"I was blindsided": Dax McCarty makes his statement on his trade from New York Red Bulls to Chicago Fire

It took him a little while to find the words, but Dax McCarty has delivered a public statement about his trade from the New York Red Bulls to the Chicago Fire.

#RBNY #ThankYou pic.twitter.com/dzSJjVUFu4

— Dax McCarty (@DaxMcCarty11) January 22, 2017

It is a statement that makes clear why he needed a little time to gather his thoughts:

I was blindsided. I have been in this league long enough to know how things work, yet somehow I was still surprised.

And if it was a surprise to Captain Dax, it was surely at least as great a shock to the woman who had only recently become Mrs. Captain Dax when the trade was announced:

To my beautiful wife: Not only did I postpone our honeymoon, I also told you we were leaving NYC after two days of marriage. Thank you for not divorcing me!

In a statement that combines McCarty's characteristic good humor and honesty, there are a great many thank-yous: to former teammates, to the club's unsung behind-the-scenes staff, and to fans:

To the fans: Thank you for giving me five-and-a-half of the best years of my life. Nothing I can say in this farewell will ever come close to the love and support you showed me in my time at RBNY.

He does have one request of Red Bulls' supporters:

If you could do me one huge favor and not chant "metro reject" when I come back, I would greatly appreciate it!

You're no reject; you're a Metro Legend, Dax. And like all the best players for this club, you have the shabby send-off from the club to prove it. RBNY doesn't do goodbye well at all. Sadly, its exceptional players are no exception to that rule.

Thank You. Best of Luck, Captain.