(Damon, waving to the CHB in the Fenway press box in 2005)

Of Tigers OF Johnny Damon rejecting a proposed wavier deadline return to Fenway Park, the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy sneers, “his decision to stay with the Tigers is downright idiotic . . . or there is some larger force at work.” And with that, the columnist who routinely questions the character of players who’d love to stay in Boston forever, takes a dagger to one who’d prefer to stay away.

Were the Sox that insulting? Did they look Damon in the eye and tell him that they thought Coco Crisp was a better player? Did John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino tell Damon he was lucky when he hit those two homers in Game 7 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium? Did Shonda Schilling say something insulting about Michelle Damon™s scarves?

Think about it: For the next five weeks, you could live in downtown Boston and your wife could shop on Newbury Street. Or you could live in downtown Detroit, amid the boarded-up buildings and the proverbial skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets. Is this really a tough call?

Maybe it is.  Damon’s already got two rings and helping the Red Sox erase a considerable deficit to Tampa or New York might not be the biggest thing on his mind right now. And if you’re gonna measure Boston vs. Detroit in terms of Newbury Street shopping vs. “boarded up buildings”, then you might just as well applaud Damon for picking the home of Tyvek over the big DYS reunion this weekend.