(Sorry for the inconsistent font. I tried to fix it, couldn't, then moved on with my life. Hope it doesn't prevent you from enjoying/not enjoying this post.)
Derek Jeter still has plenty of time to decide how he wants to say goodbye to baseball this summer, whether it’s going to be stoical and John Wayne-ish or if he wants to channel Mariano Rivera, especially as the season winds down.
Those are the Jeter's options. John Wayne or Mariano Rivera. There is always the chance the Jeter could decide to be like Brett Favre and not actually ever leave for three more seasons.
That’s why I asked the captain about his message to young fans about steroids —specifically whether he’ll use the farewell tour to renounce performance-enhancing drugs once and for all.
(Bob Klapsich) "Derek, are you going to be the hero that New York City and MLB deserves, but doesn't necessarily want or require?"
(The Jeter) "No, I think PED's are bad so I'm going to focus on playing baseball and banging attractive brunette women for now."
(Bob Klapisch) "So...by saying "for now" you are saying there is a chance you will speak up and use your last days as an active baseball player to warn others about the dangers of PED's."
(The Jeter) "No, I am absolutely not saying that. I'm saying right now I'm focused on playing baseball."
(Bob Klapisch) "Oh, I get it now. By stating, "right now" you mean that you will be focused on providing a message to young fans around May or so that PED's are bad, but "right now" you aren't doing this."
(The Jeter winks at an attractive brunette) "No, I'm saying I want to talk about playing baseball and I have no comment on PED's."
(Bob Klapisch) "Now I understand. By saying "I have no comment on PED's" you are saying young people need to understand PED's are bad and they should never mention the mere thought of using PED's."
(The Jeter) "No, I am saying I want to talk about baseball, not drugs."
(Bob Klapisch) "Thanks Jetes. I have my article ready for tomorrow based on your comments about PED's and how bad they are."
(Klapisch sits down to write a column entitled "Derek Jeter Doesn't Want to be a Hero, But Will Speak Up about PED Use Later and Thinks PED's are So Bad He Won't Even Mention Them; Also, Probably Thinks A-Rod is a Jerk")
Throughout his career, Jeter has been decidedly cautious discussing cheaters, getting worked up only to dispute the notion that everyone in the industry is hooked on pharmaceuticals.
Translation: Derek Jeter has no want or need to discuss PED's or those who use PED's, but he wants to say enough to allow the public to know not every MLB player has used them.
“When
people say that everyone is [cheating] it isn’t true. It couldn’t be further
from the truth,” Jeter said, clearly implying that he’s been clean from Day
One.
Yes, he's sending secret messages and clearly implying he has been clean from Day One. Jeter isn't at all just simply saying that every baseball player does not use PED's. That wouldn't be a coded enough message for Bob Klapisch. There HAS to be more to what Jeter is saying.
I
believe him.
I don't think anyone has a reason to not believe Derek Jeter, though I would be shocked if one of Jeter's loyal beat writer worshipers thought he was not telling the truth. Jeter could murder Hannah Davis in front of a street camera and beat writers like Bob Klapisch would swear Jeter was framed by Alex Rodriguez.
If anyone has the right to pass judgment on the game’s
baseball felons, it’s the Yankees’ shortstop.
That's true. He has played on the Yankees team with enough of them. If any baseball player can spot a PED user then it would be the Jeter. His time with the Yankees is pretty much a Who's Who of steroid users. Funny how this stench of PED use falls on guys like Craig Biggio, but it never sticks to Derek Jeter in any way and the narrative actually goes the exact opposite direction with Jeter to where he is put out there as an anti-PED's hero.
All
it would take is a few words from Jeter about the dangers of using PEDs —to one’s
career, health and reputation —and he’d likely get through to some kid on the
fence. But that’s not going to happen, not today or tomorrow or as Jeter is
waving goodbye to an adoring Stadium crowd Sept. 25, the Yankees’ final home
game
Exactly, which is why he shouldn't be the PED hero Bob Klapisch wants him to be. The Jeter doesn't like it when players use PED's, but he's not going to be the guy who come out and call out every player who ever used PED's in a confrontational manner. No matter how much Bob Klapisch wants Jeter to do this in order to write a glowing column about Jeter's brave act, it's not happening. He can't be your hero today.
“You don’t have to be on a mountaintop beating your chest,
scream and yell, to make your opinion known,” Jeter said. “There are ways to
say it.”
JUST SAY BASEBALL PLAYERS WHO USE PED'S ARE PIECES OF SHIT! BOB KLAPISCH DEMANDS IT OF YOU!
Not that Jeter won’t have to address the topic again today
before the Yankees’ game at Steinbrenner Field —he knows it’s the surcharge for
his iconic status.
"It's the surcharge..." As if Derek Jeter HAS to be asked questions he repeatedly refuses to answer about PED's and at no point should his previous non-answers or evasive answers tip beat writers like Klapisch off to the fact he doesn't care to talk about PED's or make a grand statement on the issue. Klapisch requires that Jeter makes a statement about PED's because of Jeter's iconic status.
