get better in the World Series. Garry Brown says that the Sox have shown time and again that there is no place like home. Bob Halloran says that the games will be decided by the bullpens.

Michael Silverman has Kevin Youkilis’ wrist feeling fine coming off of a tremendous ALCS. David Brown has more on Youkilis, who hit .500 in the series with three home runs. Goldberg says that Beckett will start Game 1, but that is about all we know at this point.

Bob Hohler remembers 2004 as if it were 50 years ago. Nick Cafardo talks to alumni from that team, as if they’re all old and gray at this point. Dave Roberts, Doug Mientkiewicz, Orlando Cabrera, Trot Nixon, Derek Lowe, Bill Mueller and Johnny Damon all speak about that season. The only mention of Pedro Martinez is that he “left for the Mets after a snippy contract dispute with the Sox.”

Joe Haggerty says that this club is no band of idiots. Amalie Benjamin looks at some of the younger players who weren’t around for 2004, such as Manny Delcarmen, Dustin Pedroia and Ellsbury. Jon Couture notes that Jonathan Papelbon is a throwback to the “Idiots” of 2004. McDonald asserts that the pressure builds once you’ve won it all.

Dan Duggan examines the Red Sox/Rockies series from June. Couture gives us a lesson in Rockies 101.

John Molori has Don Orsillo, who called the Philles/Rockies series for TBS, talking about the challenges that the Rockies will present for the Red Sox.

Kevin Paul Dupont‘s Globe notebook says that Terry Francona will have some decisions to make when the series shifts to Colorado this weekend. Horrigan’s notebook says that is Beckett in game one, and then sort of up in the air after that. Sean McAdam’s notebook has John Farrell feeling for the team that employed him for the last five seasons. Ballou’s notebookhas the top four in the Boston lineup as the four that carried the Sox in the ALCS.

Patriots

Christopher Price has Joe Theismann talking about Tom Brady over on Patriots Daily.

Michael Felger has his Patrots report card, and hands out a “D+” to the defensive line. Ian M. Clark also grades the Patriots performance in Miami, and has a low grade for the D-Line. Rich Garven says that even though they have been perfect thus far, there is still “room for improvement, and cause for concern.” Christopher L. Gasper says that defensive lapses are one area that Bill Belichick will be addressing this week.

Rich Thompson has Belichick standing in admiration of Joe Gibbs. Douglas Flynn looks at Tom Brady as the engine that drives the Patriots. David Heuschkel has Belichick looking to improve the defense. Karen Guregian suggests that the Patriots are running up the score on opponents to strike back at their critics after spygate. Shalise Manza Young however, has Belichick giving a different take on that situation.

Gasper’s notebook has Belichick standing behind Matt Cassel. Robert Lee’s notebook has Belichick demanding perfection from his charges.

Celtics/Bruins

The Celtics and Bruins both lost last night, the Celtics dropped a 94-87 preseason contest to the Knicks, while the Bruins were thumped 6-1 in Montreal. Check Celticslinks.com and Bruinslinks.com for the rest of your morning sports stories.

The Boston Red Sox are headed to their second World Series in four years after a rousing 11-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians in game seven of the American League Championship Series last night at Fenway Park. Dustin Pedroia picked up five RBI in the last three innings of the game to break open what had been a close game. Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched five decent innings, while Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon each pitched a pair of scoreless innings in relief.

David Scott has a look at the local post-game coverage, including more antics from Butch Stearns.

Dan Shaughnessy has the cover story for the Globe, as the Sox won their seventh consecutive elimination game. Jeff Horrigan has the Sox returning to the World Series with a vengeance, having “humiliated the Indians in every sense” in coming back from a 3-1 series deficit. Gordon Edes observes that there were a lot of different paths which led to this result for the Red Sox. Joe McDonald says that this is a team that was built for the postseason and World Series, and now it is headed there. Jeff Goldberg says that last night all the bubbly belonged to the Red Sox, while only the bitter taste of heartbreak returned to Cleveland. Art Davidson has the Sox series-bound once more. Jon Couture says that the Sox earned this trip to the Series. Joe Haggerty has the Sox getting past a pesky Indians squad to earn another World Series berth.

Tony Massarotti examines how the Red Sox are creating a new tradition, one that has nothing to do with past failure. Sean McAdam says that there is really nothing to be afraid of with these Red Sox anymore. Jeff Jacobs says that these are certainly not our father’s Red Sox. Bob Ryan calls this “about the most tension-filled rout I’ve ever seen.” (and what’s with the “Omigawd” in there…twice?) Rob Bradford has a look at the seventh inning, a frame he calls “the most memorable inning of the Sox’ season.” Bill Burt notes that this is what it was like to be a Yankees fan all those years. Steve Solloway has the Sox right back where they belong.

