It's All About the Benjamins...

Stepping back from the whole situation has showed me the true scary side of sports. We are led to believe as fans that an athlete double crossing his team is no different that a normal shmoe taking a higher pay from a rival firm, right? Wrong. When you get into making 10 million plus per year, an extra $5 million isn't going to make a difference.

Greed overcomes any fan rivalry with athletes.

The Jason Variteks of the world are hard to find, hometown discounts to stay with a community. Everyone else is out for themselves and they don't care about the Joe Shmoe fan.

Glavine left Atlanta. McGwire left Oakland. Tejada left Oakland. Bonds left Pittsburgh. Clemens left Boston. Shaq left Orlando. Furcal left Atlanta. Gretzky left Canada. Kareem left Milwaukee. Giambi left Oakland. Walton left Portland. Mussina left Baltimore. Kemp left Seattle. A-Rod and Griffey left Seattle. Within the next three years, LeBron will leave Cleveland.

These are just the facts, and with Damon added to that list, I feel like I just don't care anymore. Athletes can keep screwing fans over and nothing will ever be done about it.

Heeeeeeeere's Johnny!

I will always remember Game 7 of the sacred 2004 ALCS. Damon hit 2 dingers, 6 RBIs and sealed the deal for the greatest comeback in history. I knew right then and there, he would be a Red Sox forever. Wrong. But I will still never forget the magic of that amazing season and more amazing playoffs. With that said...

Johnny, Johnny, Johnny...your intelligence was never reputable but who knew you were this incredibly mentally crippled? You establish yourself as an icon in the city of Boston (a city notorious for being slow to warm to a player) then stomp on the hearts and souls of the very people you brought to the promised land 1 year ago. This move is completely unprecedented. I can only assume Mr. Suck Boras had about 90% of the say in this while you had somewhere around 10%.

Seriously, lets think about what you have just done. You have signed on to a team which is notoriously hated by your former team. So hated they are known to have the greatest rivalry in sports. Such a rivalry they play each other some 18 times per year. 18 times per year means 9 in the Bronx...and 9 at Fenway. Those are going to be 9 opportunities for you to be assaulted by a veangful Red Sox fan...remember the way Mets fans treated John Rocker a few years ago? I hope you practice dodging D and C batteries in spring training.

But wait, knowing you Mr. "Caveman" you will expect Boston fans to say, "big deal, we love you Johnny!" Hell no. The Johnny Damon we knew for the past 3 years is dead, 6 feet under cremated. The new, clean-shaven, Giambi-cut Johnny Damon may as well change his moniker to "John Damon" to reflect how incredibly boring the Yankees persona actually is. Enjoy an environment where the fans don't love you cause you are a hometown boy, or for what you've done in history, because if you don't produce for the Boss, you can expect to be gone. Most of all, prepare to surrender your spotlight to A-Rod, Randy Johnson, and the venerable Derek Jeter. You are no longer an icon, caveman, Jesus, etc. You are a body in a lineup that will be expected to get a hit at least 3/10 times, and then wait for Mr. Jeter and A-Rod to get you home. Your social aspect in CF has just disappeared.

You had it all Johnny. And you had to mess it up. All I can say is I don't feel bad for you in the least about the first time you return to Fenway. I hope you leave with Energizer imprinted in the back of your head. Break a leg Damon. No, really. Trip on a sprinkler head in the Bronx like Mantle did and break you leg.

The Times Are A-Changin'

Happy Trails Edgah Renteria!

The Boston Red Sox today traded Renteria to the Atlanta Braves for their top prospect 3B Andy Marte. It seems only yesterday that Renteria was considered to be the biggest free agent signing of the offseason for the Sox, only to go on to play horrid defense and an even worse bat. Maybe the Braves will work their magic and turn Edgar back into the SS he once was. Good luck Bobby Cox! Who knows, Edgah could be a better fit in the Braves clubhouse, being more quiet and less of an event in the city.

Happy Trails Kevin Millar!

