The Two Word Essence of Derek Jeter

September is here and with it the final month of professional baseball for Derek Jeter.  There has been no shortage of tributes and attention given to the close of Jeter’s career.  At times, it seems to be over the top even when compared to Mariano Rivera’s farewell tour just a season ago.  The Sandman is the greatest closer of all-time.  Jeter is a first ballot Hall of Famer but not the unquestioned greatest shortstop of all time.  Yet, something surrounding Jeter surpasses other great players.  Many tributes will use the two words that define him and our collective infatuation with Jeter.  These are two words that other legends of the game cannot lay claim to like Jeter.

    

Frank Thomas, a clean slugger in the Steroid Era, put a Big Hurt on baseballs and opposing pitcher’s ERA’s during his career.  Another beacon of clean play during the 1990’s was Ken Griffey Jr. The Kid could rake with the best of them and he played center field with an effortless grace.  In Boston, David Ortiz led the Yankees’ bitter rivals.  Big Papi took a World Series ring from Jeter but not his place atop the mountain.  As good as his peers were Jeter captivated fans on a different level.

Looking back at the game reveals other greats who still have not captured the imagination like Jeter.  Out by the Bay, the Say Hey Kid gave Giants fans something to cheer inside the chilly confines of Candlestick Park.  Willie Mays may be the best ever to play the game but he does not have Jeter’s aura.  Stan Musial was The Man in St. Louis and represented St. Louis for seven decades.  Hank Aaron Hammered away at prejudice and the all-time home run record.  Ted Williams was Boston’s Splendid Splinter and left the game with a home run.  Even Cal Ripken’s Iron Man nickname and guy next-door persona falls short of the indefinable essence of Jeter.

 

            Perhaps the best hope for a player to compare to Jeter’s unique quality wore the pinstripes as well.  The Yankee’s pantheon of greats has seen an Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig, become the Luckiest Man in the World.  The Sultan of Swat built the house that Jeter played in and the foundation of Yankee dominance with his Ruthian home runs.  In the 1970’s, with the pinstripes losing their luster Mr. October, with three swings of his bat, returned New York to the top.  Those three 1977 World Series Game Six home runs by Reggie Jackson still pales when compared to Jeter’s unique legacy.  The Yankees have witnessed Joltin’ Joe become the Yankee Clipper but even Joe DiMaggio, and his fanatical obsession with his public persona, falls short of the two word essence of Jeter.  That is because DiMaggio is not The Captain.  There is only one The Captain.  Derek Jeter.

Johnny Flipping Football

It did not take long for Johnny Manziel to hijack the NFL’s headlines.  While his play has been lackluster, his indecent salute toward the Washington bench during the third quarter of Monday’s game launched enough storylines to spice up the rest of yet another dawdling preseason.  The NFL will fine his obscene gesture and Manziel will undoubtedly trudge towards the microphones to admit his mistake that spawned from the heat of the moment.  The real issue does not lie with Manziel.  Even casual football fans know his personality and style.

The point of concern is with the mentality of the Brown’s ownership.  Was Manziel drafted primarily for his QBR or his Q rating?  Of course, both realms can co-exist.  Many players who have followed the gospel according to St. Namath have inhabited such an intersection of football and celebrity.  The crux of the issue is the mentality of Jimmy Haslam.  Winning is important to every owner in the NFL but marketability holds a special place for some owners.

It is not a coincidence that the other team strongly linked to Manziel is Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys.  Recent reports, and they likely are more a product of opinion and vantage point than hard reality, have stated that Stephen Jones convinced his father, Jerry Jones, to bypass Johnny Football.  Even if that nugget does not hold up to the facts the month of April was devoted to Manziel to the Cowboys chatter.  Jones understands how to stay in the news cycle.

  Dallas has long been the model for marketing in the NFL.  The star on the helmet, the cheerleaders, the hole in the roof so God could watch his team, and the title of “America’s Team” are all marketing strategies from the Tex Schramm era.  Jones moved Schramm from his role as president and general manager within the organization when he purchased the team, but Jones has not lacked for headlines during his tenure either.

 

It is not an inconceivable reach to note that one Southerner turned self-made billionaire turned owner, Haslam, appears to be following the blueprint of another Southerner turned self-made billionaire turned owner, Jones.  If Manziel was drafted to place Cleveland in the limelight then the plan is working dazzlingly.  The Browns vs. Redskins game was the second highest rated preseason game ever on ESPN.  Only Brett Favre’s second game with the Vikings, a 5.5 overnight rating, outdrew Manziel’s 4.8 overnight rating.

