Way to pile onto my pain, Jason. :)

Seriously, though, this is just the regular season for the Patriots. They have a long way to go. The Yankees found a way to win many times in the regular season. But, when they got to the playoffs, they didn't.

No offense, Patrick, but we have just witnessed the 3rd collapse in 3 years.

I think Cashman and Mr. S. must question their own existing assumptions about the team's management and culture.

Obviously, the first order is that pitching must be made bulletproof. Zito and Matsuzaka come to mind. Also a promotion of Phil Hughes (all star break, perhaps) should be on the table.

I don't really buy into the collapse stuff. We lost. 1 team wins out of 30. No team deserves to win, no team assembles the team that wins, no team should win. But, 1 team does. It doesn't mean that something is wrong with everyone else and it doesn't mean that there is some greater issue.

You talk about collapses over the last 3 years, but do you know how many teams have made the playoffs in all of the past 3 seasons? 2 teams. The regular season, a long, large season, is more indicative of who is a better team.

The playoffs are more indicative of who can get the breaks and the spot performances in a short series. It's a sample size that decides the season.

You use your resources to put the best team on paper and in your mind and then you let them play. And stuff happens. They win, they lose. But, you don't know until they go out and do it. It's not as simple as saying this or that in the offseason or even during the season. The best laid plans fall apart. The greatest player ever could have a rough 5 game stretch and then it's over. Does that mean he's a bad player? The best team ever could have a rough 5 game stretch and then it's over. Does that mean whoever assembled them is not intelligent? They could have the greatest culture in the world and they would most likely lose because the odds are vastly against them. It's not who has the best anything, it's who can get into the playoffs and then get the most breaks and spot performances in a small sample season. That's baseball.