Nick Cafardo has GM Theo Epstein enjoying his success and taking pride in the accomplishments of the Red Sox over the last five years. Buckley notes that some of Epstein’s controversial moves from last offseason paid off big in this ALCS. Michael Silverman has Terry Francona managing his bullpen perfectly last night, not needing to use Josh Beckett or any other starters in relief. Bill Reynolds says that it is not easy to make it to the World Series, and for the Red Sox to be going twice in four years is an incredible accomplishment. Alex Speier looks at an amazing five year ride for Red Sox fans.

Amalie Benjamin has rookie Dustin Pedroia coming up huge for the Red Sox in the clutch last night. Steve Buckley has more on the undersized Pedroia standing tall in the clincher for the Sox. McDonald also has a look at Pedroia, noting that the rookie had a bit of a sinister laugh while talking about his home run last night. Rom Chimelis has Pedroia having a blast in game seven. Brown has more on the Red Sox Rookie of the Year candidate coming through in a big way the last two games. Alan Greenwood has Pedroia getting a chance to break out his seldom-seen home run trot last night.

Steven Krasner says that while Dice-K still struggled last night, he did end up with better results. Massarotti says that Daisuke Matsuzaka did just enough to help the Sox to victory last night. McAdam says that last night was Matsuzaka’s best outing of October, which isn’t saying a whole lot, really. David Brown, however, says that Dice-K came through when it counted for the Sox. Reynolds says that it was karma and inevitability which led to Dice-K being on the mound to start game seven.

Kevin Paul Dupont has Kevin Youkilis continuing to swing a hot bat in the postseason. McAdam says that the mood was low-key in the clubhouse prior to last night’s game, especially in comparison to the 2004 edition. Speier notes however, that on the field, these Sox never go quietly into the night. Jeff Howe says that the Red Sox were just the better team for the last three games. Kevin Thomas has the Sox accomplishing their mission last night. Greenwood says that last night was another one for the ages.

Shaughnessy has Kevin Millar coming back to inject a little 2004 feeling into the night, as well to provide some comic relief for his ex-teammates. Bradford notes that as far as it can be determined, the Red Sox are the first team in baseball history to trot out an active player from another team to throw out the first pitch of a postseason game. McDonald has more on Millar coming in, and asks who’s next? Doug Mientkiewicz?

Daniel Malloy looks at the method behind the madness of the clubhouse celebrations. Reynolds says that home-field advantage certainly does matter in the baseball postseason. Dan Lamothe says shame on us for ever doubting the Red Sox. Dupont has celebrated artist Thomas Kinkade doing some work at Fenway yesterday during the day. John C. Drake looks at the celebration after the game in the streets of Boston.

Peter May has the National League Champion Colorado Rockies waiting in the wings for the Red Sox. Brown says that the Rockies will bring a little bit of everything to Fenway Park this week.

Edes’ notebook has Josh Beckett being named ALCS MVP for his dominant outings in the series. Horrigan’s notebook has Beckett focused on the bigger prize of the next round. The Projo notebook has Francona keeping Jacoby Ellsbury in the lineup for the second straight night. Chimelis’ notebook has more on Beckett collecting the MVP. Couture’s notebook has more on Millar coming back to Fenway.

Indians

Jim McCabe has an Indians rally getting snuffed up after Kenny Lofton was held at third on a ball on which he could’ve scored easily. Dom Amore has more on the Indians chances getting stopped at third base. Daniel Malloy has Jake Westbrook settling in and finding his groove last night.

Cafardo has Indians pitcher Paul Byrd defending his use of HGH, while Silverman has Byrd disappointed with the timing of the news about his HGH purchases, with some whispers going around about possible conflicts with George Mitchell, Major League Baseball’s independent investigator on performance enhancing drugs being a member of the Red Sox front office. Kevin McNamara also has Byrd upset with the timing of this. Amore has Byrd insisting that the HGH was prescribed by a doctor for a medical condition.

Get more angst from Cleveland from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

McCabe’s notebook has Indians manager Eric Wedge sticking his guns as far as his quotes about it not mattering where the games were played.

Patriots

The Patriots continued their march through the NFL schedule with a 49-28 dismantling of the Miami Dolphins. Tom Brady threw six touchdown passes in the win, which put the Patriots at 7-0.

