OT: Michigan Fan Derek Jeter
I know there were some haters out there yesterday... Personally I am not a Yankee Fan, but I do think DJ is a class act and a true professional...
Per CBS, he answered a few questions on his way into the clubhouse, and like any Michigan Fan, wore his favorite shirt...
At 11:42 a.m., Jeter walked out into the public part of the Yankees clubhouse wearing a navy University of Michigan T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. Among the questions he faced after a night of celebrating: So just how heartily does one party after becoming the only Yankees player in the 3,000-hit club? "Not too much," Jeter said, grinning gently. "I don't really recover like I used to."
I think this should settle it that we should be happy for one of our own...
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/7758/derek-jeter
Mr. Jeter just gained himself a shit-ton of new fans
While I am happy for Jeter, and I don't hate him like others. Should the fact that he wore a Michigan shirt really change anyone's mind? I'm sure there are plenty of scumbags that have worn a Michigan shirt, should we become fans of them?
Jeter isn't a scumbag though.
Sure, but if you're a Red Sox fan and hate the Yankees, should the fact that he wore a Michigan shirt really change your mind? Do you think a Bulls fan from the Bad Boy era is automatically going to become a Joe Dumars fan if he wears an Illinois or NW shirt? If Jordan wore a Michigan shirt I wouldn't become a Jordan fan. If Ozzie Guillen wore a Michigan shirt, I wouldn't become an Ozzie Guillen fan.
Maybe you are just mad he is wearing a shirt at all?
Ha. I don't hate Jeter at all. By all accounts he's a decent guy, great baseball player, dates hot chicks, etc. My only point is that if I did hate him for whatever reason, wearing a Michigan shirt would not change my opinion of him. I hate Brandon Inge (as a baseball player), regardless of all of the charity work he does at Motts. He could come up to bat playing the Michigan Fight song, and I'd still think he was a bum.
The difference between Jeter and all those other people you mentioned is that Jeter actually went to Michigan. This is not like Leonardo DiCaprio wearing an M hat at a Lakers game. Jeter grew up in Michigan, went to Michigan for a time (until the Yankees came calling) and is a very public Michigan fan.
Yes, I know. My only point is that a t-shirt shouldn't change your opinion of a person .
Madonna, Lucy Liu, and Selma Blair all went to Michigan. If for some reason I hated Madonna as a musical artist or hated Lucy Liu and Selma Blair as actresses, the fact that they were seen in public wearing a Michigan shirt would not change my opinion of them. I can't think of any people that I hate who actually went to Michigan to use as a comparison without getting political.
Andrew Shirvell?
about Uncle Teddy. I'm sure he wore a M shirt at some point. Maybe he still does.
You'd just be a monster. Just sayin'. If.
that the only college he went to was Michigan?
He went for one semester...fall 1992. He lived in Markley Hall. I remember seeing him in the cafeteria with lots of chicks at his table. Man, was I jealous.
It was Couzens Hall.
I had to log in just to tell you I LOLd pretty hard at that one. Nicely done my friend.
I hate the Yankees, but I have a good amount of respect for Jeter. He's a great hitter. I just think he's way overrated because his fielding isn't very good at all. People pretty much ignore this aspect of his game, and it really pisses me off. The fact that he has won a Gold Glove in the last five years pretty much discredits the award all together. You don't need to jump throw every time you're going to your right!
With that said, Jeter plays the game the right way. You never doubt his effort. He's a stand up player, which is why I respect him. The fact that he went to Michigan and occasionally reps the school doesn't do a whole lot for me, but it does do something.
Maybe not, but by all accounts Jeter is a class act, and he's from the Kalamazoo area. What's not to like (other than he's a Yankee and if you like the Yankees you have no soul)?
"I'm sure there are plenty of scumbags that have worn a Michigan shirt, should we become fans of them?"
I hate the Yankees, but you can't really hate Derek. Just wish he was on my team.
You're a father?
You got me good that time, JBE. I'm still trying to imagine explaining the defining national events of my life to my theoretical son/daughter, such as...no politics...can't write them...but yeah, that's going to be a tough conversation for sure.
And Al Gore and Michael Moore ate the rest of them. /balanced politics
Grew up in K-Zoo, and was offered a scholarship to play at Michigan. Being a baseball player, he probably made a wise choice going pro. I hate the yankees as much as any other fan of an AL team, but you have to like Jeter. Congratulations to him.
Well plus Jeter was born in Jersey and grew up a Yankees fan. When Yankees came knockin Im sure it wasnt a hard decision for him.
This has been known for a long time, and talked about on the board before. He went to high school in Kalamazoo and was going to come play at UM until the pros came calling. Rumor is that he plans to attend UM to get a degree after he's retired from the pros.
