Derek Jeter is not wasting any time with some of his post career endeavors. He’s been making his rounds on TV, doing some candid interviews and showing a side of him we are not used to seeing. It doesn’t stop there. This morning on his Facebook page, Jeter announced he was starting a blog called the Players’ Tribune, a website that will eventually be a media outlet for athletes to tell their side of story and give a more in-depth look into their lives.
In the inaugural post Jeter acknowledges some of the issues of today’s sports media and the way athletes are portrayed in newspapers, blogs and social media. Here’s is an excerpt of his first post, explaining what he hopes the site will evolve into.
I do think fans deserve more than “no comments” or “I don’t knows.” Those simple answers have always stemmed from a genuine concern that any statement, any opinion or detail, might be distorted. I have a unique perspective. Many of you saw me after that final home game, when the enormity of the moment hit me. I’m not a robot. Neither are the other athletes who at times might seem unapproachable. We all have emotions. We just need to be sure our thoughts will come across the way we intend.
So I’m in the process of building a place where athletes have the tools they need to share what they really think and feel. We want to have a way to connect directly with our fans, with no filter.I am working with other athletes, with editors and with producers to create a platform that gives us a chance to say what’s on our minds. It’s called The Players’ Tribune. Over the next few months, we’ll be introducing a strong core of athlete editors and contributors who will shape the site into an online community filled with first-person stories and behind-the-scenes content.
Knowing what Derek Jeter is all about and how he has dealt with the media all these years, this will be a way for him to keep in touch with the fans and help other athletes get their stories out. I’m sure we can expect some other big name athletes to be featured on the site and get the real story, not ones we see fabricated by today’s media. Another classy move by the Captain. Once again, thank you Derek.
