This past Thursday was a monumental day in New York sports. Let’s talk about some of the high points of the day in descending importance.
- The METS won a game in Washington D.C. against the Nationals. This is huge. The team scored seven runs against a team they usually can’t score seven runs against in a weekend series.The event was so unsettling to the capital area that our country’s Attorney General Eric Holder decided to immediately resign. Now that’s a big win.
- Speaking of beating up on Washington, the NY Football Giants beat the h-e-double-hockey-sticks out of the artist formerly known as the Washington Redskins. (Note to self – never write that word again). That game, in case you missed it, proved a point I’ve always made which is: If your opponent loses two fumbles to you and their quarterback throws four passes directly into the arms of your defensive secondary you have a great chance of winning.
- The Mets, not willing to leave well enough alone, went out and lost a game to the Nationals. This was more business as usual actually except for the fact that it was the last game for Kevin Burkhardt as the SNY roving reporter. Flags at Citi Field will be flown at half-staff until Opening Day 2015.
- At the “Big Ball Orchard In The South Bronx” a god-like man named Derek Jeter played his last home game as a New York Yankee and probably roamed shortstop for the last time until his first Old Timer’s Day game.
The Di-Jest has learned that Jeter is “seriously considering” taking the job to replace Kevin Burkhardt as SNY’s roving reporter.
On Friday Jeter told the assembled press corps, actually the one that never left his side starting before Thursday’s game, that he has always sought out challenges and that nothing could be more challenging than bringing a winning attitude and aura to Flushing Meadows. And then before throwing the floor open for questions he quickly paid his car insurance BY TEXT. The guy is amazing. Could any Mets fan ever have imagined that it could be done that way?
When it was pointed out to him that he’d ultimately be working for the Wilpons, notorious for being about the worst owners in the game, Jeter replied: “That doesn’t faze me. Remember, I worked for George Steinbrenner for years and the only difference between him and the Wilpons is that George was willing to spend money and these guys won’t or can’t.”
The Yankee captain admitted that one of the few frustrations he has is that while Yankee fans adore him and most “true” baseball fans respect and appreciate him, Mets fans have always been pretty MEH about him. Winning them over would be a difficult if not an insurmountable task.
Jeter added that he thinks it would be fun being buddy-buddy with Gary, Keith, and Ron. And given any skill at all he was hoping to move up to Fox Sports a few years down the road.
The suits at SNY will ultimately make the call. Will it be Steve Gelbs or Derek Jeter? Quite the conundrum.