Karen Guregian says that the Patriots showed little mercy on the winless fish yesterday afternoon. Christopher L. Gasper says that even 35 years later, the ’72 Dolphins might’ve been better competition for the Patriots yesterday. Mark Farinella says that the Patriots brought their own afternoon thunderstorm to south Florida yesterday. Ian M. Clark notes that the Patriots defense lost a little intensity in the blowout, but that is about the only negative you can come away from yesterday with. David Heuschkel has more on Brady’s record-setting 6 TD performance. Shalise Manza Young has the Patriots pulling off a bit in the second half.

Mike Reiss looks at the amazing performance of Randy Moss, who just went up and grabbed two long touchdown passes despite being doubled teamed both times. Christopher Price has his 10 Things We Learned Yesterday. Jim Donaldson acknowledges that these are tough times on the Patriots beat.

Michael Felger asserts that there was “no excuse for the display of football the Dolphins put forth” yesterday afternoon against the Patriots. Jackie MacMullan pulls a phrase from her childhood to describe yesterday’s Patriots performance: they smucked them. John Tomase has Brady picking up more ground on Peyton Manning’s TD record.

Rich Garven and Dave Brousseau have Wes Welker burning his old team yesterday with another pair of touchdown catches. Guregian has Laurence Maroney getting back out on the field. Felger compiles the best and worst from yesterday’s game. Andy Kent says that the Dolphins defense just had no answers for the Patriots yesterday. Young weighs in with the game analysis from each side of the ball. Young notes that one Patriot did have a bad day – Matt Cassel.

Reid Laymance and Brousseau examine Willie Andrews bring back a 77-yard kickoff return after Miami had scored to make it a 14-7 Patriots lead. Farinella notes that Andrews got his moment in the sun with the return. Heuschkel notes that Andrews made the most of the rare opportunity with the return. Donaldson says that it was an impressive run for a guy better known for making tackles than breaking them.

Guregian’s notebook has Kyle Brady getting in on the scoring act over the last two weeks. Gasper’s notebook finds the Patriots fourth quarter QB shuffle interesting. Farinella’s notebook has Maroney seeing light duty in his return to action. Young’s notebook has more records falling yesterday afternoon in Miami.

Check Celticslinks.com and Bruinslinks.com for the rest of your morning sports stories.

Just a couple of items before we hand it off to the weekend crew.

First of all, I’ve got give some thanks to the guest bloggers that have been helping out around here for the last few weeks. They’ve all been terrific, and have really saved my sanity here. Just a whole lot going on behind the scenes here, and I’ve needed the help. Thanks again to all. If you’re interested in helping out in the future, please feel free to send me an email. There is always something to do.

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For the second time in two weeks, an NFL figure is claiming that he never said what Peter King went on HBO and said that he said.

Last week it was Wade Phillips, who said that “black mark” isn’t even part of his vernacular.

This week, Jason Taylor says he never told King it would be best if he is traded to a contender this offseason.

King on WEEI this afternoon said that he understands why Taylor would want to back away from the statements. It doesn’t do him any good to be saying those things while he’s still playing for the Dolphins.

While Taylor might really think that it’s best he’s out of Miami at the end of the year, it’s doubtful that he would tell King that, for exactly the reason that King said on WEEI. It seems more likely that Taylor never said what King said he said on HBO, but rather that King was projecting what he thinks Taylor feels about the situation.

Yet King goes on HBO and presents these things as ironclad statements. Last week, when challenged on them, he reacted in a short, irritated manner, “You’ll have to decide who you trust.”

Increasingly, we’re not trusting King. I would imagine that NFL coaches and front office people are asking themselves why this keeps happening. Why do people keep talking to him?

King is a genial figure, who is friendly with a lot of people, and likely a decent sort of fellow. He composes an epic column each week that is filled in interesting items from the around league, and intersperses it with Starbucks and travel anecdotes from the week.

My issue and fear with King is that he has become too big for his own good. He’s spread so thin that he’s not able to be the real football reporter that he started out as. There’s no doubt that he is incredibly well connected around the NFL, but more and more people seem to have watch what they say around him for fear he is going to go on HBO and blab about what he thinks they’re really thinking…

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Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf get the call of this Sunday’s Patriots/Dolphins game in Miami. (1:00pm, CBS) Here are some thoughts from Dierdorf on the game.

