The Sox Fans Of Tech

Yesterday, as the Seibu Lions star (soon-to-be Red Sox "stah") Daisuke Matsuzaka winged his way cross country on an allegedly secret flight, Sox fans were glued to a Web site tracking the plane's progress. The private jet, as we all knew immediately, was that of Sox owner John Henry.

The landing--at Hanscom field--was covered live by the local TV stations.

This Sox saga is roughly the equivalent of the geek obsession with every alpha, CTP, pre-beta, beta, release candidate, RTM version of Microsoft's tools, apps, OS. You name it. Only more fun.

To stretch this analogy further, you could argue that its the open sourcers, not the Microsoft alliance, who are are more like the crazed and bemused Red Sox Nation. These open-sourcers (sometimes called the Linux looniesbut hey I didn't say that) have the same badly concealed inferiority complex.

The Red Hose may have won the World Series more recently than the Yanks, but in their heart of hearts the Red Sox Nation still harbors resentment of the Bronx Bombers and a lurking suspicion that the home town team STILL doesn't measure up.

The fact that it was the Sox, not Yankees, who paid 50 million big ones just to TALK to Matsuzaka means these fans should just move on already. But somehow they can't. Or won't.

But if Matsuzaka clears his physical to finalize his $51 million contract, this could be--as a Linux Loony might say--our year.

Note: Here's the inside scoop on DICE-K's "gravity-defying pitch."