The Red Sox will not be resigning El Bencho, and while he had a terrible season this past year, his prescence on the team will be missed. Lest we forget his coining of "Cowboy Up", "Don't let us win today...", "Manny being Manny" and the Born in the USA karaoke rally video. He turned a 40 guys, 40 cabs team into 40 guys, 1 big freakin limo. Best of luck to him wherever he goes, if only his talent had matched his enthusiasm in Boston.

Happy Trails Doug Mirabelli!

The knuckle-catcher was always a hometown favorite for the past few years and even if his bat is not missed, his glove will be in that Wakefield was 16-8 with a 3.66 ERA when Mirabelli caught him, compared to an abysmal 0-4 with a 8.66 ERA throwing to Jason Varitek. They just don't make knuckleball catchers anymore so does this mean the end for Tim Wakefield? I guess this will be yet to be seen.

Welcome, Mark Loretta!

While I'm quite happy to have a capable 2B, the first since Todd Walker of '03, I question the move when Graffanino was the surprise of the '05 season. I figured the Sox could have resigned Graffanino for relatively cheap, but I guess they have other plans...which puzzles me further that they have just offered arbitration to Graf, Mueller and Damon.

Bottom line? We need a GM. Oh, and a SS...is that Nomar's cell phone I hear ringing?

An Unlikely Ending

SEC Champions Georgia Bulldawgs!!!

In a season that began with both Florida and Tennessee predicted to finish ahead of the unsure Bulldogs, not many people saw this coming. Slightly favored LSU simply got whipped by D.J. Shockley and the Georgia defense. I had the privilege of sitting 17th row in the LSU section and got to see the pain on the cajuns faces up close and personal. LSU did not have a chance from the outset of the game. UGA was dominant on both side of the ball, especially D. The sacks and INTs just kept coming.

I give all the credit in the world to Coach Richt and Shockley, who came into this season as the biggest question mark in the SEC, but ended up buying himself a ticket to a late-round pick in this summer's NFL draft. Shockley's selfless play and attitude will be valued as a potential back up QB in the NFL. Name one other QB in college football who has the ability that Shockley has shown this season and waited 4 years to show it, thats right, you can't.

Congrats Georgia Bulldogs, you bought yourself yet another ticket back to Atlanta for the Sugar Bowl. I'll be sad to say goodbye to Shockley, Jennings and Pope after the Sugar Bowl. Oh well, at least I'll still see Mr. Pope sleeping in my History class.

Stumbling, bumbling, fumbling...

The second saddest team in the NFL continued their quest for the number one pick today, as the Jets laid down to the Pats in a pathetic 16-3 losing effort. Same story as every week, the D shows up and holds a team to under 20 points and the nonexistent offense has its usual series of 3 and outs and turnovers. If the damn Texans hadn't blown it against Baltimore in the last 20 seconds, then the Jets would have begun producing Reggie Bush jerseys. Oh well, if we miss out on Bush, maybe we can take Leinart.

Sad But True

True story, straight out of New York...

A seven year old boy was at the center of a New York courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy had a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible. The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him.

After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.

After two recesses to check legal references and confer with cheld welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the New York Jets, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.

And now on to the SEC Championship...

LSU vs UGA in the ATL, and obvious home field advantage for UGA and their second trip into Atlanta in as many weeks. The Tigers are only picked by 2 points, so I'm hoping to see a big game. With seniors Greg Blue, D.J. Shockley and Bryan McClendon playing in their last big SEC game, I hope to see some big plays. If UGA is going to win this game they are going to need to force turnovers. Coming into the season, the Dawgs were picked to finish behind Florida and Tennessee in the East; now is their big chance to prove they are not pretenders. I'll be in the lower section, on the 40 yard line, row 17, smack dab in the middle of the LSU fanbase. I can only pray there is no humiliating blow out.

But wait...the most compelling game of the weekend is tonight, in the NBA.

The Hawks (2-12) play the Raptors (1-15) tonight at Philips arena. With a combined record of 3-27 this will go in the books as the worst NBA matchup of two teams record-wise in the history of the NBA. It will be remembered (or forgotten) as the battle for the number 1 pick. So go on Hawks, don't screw this up and win tonight, forget about this season, and start scouting.