(On New England): What we are witnessing with the Patriots is one of the great beginnings to an NFL season in the history of the game. If you have any sense of history and willingness to engage in conversation with friends about the great teams of all-time, it might be a little premature after only six games of the season to start ranking the 2007 Patriots in that category, but if they finish this season the way they’ve started it, then they will deserve to be measured against the ’85 Bears, maybe the ’78 Steelers and the undefeated Dolphins team. We’re looking at a team that may be ready to take its place in history. It’s too early to anoint them yet, but the pieces are in place. A team always has something that they’re trying to camouflage. There is always a wart that you are trying to put make-up on to cover up. This is a team that when you break down the units, not just the offense and defense as a whole, but the defense into the defensive backs, the linebackers and the defensive line, and you do the same thing for the offense, with the offensive line, the receivers, the tight ends, the running backs – this is a team that doesn’t have a weakness. There is no flaw. There are no blemishes. There are no warts. The only thing you could say is that as long as Laurence Maroney is banged up and unable to play every week, you could say that this is a team that does not have a great running back. But obviously that is not necessary…

(On New England’s offensive line): Just look at Tom Brady in the pocket. He’s able to set his feet. He’s able to step into his throws. He’s able to look around and check down and work his way through his progressions – a lot of that is because of the remarkable pass protection that he’s getting…

(On Brady having Randy Moss to throw to): Randy Moss changes the entire dynamic. I’ve had coaches tell me that Randy Moss is worth 50 yards a game in the running game. When Randy Moss is on the field you can’t bring that safety up into the box. That safety has to stay over the top to double Randy Moss. Because of that, you’re only running against seven guys, not eight. The “Moss Effect” is helping their running game. The “Moss Effect” is helping Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker because Randy is getting the double-coverage and these two guys are running wild all over the field…

(On Miami): I played on a team one year that opened up 0-8. We ended up finishing strong at 6-2, but opening up 0-8 is hard to put into words how devastating it is to be on that football team. You don’t go out to dinner. You don’t go to a movie. You just stay home because you’re embarrassed. These guys sweat and work just as hard as the Patriots did in the off-season and during training camp. It’s hard to put into words how devastating it is to be a member of that team. They all have a lot of pride. Their failures and disappointments are only magnified now when you play a team like New England…

(On New England-Miami): Traditionally over the years, the Dolphins have played the Patriots really hard. They beat them once last year. If every game was against Miami, Tom Brady wouldn’t be nearly the successful quarterback that he is now. Can Miami muster something up and at least slow this guy down this week? I don’t know…

(On history): Historically, if you are a fan of the game you should not pass up the opportunity to look at this New England team and really be analytical in trying to see how they rate against some of the great teams we’ve seen in the past. They are worthy of being in that discussion.

On the CBS pregame former Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach and NFL TODAY analyst Bill Cowher will offer up his analysis and game plan on how to best defense the potent offense of the undefeated Patriots.

Josh Beckett was HUGE last night for the Red Sox as he shut down the Indians, allowing just one run on five hits while going eight innings and striking out 11 in the 7-1 Boston win. The Red Sox now trail the series 3-2, but the series now shifts back to Fenway Park on Saturday night.

What can you say about Beckett? He was awesome, and has certainly proved that his 2003 postseason success was no fluke.

Dan Shaughnessy has the front page story for the Globe on Beckett saving the season for the Red Sox. Michael Silverman has more on Beckett’s masterpiece. Gordon Edes has the sports section game story of the Sox stayin’ alive for another night. Joe McDonald has Beckett and the Sox forcing a game six in Boston. Jeff Goldberg says that last night was just like old times for Beckett. Mike Fine has Beckett and the Red Sox bringing the series home for game six. Joe Haggerty has the Sox riding Beckett back home to Boston.

Sean McAdam has David Ortiz calling Beckett the best pitcher he’s ever seen in the playoffs – ever. Jackie MacMullan has Beckett adding to his postseason reputation with another ace performance. Alex Speier has Beckett letting loose on the Indians. Jeff Jacobs has Beckett not getting distracted by the Indians bringing his ex-girlfriend in to sing the National Athem or by Kenny Lofton’s antics. Steve Buckley has Beckett letting his pitching do the talking for him last night.

Tony Massarotti, not wanting us to enjoy last night too much, reminds us that there is still plenty of work to do, and they won’t have Beckett to bail them out anymore. Jon Couture notes that things are just never easy in October.

