Billy Wagner has made it official. He wants to rip the crown from the old, feeble hands of Brett Favre. He is now the official "Selfish Athlete" King.

How could anyone ever dethrone the great and over-covered Brett Favre? Ego, of course.

Maybe you haven't heard, but the New York Mets put their ex-closer, Billy Wagner on waivers. He was claimed by the Boston Red Sox. "Don't they have a closer?", you ask. Why, yes they do, its Papelbon, and he was none to pleased. He even publicly ripped the heralded Red Sox front office for the move.

However, the move by the Red Sox was a smart gamble. Because money the Red Sox have, but as its said, in baseball, you can NEVER have enough pitching.  So adding Wagner to the bullpen and seeing if he can add something is important. The Red Sox have already tried that this year with John Smoltz, so why not try it with Wagner and see if that sticks.

Well, it won't stick because Billy Wagner is the Selfish Athlete King and he will bow to nothing and no one. Forget that the Red Sox have had much more success making playoffs, and going deeper, than the Mets recently. Ignore the fact that they are still odds-on favorites to make the postseason this year. Dismiss the fact the Mets are going nowhere once again this year. Scoff at the fact that the Red Sox have shown recently that they are an organization who wants to do everything they can, and have in fact, won the World Series.

No, Bill Wagner vetoed the trade to the Red Sox because ... ... ... He wants to be a closer again. Not have his $8 million option guaranteed to be picked up for 2009. Not pitch in meaningful games again. Not help the Red Sox beat the Yankees to win the AL East, or beat out Tampa Bay and Texas for the AL Wild Card.

38 year old Billy Wagner is passing up a chance to play for a contending team that still has a good chance to win the World Series so he can decline the Mets arbitration offer in the offseason, and become a closer for ANY team next year. Not be a closer for a contender. Or a contributing pitcher on a winner. A closer anywhere. That means he could be coming to a ballpark near you.

That's right, Billy Wagner would rather skip $8 million, skip playing in the playoffs at a chance to win the World Series and skip playing for the team that has already paid him $40 million. He wants a chance to hear his "closer's theme song" as he steps onto the field at the beginning of the ninth inning. He doesn't care if that is only 30 times a year at PNC Park with the rebuilding Pittsburgh Pirates or the Washington Natinals in their new but usually empty Nationals Park. Or maybe he prefers hearing "Enter the Sandman" echoing through the empty seats of Land Shark Stadium.

Well, Billy, I hope you get your wish of hearing "Enter the Sandman" again. But I am not sure I want you on my Pittsburgh Pirates. See, we are starting over and want young players who want to win, most of all.