straight to you from barry beck....

(a little belated, but i've been getting bogged down by actual work)



All week, the chatter was about Johnny Damon's pedicure, Jason Varitek's back waxing, and Kevin Millar's pumpkin facial. Yesterday, all the action was on the field as the Red Sox brought their makeover maharishis, the crew of ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," to Fenway Park to sing the national anthem and throw out the opening pitch before a crowd of 35,000.

Many cheered. But others shook their heads or looked on stoically. Isolated boos also resonated in the ballyard.

The arrival of the ''Queer Eye" crew, down one because of a scheduling conflict, was a milestone of sorts for Fenway, where one season ticket holder remarked that 15 years ago it would have been unthinkable for a gay man to run out to the mound in a pink shirt to throw out the opening pitch.