The Browns have been a national punchline for some time.  The only way to stop the late night stand-up routines centered on losing is by changing cultures.  Haslam could pilot his team towards becoming a mediocre franchise that excels in off the field negative publicity.  Let’s call that the Washington Redskins course.  The other course imitates the Packers.  Marketing in Green Bay centers on good current players and legends of the game.  With Paul Brown as a namesake and players including Jim Brown, Otto Graham, Marion Motley, and Ozzie Newsome in Cleveland yore, this would seem to be the prudent course for Haslem to take.

Have Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton Ruined Contract Extensions for Quarterbacks?

Then there were five.  Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton have long-term contracts with their current teams.  Those in the NFL have accepted the team friendly nature of these deals despite the initial eye raising numbers.  This leaves Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Cam Newton, Ryan Tannehill, and Russell Wilson as signal calling members of the 2011 and 2012 draft classes who merit long-term contracts.  Each of these quarterbacks is worth the investment by their respective clubs but time will tell who breaks what has become known as the “Kaepernick contract” template.

Kaepernick limited his signing bonus to 12.328 million, which is low for a franchise quarterback.  He stands to recoup that money with his salary.  This brings us to the salient point of his contract; his salary is subject to de-escalators.  Seasons in which he does not guide the 49ers to the Super Bowl, take 80% of the snaps, or is not named 1^st or 2^nd team All-Pro by the Associated Press will cost Kaepernick money.  Additionally, Kaepernick’s deal is a year-to-year proposition for San Francisco.  The team can cut him with no salary cap penalty each spring.

Dalton has secured his future in similar terms.  His extension, despite the advertised length, is a two year 25 million dollar deal, which is equivalent to his slated salary for this year and the franchise tag next season.  Dalton has a traditional bonus structure instead of de-escalators but the net effect is the same for him.  After these next two seasons, he is also subject to a year by year no penalty cut situation.  This appears to be the new template for young franchise quarterbacks under the current collective bargaining agreement, at least until one of the remaining five challenges the system.  The question is which player will take that stand.

Russell Wilson has more leverage than the other quarterbacks do.  He was not a first round pick so he does not have a team option year to deal with and he has won a Super Bowl.  Nevertheless, it seems unlikely that he will pursue a holdout.  Wilson appears to be a consummate team guy who understands that less money for him equals greater talent around him.  Wilson, like Kaepernick, is particularly marketable and winning games translates into endorsements.  Wilson likely also noticed that Marshawn Lynch’s holdout did not yield spectacular rewards.

As for Tannehill and Griffin III, they may not have the results on the field to demand top dollar but their franchises are prone to questionable decisions regarding salary structure.  Tannehill has been solid but a revolving cast of offensive coordinators has inhibited his growth.  Griffin III has had hot streaks, a blown knee, and a feud with a two-time Super Bowl winning head coach.  Prudence should be the word but when has that ever been Dan Snyder’s style?

That leaves the most intriguing and best-positioned pair.  Newton appears to be girding himself for a showdown.  By virtue of being a number one overall pick, he already has made more money.  That bumps the base level of a deal upwards.  It is highly unlikely that he will settle for a Kaepernick style deal much less a Kaepernick style insurance policy.  (This is the link; you have to read it to believe how lopsided this is in favor of the 49ers.)  The problem for Super Cam is that his G.M. Dave Gettleman has not had a super offseason.  A dearth of wideout talent may limit Newton’s statistical bargaining power.

             As luck would have it, the Colts do not have a shortage of offensive weapons.  Andrew Luck could easily maximize his statistics, postseason resume, and the fact that he is the best fifth best quarterback in the NFL right now (bonus points if you can guess the four that Sporting Joe ranks ahead of Luck) into a monstrous deal.  Peyton Manning set such a precedent in Indianapolis and he did not win a postseason game in his second season, much less have the second largest postseason comeback in NFL history.  However, it is reasonable that Luck took note of how Manning’s contract limited the Colt’s defense and as such their winning potential.  Luck’s payday will follow Newton’s eradication of the “Kaepernick contract” template but he will not break the bank like Newton.  Newton will set the standard for young franchise quarterbacks in terms of money.  Luck will set the standard in terms of on-field success.