Book 'em, Danno?

"Imagination is more important than information." - Einstein

Last Monday I wrote a very brief piece entitled "Popularity Contest", ranking of the popularity of current Red Sox players, obviously led by David Ortiz. I actually considered a broader discussion, emphasizing the changes in the racial climate in Boston, exemplified by the popularity of numerous Boston minority athletes. But I digress.

I didn't go into great detail (like you didn't know Big Papi?), but I was mildly surprised to see what seemed like an expansion of my outline a few days later in the Boston Globe by the newspaper's Daniel Shaughnessy. You know, the anagram, "Dan lies, as he hugs NY".

The beloved Shaughnessy has written a couple of pretty good books, Seeing Red and The Curse of the Bambino (see, no hard feelings, Danno), and the odds are pretty good that he's never even heard of my blog. It's just the timing, the circumstantial evidence that bothered me.

Seriously, maybe D.S. has turned over a new leaf, as some (including I) recognize him as the epicenter of New England negativity. Sure he's had some clever columns (his tale of two cities columns were once unique - you know Boston's New England clam chowder versus Manhattan clam chowder, The Hub against the Big Apple, Billy versus Bill Lee, and so on), but maybe the expansion to television and radio dulled his razor sharp wit. Or maybe he just mellowed with time and the near annual Patriots' championships.

Now, it doesn't make much sense for me to take on Dan and a million Globe readers with my daily hit level of about a hundred (evidently a billion Chinese couldn't care less), and I don't want an apology, a radio appearance, or even a Globe key chain. I'm just putting you on notice, Dan, just because I'm balding I'm not envious of your Chia Pet 'do', but I'm watching you.