I sit here today – paralyzed by the sting of the Redskins being destroyed by the New York Giants. I’m not even going to write about the game – it’s too painful to re-live. Instead, I’m going to write something positive, something about Derek Jeter. After all, who won’t be today anyway?
Did you catch Jeter’s last game at home last night? He finished his career with a walk off single in the bottom of the ninth – won the game with his final at bat ever at Yankee Stadium. Epic.
To be clear, I don’t even really like baseball much. It’s simply just a moment that transcends baseball – sports even – a story of human triumph. A man rising to not only meet a storybook ending, but exceed it.
This is the thing that young boys dreams are made of. We spend YEARS thinking about moments like these for ourselves. But they are fairytales, they never come.
Unless your Derek Jeter.
Ohhh, and the energy last night at the stadium…
You could have powered the lights in New York for a decade, just with the raw power and energy expended into the atmosphere at the game. You can’t put that energy into words easily. It is something that mankind should study, and seek to emulate somehow.
There is something tangible about it. It almost has a taste, it’s such a strong feeling.
Jeter’s final at bat will go down as one of the greatest moments in sports history and it wasn’t even really an important game. It was just an important moment.
Jeter’s humble response to it all…
“Write what you want, and put my name at the bottom of it.”
Pure class.
I may not like baseball that much, but i know that Derek Jeter is a special athlete. One who cemented that position like few have ever done, if any.
People like to coin phrases like, “there will never be another Derek Jeter.” I think it may be a long time, but when you inspire people – like Jeter does – it will happen. After all, today there are millions of young boys who are talking about last night, re-living it in their own fantasies… it is what dreams are made of. They watched fantasy become reality.
There will be another great. Eventually.
But there will only ever be one Derek Jeter.
Respect.
2.