Did you see the sun rise?

As I believe is the case with a lot of internet geeks, I was originally a television geek.  Nowadays I pretty much limit my television watching to "Law and Order: SVU", "My Name is Earl", and baseball games.  But back in the day, I couldn’t get enough tv.  (Okay, who am I kidding?  I still pay the cable bill before the oil bill…but enough about me :D!)

When I was a teenager, I was a big fan of "Magnum PI"…come on, who wasn’t?  The absolute best episode I ever saw (and I still think it holds up as an amazing piece of television) was called "Did You See the Sun Rise?".  Long story short, Magnum’s friend Mac is blown to bits in Magnum’s Ferrari.    Magnum was devastated (so much so that he killed Mac’s killer in cold blood to end the episode…like I said, amazing televison)…so were the fans.  Two years later, Mac returns…okay it was actually Jim…but he looked exactly like Mac.  Magnum didn’t trust him…he wanted to, WE wanted to…but it was tough…he was always skeptical of him.

Why this trip down memory lane?  Well, as I blogged yesterday, I watched a Red Sox/Yankees game from 2004 last night.  Johnny Damon was featured prominently. 

I’ve been thinking about Johnny a lot today.  This article doesn’t help. 

”I want to show the Red Sox that they made a mistake and the rest of baseball that I’m not old — I’m not washed up,” said Johnny Damon,

Obviously, I’ve missed something.  I mean, I guess I don’t pay much attention to matters of baseball.  When the heck did anyone say that Johnny Damon was old and washed up?  And Johnny didn’t give the Red Sox a chance to continue negotiations…they didn’t make a mistake – Johnny jumped the gun.

But let’s not rehash old news.  Johnny is obviously not over us.  Case in point:

”It kind of broke my heart, because my heart and soul was there [in Boston],” Damon said

Johnny, snookums, if your heart and soul were in Boston, then you wouldn’t have jumped at the Yankees offer.  Do you realize that every time you open your mouth you just sound more and more stupid?  Didn’t think so.

Okay…one more word of wisdom from Johnny before I get to my real point:

‘But $3 million dollars [per year]. My brother’s family is very secure now.”

Well, now, that makes it all better.  Johnny went to New York to ensure his brother’s family’s security.  He did it for someone else, not for him.  Someone get this guy a Nobel Prize.  Maybe we can get him cannonized?   He DOES think he’s Jesus, after all.  Good Lord, I was actually UPSET that he left Boston?  What the heck is wrong with ME?

Okay…back to my point.  I’m watching the game last night and I’m watching Johnny play his heart out, and I’m smiling and happy and all is good.  Johnny did a lot for the Red Sox and I will always love him for that.  Honestly.  But much like Magnum and Mac, it will never be the same.  I see the new Johnny and he is a different man.  He’s not our Johnny… he’s their Johnny.  He’s a completely different person.  My sister still walks around saying "Johnny is dead to me"…and she’s right.  Johnny Damon, the man who knocked himself unconscious in the 2003 ALDS…the man who hit a grand slam in game 7 of the 2004 ALCS…the man who promised Red Sox Nation he would never sign with the Yankees…that man is dead.  I’m sad and will always miss him and will watch any games from 2005 and before with nothing but fondness and appreciation for him.

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But this man? 

He isn’t our Johnny Damon…the Yankees fans can have him.  And good luck to them.