Sports Column: The best of times

Step back. Take it all in. Breathe the fresh New England air. Walk around the block and let everyone know that you just don't know what to do. It's OK. Some of you are still in shock. It will all hit you soon enough. The excitement is once again back after a prolonged silence. What am I talking about? You haven't heard? Mo Vaughn has filed for free agency. He's back on the market, folks.Who's taking?

All right, all right. So that's not the biggest news in the Beantown sports scene right now. In other years it may have been, but Mo is of the past. He is of the Red Sox who never were world champions.

So now things are different. As the Notorious BIG once put it oh-so- poetically, "Things done changed." At the hands of Johnny "WWJDD?" Damon, the dirty water has turned into champagne. The longest faces in the world are smiling. Pessimism is gone. Terry Francona is the manager who expelled the demons. And is there anyone in the world who you would rather be right now than Theo Epstein? A thirty year old bringing home the championship to Boston. Wow.

Last week, when the Sawx won the World Series and the Patriots were still undefeated, it should have hit anyone ever associated with the Boston sports scene that these are the Glory Days that musicians from the Jersey Shore write songs about.

There are no such things as "bad" things right now. Even the Celtics fans are optimistic. OK, so maybe they're not really, but just stick to the theme of optimism and winning here. No other period in Boston sports history has brought such sustained success. Sure, the Celtics have 16 world championships. The Bruins have their share of Stanley Cups. But it's the Red Sox and the Patriots that are on top now. At the same time. In Boston. What's going on?

Well, it's a Hub of a time to be in the heart of New England, but I'm not just talking about the professionals. Leave the FleetCenter alone. Walk away from Fenway Park. Give Gillette Stadium a rest.

Just take a short walk to Conte Forum. Drive the half hour to Bentley College in Waltham. Hop on the Newton Bus to the soccer fields. There's enough winning to go around.

For the first time in a while, the football squad is being talked about for a bowl as big as the Gator Bowl. This week the team is ranked No. 24 in the AP poll and No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll.

On the soccer fields both the men and women are ranked and head into the Big East playoffs looking for trips to the NCAA tourney.

What about field hockey, you ask? Well, the No. 11 team in the nation and reigning Big East champions will head out to Syracuse to defend its crown against the best of the Big East. UConn will be the biggest challenge there.

And you know what? Rooting for BC teams is cheaper, too.

It was so much simpler to be a Patriots fan or a member of the Nation when you knew that you could just save up for a few regular season games. Nowadays you have to budget for paying exorbitant amounts of money for playoffs, too.

Maybe Theo could donate some tickets. He's a big enough name now.

Correction from last week's column: My sister informed me that her nickname is spelt Chrissie Bear, not Chrissy Bear.

My apologies. I'm a bad brother, and a worse speller.

Quote of the week comes from the assistant sports editor, Matt Roman: "If they win, I will lose a part of myself. I identify with the Red Sox because they are losers"

Matty, you're still a loser.