Rumors abound that the Red Sox have approached Roger Clemens about coming back to the team.
I originally tried to articulate how much this upsets me, but I failed for one of two reasons: 1) I couldn’t seem to accurately express my distaste for Clemens, or 2) I didn’t have the patience to list out the lengthy number of examples against his character.
Thinking about it more thoroughly, however, what bothers me is this: We all know that professional sports are driven by money first and loyalty second; gone are the days of players sticking for one team for their entire careers, becoming synonymous with a franchise. Rooting for a favorite team is rooting for a uniform more than a specific player, as free-agency precipitates a massive swapping of players each and every off-season.
As sports fans, we know in our minds that this is true, but in our hearts we cling to the idea that maybe, just maybe, there is something more. That each time the Red Sox and Yankees take the field, the venom rises and the hatred the fans have for the other side is shared by the players, that they’d never swap shirts for all the money in the world. Its a thin thread that we cling to, but we cling nonetheless — it keeps sports interesting.
Signing Clemens would shatter that ideal. After all he’s done, all he is — a Hall of Famer in a Yankee cap, if it was up to him — the last place he should ever be is Boston. The Sox are as guilty as any franchise of player swapping, even gutting a championship team just weeks after the clinching win, but this would be taking it too far. Signing Clemens would confirm once and for all that loyalty and love of Red Sox Nation matters so much less than money, money, money. If they bring back The Rocket, they might as well trade Manny & Big Papi for Jeter and A-Rod, just to make the destruction complete.
So, if you’re listening Boston, don’t let this happen. There are more important things than championships.