I, on the other hand, grew up in a very sports-religious household. My brother Peter is the most fanatical of them all.

When the Red Sox are not winning (in the scope of either a single game or globally) Peter refers to them by the courtesy title "The ol'" followed by one of the following:

• Dead Sox


• Red Slops


• Red Flops


• Dead Slops


• Flopper-doppers


• Slopper-dopper-flopper-moppers (etc.)