Newsbloggers wandered into the office this morning to find Pet Elephant passed out in a puddle of champagne, surrounded by red and white confetti, a Red Sox pennant still clasped in his trunk.
You will recall that Elephant has been closely following the progress of Boston's baseball team, ever since resident blogger Simon Jeffery returned from the Democratic convention with a prophetic "Kerry rules, Yankees suck" button. When the Sox went 3-0 down to the New York Yankees at the start of the American League championship series, we were frankly worried that Elephant's twin baseball and political aspirations were going the way of his doomed "Don't attack Iraq" button.
(Note to baseball newcomers: the top two teams in both leagues, the American and the National, play a series of up to seven games to determine which team will play in the final, otherwise known as the World Series. It's kinda like a cricket Test series. Boston's win yesterday in game seven sends them to the world series. Boston has not won the World Series since 1918.)
However, in light of the historic Sox comeback, our fluffy Democrat is feeling feisty. Or will be, after a few paracetamol. A Kerry win is assured, he slurred after we prodded him with a stick. (We do apologise to the numerous Democratic Yankee fans, and we know it must hurt, but a button's a button. You'll thank Elephant on November 3.)
But not so fast there, Dumbo. Baseball may have yet another metaphor in store for us: tonight the Houston Astros face down the St Louis Cardinals in game seven of the National League championship series. The winner will meet Boston on Saturday for game one of the World Series.
An Astros win would, of course, mean a Texas v Massachusetts World Series. The Elephant, never really a model of moderation, can barely contain his excitement.
