Time for more articles about how the Red Sox don't care, as evidenced by the consumption of alcohol

Last year, the Boston Red Sox collapsed in September in a way that had never before been seen in Major League Baseball.

After the season, much of it was attributed to the "chicken and beer" being enjoyed in the clubhouse, both during and after games, particularly by members of the pitching rotation.

The general conclusion that the Boston sports media reached was that the team simply didn't care about winning, and had lost all discipline and respect for manager Terry Francona.

This year, it's starting all over again.

CSNNE's Joe Haggerty observed John Lackey drinking from a couple cans of Bud Light in the clubhouse after the game, and used that as a catalyst for an article stating that the Red Sox once again were showing that they didn't care anymore, and that they were giving up on the season.

What Haggerty failed to note is that the activities of John Lackey in 2012 are about as relevant to the Red Sox as the activities of every Joe Sixpack on the street.

Lackey is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, and won't pitch a single inning for the Sox this year. He's traveling with the team so he can work with their training staff and let them assist with his recovery.

If John Lackey wants to have a beer after the game, it doesn't matter.

If John Lackey wants to have 20 beers after the game, it doesn't matter.

If John Lackey wants to have 10 beers DURING the game, and another 10 after the game, it doesn't matter.

John Lackey is the epitome of irrelevance. His activities don't matter, as long as he's healthy and ready to pitch next year. And even if he's not, perhaps that's a blessing in disguise for the Red Sox, based on his performance in 2011.

Are the Red Sox a bad team? Yes, absolutely. Does something need to change? Of course. But we don't need the media jumping down their throat for things that don't matter at all. Leave that to the clowns in New York.