I've been thinking about Johnny Damon a lot since Jeff woke me up to tell me that our very own hero had done the worst thing possible. He made a $52 mil deal with the mother fucking Yankees. I guess you can put a price tag on the love of the Red Sox Nation.
"There's no way I can go play for the Yankees, but I know they're going to come after me hard. It's definitely not the most important thing to go out there for the top dollar, which the Yankees are going to offer me. It's just not what I need." -Johnny Damon, to MLB.com, May 3, 2005
"It was a very tough decision but New York came after me aggressively and that's what sealed the deal. No, (the Red Sox did not match the offer), I made contact with them. I talked to Tito and I told him they need to really get going (to offer me the best deal) because if not, I'm going to be on another team." -Johnny Damon, to CBS4 News Boston, December 20, 2005
"By signing with New York, Damon destroyed his legacy in Boston. Despite his role in winning the long-coveted World Series, he instantly becomes dead to Red Sox fans for going over to the dark side. He's also going to hear boos in New York. His signing doesn't begin to help the Yankees' considerable pitching needs. Unless the Yankees solve those needs, they will struggle and Damon will become their scapegoat. Damon will regret this. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but as soon as he gets his tires slashed in Boston." - ESPN Page 2, Jim Caple
"Johnny Damon will always be remembered for his ALCS Game 7 heroics in beating the Yankees, giving the Red Sox the pennant and putting the choker tag on the Yankees forever. But he's seems to have turned his back on the Red Sox, their fans and his legacy in Boston for a bigger payday in New York." -John Brian Quinn, bornintoit.com writer
"Now The Bronx is no longer the place where Red Sox all-stars go to win championships, but let it henceforth be the place where fading Red Sox champions go to get richer." -Alan