Rob Bradford tells us that Manny Ramirez belongs in the Boston sports pantheon alongside Larry Bird, Bobby Orr and Tom Brady. He also knocks Tim McCarver, which is always a good thing. Nick Cafardo has Manny continuing his hot hitting and helping keep the Red Sox season alive. McDonald looks at Manny’s home run turned single in the third inning last night.

Massarotti has Curt Schilling getting another chance to come up big for the Red Sox in the postseason. Bob Ryan says that if Schilling can get the job done tomorrow night, it won’t be in the same fashion that Beckett did it. Steve Buckley says that the Sox need to re-sign Schilling.

McAdam looks at another time that Beckett and Kenny Lofton had words in a game. Speier has Beckett and Kevin Youkilis as two guys who don’t buckle when their emotions intensify in a big spot.

Amalie Benjamin has Kevin Youkilis getting comfortable at the plate again. McDonald has Youkilis and Pedroia finding their groove at the plate last night. Goldberg has the pair providing a needed 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup.

Bradford has Bobby Kielty feeling more relaxed for last night’s start. Benjamin has more on Kielty, who once again found himself in the lineup against Sabathia last night. MacMullan says that Mike Lowell deserves a new contract from the Red Sox.

Art Martone has Kevin Millar appearing on FOX last night to give Red Sox fans a pep talk. McAdam has Manny speaking again after last night’s win. Haggerty says that part of the Red Sox struggles in games 2-4 in this series is because they’re walked away from their hallmark patient approach at the plate.

Ryan says that baseball players and baseball fans will never understand each other. He points to the Manny quotes from this week as an example.

A quick national look: Jerry Crasnick has Beckett breathing new life into the Red Sox. Albert Chen looks at Beckett’s unflappability in the postseason. Tim Brown says that maybe there’s a little idiot in these Red Sox after all. Tom Verducci takes some shots at Manny in his five cuts from last night.

Silverman’s notebook has Kevin Youkilis finally feeling healthy again, and it’s showing at the plate. Edes’ notebook has the top four in the Boston lineup coming up big last night. Goldberg’s notebook has more on the Beckett/Lofton incident.

David Scott has a look at the coverage from last night, and a scare for Eric Frede.

Indians

Jim McCabe has Grady Sizemore upset at himself for misplaying a drive off the bat of Youkilis in the seventh inning. Speier says that an Indians/Expos trade Made in Boston in 2002 really started the building of the current Cleveland team. Michael Vega has C.C. Sabathia improved, but not good enough for the Indians last night. Vega has Jhonny Peralta taking some kidding from the Red Sox at batting practice yesterday. Speier also says that the Indians are doing it right. Howard Bryant looks at the struggles of Sabathia last night.

McCabe’s notebook has the Indians crediting some veteran influence with helping them improve so much this season.

You can also check coverage from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Bruins

The Bruins had their home opener last night, and it was a 4-1 victory for Boston. Douglas Flynn has the Bruins packing some punch in the opener. Fluto Shinzawa and Steve Conroy also have the game stories from the Garden.

Kevin Paul Dupont says that the Bruins actually looked relevant and engaged last night. Stephen Harris says that these guys just might surprise you.

Shinzawa’s notebook has the Bruins setting high standards for their defensemen. Conroy’s notebook has 19 year old rookie Milan Lucic making a favorable first impression with the Bruins crowd.

Get more Bruins stories at Bruinslinks.com.

Patriots

We’ve got our weekly roundtable discussion over at Patriots Daily this morning.

Christopher L. Gasper looks at Donte’ Stallworth’s love of music and his adjustment to the Patriots offense. Dan Pires has Randy Moss emerging as a leader with the Patriots. Karen Guregian has Moss empathizing with Manny Ramirez having his Wednesday comments being blown out of proportion. Michael Felger has his Patriots Insider, with a look at how Wes Welker has become a playmaker for the Patriots. Robert Lee looks at whether Laurence Maroney will get the call for the Patriots this weekend.

Guregian has Chad Jackson feeling like he can still help this team. Mark Farinella has more on Jackson, who wants the chance to contribute. Christopher Price says that the Dolphins offense will be similar to the Chargers, so it should be somewhat familiar to the Patriots. Chris Kennedy has the Patriots running backs getting overlooked. Jeff Howe says that it is a long road each week to Sunday for NFL teams.

The Globe notebook has Maroney wondering if he’s going to play on Sunday or not. Guregian’s notebook has Maroney wanting no part of the “injury-prone” label. Farinella’s notebook has more on Maroney’s outlook for Sunday. Lee’s notebook has more on Jackson.

Catch up with the Celtics headlines on CelticsLinks.com.