October 22, 2007 11:31 AM

You may have. . .RSFS
Posted by Douglas Eisenhartat 11:31 AM

Of course you stayed up to watch the end of Game 7 last night - who didn't? You've watched your home town team all season long, the ups, the downs, the ins, the outs, the sideways. And now, coming back from being down 3-1 in the ALCS? Any fan worth their weight in peanuts just had to see Coco make that dramatic, body-jarring, final out deep in the center-field triangle and witness the Sox winning the American League Pennant.

And, oh, by the way, what time was it? Close to midnight? And the celebration - which you also had to see - pushed it into the wee hours of the morning. On a school night.

Yes, a school night. Or for many a work night. So today you feel as follows:

SYMPTOMS:
-- Scratchy eyes
-- Slight headache
-- Heavy-feeling body
-- Mind tends to wander from the task at hand
-- Vague sense of euphoria
-- Willingness to talk to just about anyone about last night.

DIAGNOSIS: If this is you, my friend - and there are millions of reported cases out there - you are a victim of RSFS - Red Sox Fan Syndrome. The symptoms are well-known and widespread, going well beyond Greater Boston and New England. And there are no signs that they will abate any time over the next week to 10 days.

RECOMMENDED TREATMENT: Sleep when you can, preferably on the off-nights and not on the job. Do not nod off in meetings or behind the wheel. If caught daydreaming about baseball, find an appropriate time to surf the web or share your thoughts and emotions with others in a manner not overly disruptive of normal business activities. In severe cases, just hang out at the water cooler and wait for any passers-by to chat with or, if so moved, call your local sports talk show. If watching games at home, consider cladding yourself in pyjamas sometime in the later innings for a quick trip to bed at game's end.

And keep your Sox on.