The Red Sox lost, in my order of guiltiness, because:
1) Clemens wimped out of Game 6 early, complaining of a "blister", but really he was just not ready for the big-time pressure as the game built to its climax. Clemens lied about it for years, but in my view that was simply more proof that he had a guilty conscience about it.
2) Buckner intimidated McNamara (and McNamara allowed himself to be intimidated) into allowing Buckner to stay in for the 9th, instead of coming out for his usual defensive replacement. Buckner wanted to be on the field for the "glory picture" where the catcher, 1st basemen, etc, charge the mound and embrace the pitcher at the final out. Buckner was a surly jerk then and McNamara backed down.
3)McNamara uses mediocre pitcher Al Nipper in Game 7 in relief, who get hammered -- as if McNamara forgot that you don't use your normal rotation in Game 7. He had starters on the bench, even Clemens, to throw in in relief. Nipper was a disasterous choice.
I could go on...
Well Buckner got his "glory picture." It's probably hanging on the wall in every New York City sports bar even today.
In my opinion, the biggest problem the Red Sox have had over the years is the lack of a strong manager. The players have always walked all over the managers up here. I'm so sick of highly paid stars "sulking" all the time and taking themselves out of games for "sore throats" and conducting silly "media boycotts" because they can't handle a few pointed questions from the sports beat writers around here from time to time. The annual Pedro Martinez act of being the last one to spring training every year because of his father's birthday is getting old. Manny Ramirez zoning out on the team bus with headphones while the manager is trying to address the team is getting old. Nomar Garciaparra's sulky, petulant, "poor pitiful me" demeaner is getting tired as well. Ship the three of them elsewhere, I say. Then get a manager who won't put up with any crap from the rest of the team, and we might just get a World Series title up here, now that we have owners who aren't afraid to sling money around on decent players (and not washed-up overweight has-beens who are only interested in a DH role).
We need a hard-ass, take-no-BS manager for the Red Sox. This Franconia guy they just hired seems like a nice guy but that's just the problem. We don't need another soft-touch in the dugout. We need a Bill Belichick or a Bill Parcells type. Someone who will not be afraid to yank Pedro out of a tight game or bench a whiney superstar.