Boo-ing Johnny Damon

So there has been a lot of discussion in the last few days as to how the Red Sox fans should have reacted to Johnny Damon when he returned to Fenway park. Jackie MacMullun says the fans who boo him are idiotic. Damon's current Manger, Joe Torre, had this to say:

"I'm a little disappointed in the reaction by the fans, I guess we should feel proud. Evidently, wearing a Yankee uniform overrides winning a World Series and busting your tail for four years."

In general, the media opinion before the game seemed to be that Sox fans should applaud Johnny Damon the first time up and acknowledge all he did for us, etc... etc... etc... and then AFTER that treat him like he was a yankee. Even his former teammates like Big Papi seemed to pretty much say the same thing.

What I would like to know, is - When did major league baseball turn into a teenage girls softball league? Why is it that paying millions of dollars to these players is not enough? - we suddenly have to worry about their "feelings". It's bad enough that the feminization of our society is already so pervasive - the advent of the so-called "metrosexual" being one particularly odious example - but to invade the game of baseball and apply so-called "decent" standards of behavior that are contrary to over a hundred years of hallowed tradition is the last straw. Maybe we should all just put on tan slacks and pink t-shirts, and promise to say only nice things about everybody from now on. Let's take all the fun out of the greatest rivalry in sports in the name of "appropriate" behavior.

According to various reports that I heard, although Damon put on a good face, privately he was very hurt by the response from the Boston fans. Tell me, Johnny, what exactly did you expect? Respect for all you have supposedly done for us? Let me tell you a little bit about respect:

On a cold, rainy Saturday morning in October 2004, I got up at 4 a.m, drove 2 hours to boston, stood in the rain for ANOTHER 3 hours with 2 million other people, just to catch a glimpse of you for maybe 5 seconds as you drove by with your teammates on the victory parade. I then RAN ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY just on the slight chance that I might get another glimpse.

My Youngest Daughter was a huge fan - and to support her I bought several Johnny Damon T-Shirts. Over the last 4 years I have been to several Red Sox games, and have given you a standing ovation EVERY TIME you came up to bat. I helped my Daughter make a sign that says "I Love Johhny" and held it up for her at these games. Many other fans have done all this and more. Hundreds of thousands of us stood in line for hours to buy your stupid book and get your autograph.

You decided that none of that was good enough. Apparantly, you had your Rea$on$ - which is fine. And don't hand me that "If I were in your shoes..." crap. You are probably right - I LOVE my job and really like the company I work for, but given a raise proportional to what you recieved I would probably go to work for our closest rival too. The difference between you and me is that I would not shoot my mouth off on the way out the door about how much better the other company is and THEN return for a visit a few months later expecting praise and adoration for past accomplishments.

We have already given you plenty of adoration for your past accomplishments - and they were well deserved. When you were here you played your heart out for us and we cheered our hearts out for you. But that all ended when you put on a different uniform. You are no longer playing your heart out for us, so why do you (and all the other media morons) expect to be treated as if you still do? The mere thought is ridiculous.

So I was there on Monday night, and am proud to say that I boo'ed you as loudly and as proudly as I possibly could - along with every other person that was anywhere near me.

In baseball, we have always cheered for the "good" guys and boo'ed the "bad" guys. It was naive to think that we would - and absurd to suggest that we should - behave any differently.