New Rules: Patriot's Day Edition

It's Patriot's Day here in Massachusetts. Although we're supposed to be honoring the "shot heard round the world" at Lexington Green, and the march of British troops from there to Concord in 1775, this important historic moment has become overshadowed by sporting events.

One paricular sporting event actually has the world's focus, and that is the Boston Marathon - and the starting line is about 5 miles from our house. Tens of thousands of runners take off for their 26+ mile-run to downtown at noon, with the first runner crossing the finish line in just a bit over 2 hours. This year, as has been the case for the past decade, two Kenyans won the race.

Simultaneous to the marathon, the Sox play a home game at Fenway, starting at the ungodly hour of 11 a.m. (Yes, the boys won today in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off home run by our new hero, Mark Loretta...aka "Mahk Loretter" in local accent) The game usually takes three hours, making it also end at roughly the exact time as the winners cross the finish line in the Marathon, and only blocks away from each other.

Here's where the new rule comes in. Next year, how 'bout moving the finish line to home plate? The runners could come in through the Green Monster (left field wall) and run down the third base line. The winner would be required to slide into home (headfirst, feetfirst...up to the runner).

Sounds good to me, but how to explain this to some really healthy Kenyans?