''They came in and stole me," Damon said yesterday.

Are you kidding me? Those nimwits in that front office completely blow my mind. The Nation had a 2004 Championship team that has been traded off piece by piece. We are now down to 9 original players. Christ. If it's not broke don't fix it right? Not according to the powers that be. And now Mr. Baseball going to the Yankees? It just doesn't make sense.

"My message to Red Sox fans is I tried, I tried everything in my power to come back, but unfortunately, I know they're going to be upset," he said. Pedro said something similar... Manny wants out, threatening not to go to Spring Training if his demands aren't met, Wells wants out (let him go thank you very much), Epstein is already out. It's just chaos.

"I know what's going on in Boston. I know fans are upset and I'm sorry," Damon told WBZ television in Boston during an interview from his Florida home. "I tried to get their best offer and it just didn't materialize and I just have to thank them for the wonderful years."

"It wasn't even close," Damon said. "I might be an idiot, but I'm not stupid." That's debatable.

After learning the news of Damon's departure, I was angry, more than angry, more like livid. I almost burned my Damon shirt. I'm still undecided but now I have calmed down and I am coping. Lucchino should have been tad more agressive with this deal. It was the only thing that he had to work on. I really can't believe they let him go to the Yankees of all teams. But it sounds like Damon didn't give them much of a chance at a counter offer, we all know that he isn't the brightest bulb but to go to the New York? What was he thinking?

I quote my dad here...

"We'll have to see how things shake out...but I will say one thing...the Yankees in spite of their payroll being 40% more than the next closest team...hasn't won the World Series since 2000...so enough whining about Damon...he's gone...good riddins...I just hope he waits until he gets to NY to cut his greasy hair!" He has been a fan since the dark ages, refuses to buy a Red Sox t-shirt with a name on it because of the high turnover. It's business.

I quote my father even further...

"I wish I had a Red Sox-Yankees game ticket...I'd boo the bastar---! But that being said good riddins...he never washed his hair anyway...who knows what was in there...But you know what his numbers were way down in 2005 from 2004...so its not that big a deal...my predication...he will not have a great year with the Yankees...the Sox will land a better center fielder...there is a guy on Cleveland they are talking with...for shortstop..Alex Gonzalez of the Florida Marlins...he is very good...I don;t think Tejada will move from the Orioles...but I could be wrong...the Sox will have some extra cash now with Damon off the payroll...the Sox will land on their feet trust me...besides its not about the players...they are all selfish and greedy...they wouldn;t know what it was like to work a regular job like all us poor slobs anyway...its about the Boston Red Sox!"

Yes it's all about the Sox. We take the good, the bad and the ugly. So I start looking at some stats. Hmm... The Yankees will now have five of the AL's top 12 run-scorers in their lineup next season.

1. Alex Rodriguez 124
2. Derek Jeter 122
3. David Ortiz 119
4. Johnny Damon 117
5. Michael Young 114
6. Chone Figgins 113
7. Manny Ramirez 112
7. Mark Teixeira 112
9. Ichiro Suzuki 111
9. Grady Sizemore 111
11. Hideki Matsui 108
12. Gary Sheffield 104

I feel much better now. I'm going to get sick. Why? Why?! Why!!! I'm not thinking about that curse crap but what is going on here. 86 long years, only 28 of which I had to wait, and the World Series Trophy came to Boston and was paraded around all of New England. How could this new found glory be shattered so quickly? The Nation is in deed rearing from this news but we will prevail, somehow. It's not just the fact that Johnny did the unthinkable, back stabbing, rubbing of the wound in salt action to the Nation it's that damn rivalry continues. No one needs to be reminded that between 1919 and 2003, the Red Sox had no victories to the the Yankees 26 World Series championships. The one constant in the rivalry was that the Yankees always won in the end. According to the so-called "Curse of the Bambino," the Red Sox' streak of badness began when they sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees following the 1919 season. We gave the Bambino to them. I am certaintely not comparing Johnny's departure to Babe Ruth, they are totally different breeds in terms of stats. But how many players have we "lost" to the pinstripes? Don Mattingly, Wade Boggs and Roger Clemmens to name just a couple and they went on to do New York a great service and to help them win. We have negogiated a couple from them, David Wells, who crashed and burned for us last year and wants to be traded, Olrued, who has since retired. Who else? My mind is numb right now.

I'm a disgusted, disgruntled fan right now. If you don't want to play in Boston, get out of here! Good riddens!