Word comes down from Newsday that Johnny Damon is heading down to Tampa to meet with Mr. Steinbrenner.

Damon, having spent this week in Manhattan completing his housing search and making a slew of promotional appearances, told Newsday on Wednesday he is excited to finally spend time with the man who agreed to pay him $52 million over four years.

"We're just going to talk, kick back and crack some jokes," Damon said.

Other articles from earlier in the week had this quote from Damon:

Everything feels right about being a Yankee, about the tradition, about my new teammates. It feels pretty special.

It strikes me as odd that he would say this and I hope that he was misquoted somewhat. First of all, less than six months ago, this is the guy who said that he could never see himself with the Yankees, even if they came after him hard with a lot of money. Well, I guess that $52 million dollars can change one's attitude pretty quickly. I mean, I understand that baseball is a business, first and foremost, and that most of what comes out of a player's mouth is entirely self-serving (especially for someone who is striving as marketable as Damon is). I understand that and I don't have a problem with players saying something like this, it's this specific instance, this flip-flop, that bothers me.

Well, at the very least, Damon knows what it will take for him to be accepted as a Yankee.

"I know I won't be accepted by them until I start playing well," Damon said. "If I play well, they're going to accept me."

Exactly! It looks like sustaining that big-time concussion in 2003 hasn't dimmed Damon's faculties all that much - at least he knows what's in store for him.

Finally, Mr. Damon seems to be enjoying his time as one of NY's more marketable celebrities.

With three weeks left until position players report to Tampa, Fla., for spring training, Damon is getting used to his surroundings. He has been in New York for several days, dining with Alex Rodriguez, posing for the cover of The Sporting News and doing a radio show with David Lee Roth.

Damon's shoe company, Puma, will present him with a $245,000 Ferrari today. Finding a parking space may be his next challenge, because Damon and his wife, Michelle, have decided to live in the city.

Okay, the man gets a $52 million dollar contract and so he gets a free Ferrari as well? Good Lord, I'll have to keep that in mind the next time I'm in the market for a new job.