Midway through the debate, Kerry was lambasting President Bush's environmental policy when he slipped in a baseball metaphor even his people couldn't quite explain.

``The president, I don't think, is living in a world of reality with respect to the environment,'' Kerry said. ``Now, if you're a Red Sox fan, that's OK. But if you're a president, it's not.''

Was Kerry insulting his hometown team the night they clinched a spot in the ALCS?