I echo the sentiments of above posters. The Yankees suck, but there's no way you can hate Jeter. He's a class act (proving it by wearing that shirt).
Just a sidenote...
I know Jeter was a stud who was ready for farm ball, but I'm sure OSU alum George Steinbrenner was thrilled to lure him away from the scholarship offer to play college ball at UM. Pilfering Drew Henson, on the other hand? That one seems like pure spite.
I hate jeter ... he turned his back on michigan in the 11th hour, which I would understand yet he still pretends to be a michigan man ... he cant have it both ways
He turned his back on Michigan? You mean by accepting millions of dollars from the Yankees? It's not like he left Michigan to go play for OSU or something. Who among us wouldn't have done the same? And he's been back for football and basketball games many times since. Now he's wearing a Michigan shirt at an extremely public time.
Yeah, he turned his back on us alright.
Darius Morris, Mike Comrie, Charles Woodson?
He's a bi-racial angel!
I thought Jeter's allegiance was common knowledge aorund these parts. Its kind of too bad he's as good as he is or else he'd have come here and probably single-handidly brought us a couple of baseball titles. In fact, IIRC, he said once he still intends to some to school here when baseball ends for him. He's totally still eligible to play baseball for us, right?
Jeter actually attended Michigan for a semester before he turned pro, partially as leverage against the Yankees for a better signing bonus, partially because he was content to play college ball at Michigan. He's actually attended a couple of Michigan football games in the last decade.
And brought some of his Yankee buddies with him, to share the incomparable experience of being on the Michigan football sidelines, with his Michigan-born smile broadcast nationally.
A childhood Tigers fan, I now live in the midst of enemy territory. I can never truly root for Satan's team, but I can and do root for Jeter. He's a class act, and whether or not he ever played for Michigan, he makes a great representative. A little homerism from someone like him goes a long way.
I think I am going to be sick. For some reason that I am sure I will never be able to recall, I thought Jeter was an MSU guy. And thus he has had to endure my contempt-ridden misguided remarks for many many years.
I am crap.
/Mea Culpa
Recite 10 Alma Maters & 3 The Victors and all thy sins shall be resolved.
Yes, Jeter left Michigan and the baseball team without a shortstop. He got his Yankee offer in February of 1992 and was history. He does like the school and has attended games, but he did choose money over Michigan, money that could have been made later without screwing the baseball team. Perhaps he should endow the shortstop position with some of his millions to atone for his knife in the back to the University's baseball team.
The Michigan coach was Bill Freehan. The same guy who had (has) the Big Ten hitting mark going .585. He was then an 11 time All Star and 5 time Gold Glove winner with the Detroit Tigers. Freehan was brought in to clean up the mess Bud Middaugh created at Michigan. Freehan sat Jeter down and told him he might never have a chance to play pro ball again, and the smart move is to sign with the Yankees. Michigan still had Ryan VanOveran as a short stop. Jeter did not leave the team high and dry, and clearly made the right decision.
Thanks for setting the record straight. I had a feeling even a young Jeter wouldn't have made a knee jerk decision but I didn't have the information to back up the opinion. Even though he didn't play for Michigan, having him represent the school as a fan makes me proud.
Yes, Jeter left Michigan and the baseball team without a shortstop. He got his Yankee offer in February of 1992 and was history. He does like the school and has attended games, but he did choose money over Michigan, money that could have been made later without screwing the baseball team. Perhaps he should endow the shortstop position with some of his millions to atone for his knife in the back to the University's baseball team.
get the fuck over yourself
As a huge Yankees and Derek Jeter fan, I just read the new Jeter biography and it give a lot of incite into his decision between Michigan and the pros. In the end the Michigan baseball coach at the time (don't remember his name) told him that he should go pro. Jeter was one of the most pro ready high schoolers of our era and obviously made the right choice, as can be seen from his amazing career. Plus in his autobiography (which was awful) that came out a while ago, he said he always intended to get his Michigan degree at some point which I have no idea if he has done yet but I'm assuming not. Derek Jeter is a Michigan man.
Why would a coach give a scholarship to a player and then a few months later tell him to walk out on the scholarship, thus leaving his team without a shortstop? I find it very hard to believe a Michigan coach would tell a scholarship player he was too good for Michigan, and he should go pro after the coach had given him a scholarship. Jeter had not player an inning for Michigan and yet we are expected to believe the coach felt he was simply too good for UM and should leave for the welfare of himself, Michigan, and the world. Please. Jeter got a call from Steinbrenner, the late and notorious Michigan hater, jacking up the payoff, thus screwing Michigan as he would do with Drew Hensen as well,