The buzz over the Red Sox' foray into playoffs with the New York Yankees is yet another reminder of what it means to have a "Boston culture."

Simply expressed, the culture of a community fundamentally is a shared understanding of some widely-held beliefs, a longstanding memory of what has gone before, of shared struggles and triumphs, of good times and bad.

So it was that Ben Affleck became our spokesman in that interview on ABC's Nightline last week, when he told Ted Koppel what it truly means to be a Red Sox fan in the midst of a Yankee assault. Say what you will about the actor's work on film, or his overheated celebrity status: when it comes to being a Boston fan, Ben reflects the best of what we are - and understands and remembers the worst of what we, all of us, have collectively been through.

But being part of sports fandom in Boston is just a part of who we are. The true Bostonian understands all sorts of things not apparent to someone looking in on us: For example, the July 4th Esplanade concert is just a 30-year tradition, but those Charles River-side affairs have been around for many more years, and for many more summer evenings than just the Independence Day extravaganzas. We know to avoid driving on or anywhere near Storrow Drive or Beacon Hill when the concerts are on.

We know, too, about when's a good time to drive to the Cape on summer weekends, and more important, when not. We know about which radio talk shows are legit, and which harbor the fools; which daily paper to read for sports coverage, which for city news; we, in our bones, know where to go to see high surf during a nor'easter, and when to get home early, before the storm.

Real Bostonians know where to get the best roast beef sandwiches, the tastiest hot dogs, the best value in seafoods. We know there's no such fish as scrod, no tomatoers in clam chowder. We know which movie theaters have the shortest lines and the most comfortable chairs, which pub the best pint, which grocery chain the best prices, which stores the best prices on shoes. We know when to avoid the crowds at Harvard Square, and when's the best time to find a parking space at the mall.

It all comes with living in a community, understanding its people and their habits, and respecting its traditions. We know it should be the Tip O'Neill Tunnel, and only an outsider would ever think the word "Liberty" connotes something that is underrepresented or undervalued in our town.

So thank you Red Sox and thank you, Ben Affleck, for sticking up for our town and showing the world who we are and what we value. We may not get to the World Series (at this writing, we're still awaiting Game 6 at the Stadium), but we have had a wonderful time trying. And we know, despite the economic excesses in pro sports, for this season, those guys on the field are our guys, and they have given us some great, good times.

For winning is not the only thing. It is not just winning and losing that counts: for the real Bostonian, it's the pride in the contest of life that matters.

And we know, in our hearts, there is always next year.

-Ed Forry