Image via Nike
Growing up a die-hard Mets fan, I hated Derek Jeter. Maybe it was because all my friends, Yankees fans, idolized the floors he walked on. Maybe it was jealousy. He was so, so good and won so many championships, and over in Queens my team consistently struggled to stay above .500 year in and year out.I don't know, but as an 8-year-old boy, I felt it was my duty to hate Jeter, just as my friends hated Mike Piazza. I remember going to Shea Stadium with my dad for the Subway Series, and booing The Captain every time he walked up to the plate. Now, as he's set to retire, and I've grown-up, I've come to appreciate Jeter's greatness. I've come to understand that there are only a select few that truly transcend their specific sport, and The Captain's one of them.And that's why Nike's Jordan brand commercial (even though they humorously blurred out the Mets and Mr. Met's faces) that was released this morning really spoke to me.
Regardless of what team you root for, what nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, etc. … none of that shit matters. At the end of the day, there might never be a baseball player as iconic as Jeter. When his farewell tour is over, I'm going to miss him just a little bit.I too, tip my cap to Jeter.