What Would Jeter Do?

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Did you happen to catch the video of the two high school football players who drilled a ref who made a bad call?

Evidently they had been spurred on by their coach who had said that 'He has to pay.'

The linebacker could've killed the poor defenseless ref!

Yet I watched it without a second of surprise. It's the direction that we're heading in.

Sportsmanship is gone.

The Bills and the Patriots are playing a game in Orchard Park today.

Bills fans are really excited.

How does that excitement play out?

One of the geniuses on the team said:

"Don't nobody like the Pats."

Other players spoke up. The coach has shouted the bully approach from the top of the mountain. There are billboards up calling the other team names. The team store is selling degrading items.

And I sort of get it...the Patriots have made their own bed and everyone is against them, but it kinda' hit me late Friday:

What would Jeter do?

Derek Jeter played in more big games than just about any sports star, ever.

He battled Red Sux teams that were truly hateful.

Pedro tossing Zimmer to the ground.

Manny starting 'roid filled fights.

Teammates getting drilled for having the audacity to stand in the batter's box.

Bad calls.

Countless microphones shoved in his face.

And you know what?

I can not remember him ever saying a bad word about an opponent, an ump...or even a teammate.

I don't recall him ever bragging.

Even when he was holding the trophy over his head.

Think about it.

In 20 years of playing on the highest stage did you ever see him dress-down either an ump, a teammate, or an opponent?

Did you ever hear him say he was great?

I was kicking it around with the boys on Saturday night.

"It's funny," Sam said as he read me some of the quotes coming from the mouth of the Bills players (an organization that hasn't played a playoff game in 15 years, by the way).

"Why don't they just shut up and beat them on the field?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter," he said.

But for some reason it struck me that it sorta' does matter.

In every rink and on every field all over the country parents are dressing down coaches and officials.

Players are learning to bitch and moan.

And tell us how great they are and how crappy their opponent was.

It all sounds like Pro Wrestling.

So kids drilling refs doesn't seem all that shocking anymore.

Because Jeter has retired.

And evidently so has sportsmanship.

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