I
asked Jeter whether such a leader in the baseball community had a broader
obligation to stand up for what’s right. He knew I was talking about PEDs and
how they impact the game’s integrity.
"Jetes" knew what Bob was talking about. They have a connection that way. Not that Klapisch projects on to Jeter or anything. Also notice how Klapisch will absolutely not deal with the fact Jeter is not making a statement about PED's nor addressing how he feels regarding baseball players who use PED's. Klapisch requires a statement from Jeter.
Jeter nodded and said, “I’ve made a stand and I think I’ve
made a strong impression on kids. I’ve got a foundation that committed to
preventing drug and alcohol abuse among kids. To me, that’s a stand. It’s just
a matter of how you want to view it.”
Jeter was referring to his Turn 2 Foundation, which can be found
at DerekJeter.com. There, it lists the program’s mission statement, which
promotes a healthy lifestyle, academic achievement and abstinence from drugs
and alcohol, just as the shortstop says.
So there you are. But wait, that's not enough. There has to be more. MORE! Just tell Bob Klapisch that A-Rod is a cheating son of a bitch and you wish he would burn in Hell. Those are the words Klapisch needs to hear.
Since 1996, Turn 2 has awarded more than $19 million in
grants to deserving kids. No one could dispute Jeter’s commitment to helping
improve the lives of those he’s touched. I do wonder, though, how Turn 2’s
mission statement squares with the decisions that Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun
have made with chemicals.
See? For some reason Klapisch needs Jeter to be the PED hero and anti-PED spokesman for MLB. It's pretty clear how Jeter feels about players who use PED's and what the message Jeter wants kids to learn may be, and Klapisch admits this, but he won't be happy until Jeter calls A-Rod and Braun out for cheating.
Besides, to denounce one or two means having to indict them
all, and casting such a wide net means indirectly wounding a friend like Andy
Pettitte, who admitted to PED use a decade ago.
And Klapisch thinks Jeter is too classy to speak out directly against his friends like Pettitte, which is funny since Klapisch clearly wants Jeter to be unclassy and answer questions honestly about the effect PED use by professional athletes has on "the kids."
That’s why Jeter sticks to an oft-repeated position on
steroids and PEDs, one that makes his point without drawing too much attention
to himself.
At a press conference where Jeter is specifically answering questions meant for himself and no one else about a variety of Jeter-related topics. Yes, he wouldn't ever do anything that draws attention to himself.
“There are penalties in place and people pay for their
mistakes, that’s the bottom line,” Jeter said. “Other people think [those who’ve
been caught] should pay more, but we have testing and penalties. That’s how it
is.”
That's pretty clear, no? Jeter supports stiffer penalties, but that's not the rule. Somehow we all will carry on with this being Jeter's only statement on PED's and players who use PED's.
Consider it baseball’s gift to America, having a chance to
accompany Jeter out the door. But if you think he’s going to take advantage of
the opportunity, you haven’t been paying attention. Jeter has always been more
John Wayne than Mariano, with a sprinkling of Joe DiMaggio, too.
And a little bit of Joe Namath when it comes to his popularity with the ladies. Yes, Jeter was quiet about his retirement by announcing it in February on his Facebook page. There's no way to announce it and have teams make less of a fuss about it, say by announcing he was retiring in mid-September or another time of the year when sportswriters won't have the chance to sing his praises for eight months.
To the end, Jeter will choose his words carefully, even while
the stage is all his.
“If I were to say things a certain way, the way some people
want me to say them, it would turn into a headline,” Jeter said.
But that's what Klapisch wants you to do! It's a requirement that you speak out because he has designated you as the anti-PED's savior, Derek. When you retire there will be zero other clean baseball players who can be the anti-PED example that Bob Klapisch so desperately wants. You are his only hope.
He smiled thinly. “My job is to limit distractions in here, not cause them.”
Bob knows what Jeter is talking about. Jeter is saying he has never used steroids and he thinks all steroid users are cheaters who should be banned for life after the first positive test so they don't distract the public from the game of baseball. It's just like Jeter, standing up and talking about how PED users are ruining the game when no other baseball player has the guts to do so. By not saying anything about PED's, Bob Klapisch knows Jeter is clean and is perfectly willing to be the PED's savior Klapisch wants him to be.
Derek
Jeter still has plenty of time to decide how he wants to say goodbye to
baseball this summer, whether it’s going to be stoical and John
Wayne-ish or if he wants to channel Mariano Rivera, especially as the
season winds down. - See more at:
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/Klapisch_Derek_Jeter_takes_high_road_in_PED_discussion.html#sthash.WY1apP9O.dpuf
Derek
Jeter still has plenty of time to decide how he wants to say goodbye to
baseball this summer, whether it’s going to be stoical and John
Wayne-ish or if he wants to channel Mariano Rivera, especially as the
season winds down. - See more at:
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/Klapisch_Derek_Jeter_takes_high_road_in_PED_discussion.html#sthash.WY1apP9O.dpuf
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