So now we can add Jason Varitek to the list of Red Sox players who have spoken (on the record, at least) since the end of the season.

And that means we can add Jason Varitek to the list of Red Sox players who have spoken but really said nothing since the end of the season.

Just like Adrian Gonzalez, Jonathan Papelbon, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Jon Lester before him, Varitek -- during what was essentially nothing more than a slap-and-tickle fest with the folks at the Hill-Man Morning Show on WAAF Wednesday -- gave us an hour of more of the same.

All the greatest hits -- drinking had nothing to do with 7-20, Josh Beckett is a leader, John Lackey is misunderstood, the real problem is the leaks in the organization, nobody quit, great group of guys -- were covered and given the vanilla seal of approval by Captain Cliche, who will never be confused for a fresh and revealing interview subject.

As was the case with the other guys, no real questions were answered. If you were angry 24 hours ago about the greatest regular-season collapse in MLB history and all that we've learned since, you're probably still plenty pissed right now. 

Call it another swing and miss.

Look, credit should go to all these guys for at least trying to accept responsibility for whatever is it that happened (not sure we'll ever really know and I'll give the players this -- I'd feel better if one of these "sources" would have the stones to go on the record). But they just can't get it right. Adrian Gonzalez complains about a tough schedule (which Varitek seconded on Wednesday), Ortiz threatens to jump to the Bronx, Lester (and Varitek) joined the unnnamed sources in the Bob Holher story in throwing Terry Francona under the bus and Pedroia (and, again, Varitek) tried to sell us on the idea that Beckett was the same weight in September that he was in March.

Stop the spin, fellas. For the most part (especially with Ortiz, who has somehow been handed a lifetime free pass from the fans and media in this town), people usually go along with the act. 

This is different. And you might be in Stage 5 Fatigue when it comes to All Things Chicken, Beer and Video Games (and I might agree with you), but it's not going away. And every time one of the players (and owners, of course) finishes speaking about this I always come back to this:

Either they aren't very bright, or they think we aren't very bright. Or maybe it's a combination of both.

Whatever it is, it sure isn't working. We can act as if we're above the gossip, but it's The Story in this city and it isn't going away until someone steps up and falls on the sword.

And with that, we return to Josh Beckett.

Nobody is going to put an end to this story, but Beckett is the one guy who can really slow it down. Think about it: Who is left that we really need to hear from? (And I'm not counting that press release from Tuesday night -- if anyone thinks Beckett, Lackey or Lester had any input on those statements I have 50,000 bricks I'd like to sell you.)

Lackey? Nope, he's toast in this town. Doesn't matter what he says, he's not winning anyone over. Carl Crawford? OK, maybe. But he's actually been turned into a figure of sympathy over the last couple of weeks, no small feat for a player that in Year One of a $142 million deal had one of the half-dozen worst seasons by an outfielder in Red Sox history.

It's Beckett who needs to speak, right? Isn't Beckett the face (or chins, I suppose) of this entire disaster? He's the assumed leader of the staff, he's the assumed leader of the "recklessness," he's the guy who had to ask Jack McKeon for a bathroom pass, he's the guy that (sorry Varitek) clearly put on at least 20 pounds during a season that saw him paid $17 million. 

Even during his struggles over the years, isn't the one thing that has endeared Beckett (as opposed to, say, Lackey) to the fans is his willingness to call himself out? He's always been the first guy to say that he sucked when he sucked. Not many other players do that. It's an admirable quality, and one he should flex again to try and slow down this train.

Josh Beckett, ironically, has a chance to step up in October and bail his teammates out. Pick any member of the media and go on the record. Take all the blame for September. The collapse? Take all the blame. The drinking? Take all the blame. Francona being fired? Take all the blame. The weight gain? Admit it's true, admit it's a disgrace, and pledge that you will be in the best shape of your life at spring training next season -- a 20-win season, Beckett should add, and one that will end with a World Series title. 

No room for interpretation. No excuses. No whining about the media (and that's not me giving the media a pass -- plenty of Far From Glory stuff over the last couple of weeks, a low-fruit picking fest). Appear plenty contrite, plenty embarrassed and beg for a mulligan.

And you know what? People would give him one, and this story would move on from 24/7, wall-to-wall Page One treatment to something considerably more subdued. Beckett (again, unlike Lackey) has currency in this town.

I don't think he's viewed as a lost cause. And let's be fair: Trading Beckett would be a mistake. You would be lucky to get 40 cents on the dollar for a pitcher who still had a sub-3.00 ERA while pitching in the AL East. Is he a huge question mark? Yup. Can he be trusted? No clue. But (wait for it -- unlike Lackey) he's going to get a second chance.

But if he decides to stick with the vow of silence -- or even worse, gives an interview similar to the ones we've already seen from his teammates, complete with a denial buffet -- Josh Beckett is going to be an awfully tough sell for Sox faithful.

The only real option? He needs to open his mouth (not a problem, evidently) and take the bullet for this team.

As Beckett himself would say, it's about that time.