A SPECIAL ATHLETE
A Cranky Opinion for
CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY
The following is the opinion of a cranky old man with some expertice on the subject opined. Opposing opinions will be considered rediculous and unreasonable and will be ignored by that same cranky old man.
I would like
to direct your attention to one professional athlete who is retiring from his
sport after twenty seasons. This
baseball player has never been accused of taking performance enhancing drugs or
even recreational drugs. He has never
been in a fight, disrespected a fan, or had a bad word for anyone. There have been no arrests for drinking or
peeing on a wall, no accusations of theft or vandalism. He has not been pulled over for reckless
driving, speeding or even given a parking ticket.
This athlete
has played on five world championship teams and been on fourteen all-star
teams. I have never seen a negative
story about him in the paper; he has never been thrown out of a game for
arguing or suspended from playing for any reason. He has never complained about being substituted
out of a game, or batting in an order he didn’t like. He has put his team first for twenty years.
This player
is pure class. So while it seems that
all professional athletes are taking a beating for the actions of a few, I want
to take my hat off to one athlete who has the admiration and the respect of all
the players on his team and of all the opposition players. I want to salute one athlete who has the
respect and admiration of every fan who has followed his career or ever seen
him play.
For twenty
years this man has played the game of baseball and given it 100%. He has never quit, he has never blamed a loss
on another player, and he has never turned down an interview or denied a fan a
reasonable request.
Twenty years
in the public eye, and never a negative report, a negative comment, a negative
news article…twenty years on the most famous sports team in the most famous city
in the country. Twenty years under the microscope
and his career and life off the field is as clean as a whistle.
The Yankee
Captain has been a great player, a Hall-of-Fame player, a winner, a gentleman. While we beat up on Ray Rice for beating up
his wife, while we whip Adrian Peterson for whipping his four year old, and we
are disgusted by whomever else is the athletic felon of the day, do not lump all
athletes into the same boat.
Some athletes
are like the Yankee shortstop, and Captain. There are athletes that are pure class,
athletes that are positive role models, athletes that do the right thing.
There is
Derek Jeter!
 |
| Thanks for 20 years of class! |
The preceding was the opinion of a cranky old man and not necessarily that of management (who knows nothing of the subject) Mrs. Cranky.
Am I this old? I remember when the Cleveland Indians stadium filled to see him, when the Yankees came to town. 80,000 that old stadium held. He was a legend in his own time.
ReplyDeletewell, if all you say is true, then i commend him as a rare jewel.
ReplyDeleteI can think of a very few players who excited our admiration, David Robinson would be another. But Jeter was in a class of his own. He owned the space between second and third, and did it effortlessly. He wore the pinstripes with ease and grace.
ReplyDeleteYep, some don't take their positions in life and a free pass to be bad. Love this Cranky.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. :)
I do not follow sport that much. It has become less then what it was been due to most sports news I here now days is more about the things going on off the field then on the field.
ReplyDeleteBaseball has been lucky to have had him!!
ReplyDeleteI have never been a Yankee fan but have always been a Jeter fan. He plays the game on and off the field the right way.
ReplyDeleteWell, he was never a Cardinal, so I can't give my endorsement...but good for him!
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad commentary that athletes like Jeter are the exception instead of the norm.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but he was a Yankee!
ReplyDeleteYou should send this to newspaper and sports magazines!
ReplyDeleteThis is proof that we tend to focus only on the bad...while the vast majority of athletes are good people. There are spouse/child abusers in every profession--not that this excuses it. But I think perhaps the media should remind people that most athletes are good, upstanding people who do their jobs, treat their families well, and don't use steroids. This makes me glad I'm not into sports!
ReplyDeleteExcellent tribute Crank.
ReplyDeleteStephanie makes a good point, though, that players of many sports get a raw deal over the nastiness of a few. The numbers say pro athletes are less problematic than the rest of us but they can't just hide in some alley while it blows over so it seems worse.
Then again who know how many times a pay-off keeps it secret, eh?
I have always liked Derek Jeter, and have always been glad he stayed classy.
ReplyDelete