Sportsman of the Year?

So Sports Illustrated has chosen its Sportsman of the Year again has it? This time they took Derek Jeter. OK, maybe.

Actually Jeter isn’t a bad choice. He’s also not a great choice. He’s a darned good player, apparently a nice human being, and a leader. Same can be said of a lot of other people in sport. In baseball alone there’s that 1st baseman at St Louis and that catcher at Minnesota that also fit those criteria. The fact his team wins means he has a better team around him, not that he’s a greater sportsman.

There are other choices too. Tiger Woods won no majors, but still won a bunch of tournaments this season (and I’m sure the car wreck came after the decision was made at SI). Roger Federer is good. Tim Tebow fits all the criteria that also fits Jeter, and like Jeter, he wins. Hopefully his religiosity isn’t a problem for them. If so, what would they have done with either Koufax or Ali in the 1960s?

Pro football has its candidates: Brady, P. Manning, Brees, and company. Frankly, if I’d been given a vote it would have been for Peyton Manning (love the “mouthpiece” commercial–top that Jeter). He’s perhaps the greatest ambassador for his sport going.

So Jeter isn’t an inspired choice. Maybe it’s not even the right choice. But it’s not a bad choice. Enjoy the recognition, Derek.

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Tags: Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Joe Mauer, Muhammad Ali, Peyton Manning, Roger Federer, Sandy Koufax, Sportman of the Year, Sports Illustrated, Tiger Woods, Tim Tebow