I grew up watching Derek Jeter. That being said, there were really only two things you could bank on Jeter being good for: Being a genuinely nice guy and bagging the hot chicks. Jeter has never been a guy to say anything hurtful or be a genuine asshole. Sure, maybe he once or twice did something that society would consider less than savory, but that was before the internet, so it doesn’t exist anymore.
Which is why we should all listen to what Jeter had to say about Red Sox fans last night while a guest on Late Night With Seth Meyers
If this was anyone else, I’d immediately point out how a comment like that sounded a lot like a bored athlete missing the draw the excitement of the game and tossing shade at an old rival. But this is Jeter. He’s not throwing shade at anybody. He’s just telling Boston fans that they need to toughen up.
Let’s be real: the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is dead. A rivalry is only a rivalry as long as both teams are competition to each other. The rivalry died back in like 2004 when the two teams met in the postseason for the past team. The rivalry used to be white hot fire back when both teams were alternating winning series and looked forward to making the playoffs just because they wanted to eliminate each other. But the Red Sox have been pretty bad for the last few years and the Yankees are a fucking dumpster fire this year. Fans just don’t give a shit anymore. Sure, I still see Yankees and Red Sox fans flipping each other off when their paths cross on the streets, but I also see them hanging out together and enjoying each other’s company. Fuck that. You have to hate your rivals. Who cares if you like players on that team? You hate the name on the front of the jersey, not the back. I hate the Patriots, but you bet your ass that I love Gronkowski and Edelman. Jeter’s just trying to light a bit of a fire under our communal asses. He’s saying we’ve all gone soft. Half of a rivalry is the fans hating each other. A rivalry game can’t be a rivalry if the fans in the stands are mingling with one another and making brunch plans. So Boston and New York fans, listen to Jeter. He’s just trying to help. He’s too nice to do otherwise.