Derek Jeter has been able to succeed at something that so many professional athletes have failed at. He has been able to keep an untarnished, Mr. Nice Guy image while living the life of a rich and famous playboy. How did he do it? It’s really not that hard and the fact that athletes are constantly being exposed as cheaters, beaters, and overall dirtbags is a testament to on-field smarts definitely not being an indicator of brains off the field. We can start here. Jeter has a Mr. Nice Guy image because, wait for it, he’s actually a pretty nice guy. He signs autographs, is cordial with the press, and stays out of trouble. Jeter also followed the golden rule for a superstar athlete worth hundreds of millions of dollars, STAY SINGLE! I never understood why this was such a hard concept to grasp for athletes. You know you’re about to be super rich and women are going to be throwing themselves at you, why would you get married at the age of 21 knowing that you’re very likely to be unfaithful? Marrying a woman with the knowledge that you’re going to cheat is not an honorable thing to do regardless of whether or not you’re paying the bills and that will end up badly with not only the wife leaving but taking half of said athlete’s money with her. Just ask his Airness or the world’s premier golfer. Also, take a look at the class of women Jeter dates such as superstar singer Mariah Carey, Miss Universe Lara Dutta, actress Jordana Brewster, MTV cutie Vanessa Minnillo, insanely gorgeous actress Jessica Alba, Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima, famous actress Jessica Biel, and of course one of the sexiest women in the world Minka Kelly. Do we see a pattern here? Jeter dates top shelf. Does this mean when he goes clubbing in New York City he doesn’t entertain “regular girls”? Of course he does. However, “regular” for Derek doesn’t include strippers, groupies, gold diggers, and the like. After all, there are plenty of female lawyers, ad executives, secretaries, financial analysts, and fashion designers in the Big Apple for Jeter to not have to go slumming. Therein lies another key to Jeter’s success. He doesn’t date women who have a lot to gain from trying to tarnish his good name. A business woman who met Derek Jeter at a night club and had a one night stand with him has no reason to go after him. She has her own stuff to worry about and having Jeter’s phone number in her cell to show her friends is enough to keep her happy even if he doesn’t ever call again. I’m pretty sure he sends flowers too. These are all smart moves on Jeter’s part unlike some steroid riddled, mega douche teammates of his who have an affinity for taking kissy face pictures of themselves in the mirror and dating of all people, a madam. I’m not going to mention any names here but it’s all about paying for it when you’re worth half a billion dollars buddy, good call. Derek Jeter has never acted in a way other than to get the reaction from fans and press alike of, “hey, he’s a single, rich, famous athlete, I would do exactly what he is doing”, and that’s because he does it right. Add to all this his on field abilities which include 3000 hits, Gold Glove awards, 5 World Series rings including three wins consecutively, 13 All-Star appearances, and overall being considered one of the best shortstops to play the game and you have a recipe for success. Derek Jeter is a class act and the definition of what it means to not only be a New York Yankee but a professional athlete. His philanthropy and dedication to his family are second to none and other athletes need to take a lesson from the class act that is Derek Jeter. When he retires he will leave a legacy that cannot be matched. Farewell to the Captain.
Article By: Jon DaBove
