Crossing enemy lines: Will Jason Taylor be accepted?

OK, it's done. Jason Taylor has decided to cross enemy lines. He has decided to play for the fans he once said took the "cl'' out of "class.''

How long do you think it will take Jets fans to forgive him? The way one famous turncoat tells it, it could happen after his first big sack.

"I always chuckle when people say it's so hard to play in New York,'' said Earl Monroe, who was traded from the Baltimore Bullets to the Knicks in 1971. "If you are doing what you are supposed to do, this is the best place to play. It doesn't matter where you were before. If you give your best, the fans will embrace you here in New York.''

That historically has been the situation with players who have come to New York from rival teams. New York prides itself on being built by hardworking people who were born somewhere else. It should be no surprise, then, that a number of former rivals - Johnny Damon, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens and Monroe immediately come to mind - subsequently were embraced by New Yorkers.

Yes, there is a break-in period. It's hard to remember now, but some Yankees fans booed Damon early in the 2006 season after he defected from the Red Sox. All questions about loyalties ended quickly, however, as Damon hit a career-high 24 home runs that season and came up big in an August series against Boston.

Even after his divorce with the Yankees, Damon remains a fan favorite in New York while playing for the Tigers.

"I'm sure there are Jets fans who may not forgive me right away, but understand that I'm here to play ball and here to make plays,'' Taylor said in a news conference after his signing last week. "I'm not the devil. I'm a likable guy in a lot of ways.''

Although Monroe never verbally antagonized Knicks fans, his flamboyant play with the Bullets had a way of getting under their skin. There also were many fans who thought it was a huge mistake when the team signed him; they couldn't see how he could get along with the equally flamboyant Walt Frazier, with whom he had established a fierce rivalry.

Monroe credits his teammates with helping him make a smooth transition.

"New York wasn't one of the places I had wanted to go because they were a hated rival,'' Monroe said. "My first day, I came in not knowing what to expect. But a lot of my teammates - in particular Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley - made a point of coming up and welcoming me to the team. The locker room is really the most important place. When your team accepts you, it makes it a much easier process.''

Jets coach Rex Ryan does not envision any problem with his players adjusting to their new teammate. Nor does he imagine that it will take long for Jets fans to warm to Taylor.

Said Ryan: "I look at it this way: What was the kind of impact Roger Clemens had? He was a Red Sox and went over to the Yankees and helped out there. I kind of look at Johnny Damon with the same type of deal. So if Jason could have the same impact on the Jets as those players had on the Yankees and we win a championship, I think we'll all be happy.''