As usual, Derek Jeter deflected the controversy about his decision to skip the All-Star game, but he seemed annoyed that it even became an issue.
Jeter has become a magnet for unfair and unwarranted comments and criticism, as shown by this column. Really who the hell is this guy to tell Jeter that he needs to spend more of his money on his Turn 2 Foundation, which has already helped hundreds of kids over the past 15 years? People have ridiculously high expectations for athletes such as Jeter, mostly revolving around the fact that they make so much money. But as long as they are doing their jobs to the best of their abilities and not engaging in any criminal or other behavior that would threaten that, I don’t think we fans have the right to expect more from them than that.
Jeter’s first obligation is to the New York Yankees and if he felt that he needed to use those three days to rest his calf so he could be ready for the second half, I have absolutely no problem with that. But a lot of people don’t agree. They think that if Jeter was voted to the All-Star game, then he was obligated to attend, especially since he went 5 for 5 in reaching the magic 3,000 hits mark. They fail to recognize that one good day at the plate didn’t mean Jeter’s injury was completely healed. Jeter is notorious for not wanting to admit to being hurt or needing a break so the fact that he said he needed those days off to rest the calf told me he wasn’t 100% healthy.
As angry as some people are, I don’t think there will be any long-term damage to Jeter’s reputation. The Yankees shortstop is insanely popular (the most popular male athlete in the US according to this poll) and while a small number of fans may desert him, I think most will quickly move past this, as will Jeter.
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