Sport for Thought: Jeter's Next Chapter

Derek Jeter only knew one thing for the last twenty years, and that was playing shortstop and being the leader of the New York Yankees. So when he announced his retirement plans prior to the 2014 season, not only was the sports world shocked, many wondered how he would be able to move on from the game he had become accustomed to playing. Derek's life was a set schedule and now he would have to wake up every morning not knowing what his next venture would be. Yes he always expressed interest in one day owning a team, but how would that really fill the void of no longer playing in America's favorite pastime?


It seems that we now know at least a portion of what he will be doing in his free time. Just a few short days after the Yankees ended a disappointing season with not making the playoffs for the second straight year and not giving their beloved captain the type of sendoff he truly deserved, with an appearance in the postseason, Jeter announced his first post-retirement venture.

Derek announced his involvement as the founding publisher of The Players' Tribune, a website where players will be able to share information directly to the fans providing unique access. Jeter admitted he always had to be careful about what he said to the media, especially the tough and ruthless New York market, without information being skewed or taken out of context. Now, through the use of videos, podcasts, photos, and more, players will be able to deliver their unfiltered views to sports fans.

Since Jeter debuted the new and innovative platform for athletes to reach the fans, another talented and respected star from the NFL signed on as a senior editor for The Players' Tribune. Reigning Super Bowl Champion from the Seattle Seahawks, quarterback Russell Wilson. In his article, Russell not only talked about his life as a youth who lived a not so perfect life, but he also addressed the issue of domestic violence. This debut article for the tribune really opened the eyes of many fans because Russell did not back down in any way from addressing the issue that is at the forefront of the NFL right now.

It will be interesting to see which other athletes will be announced as editors in the upcoming weeks and months. Just how much will the Players' Tribune affect the media and how fans receive their information?  Only time will tell, but it will definitely be interesting to see just how much the athletes are willing to share with the fans and to see just what players are really thinking.



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Alexa Fontanella is a sophomore Sport Management Major at Drexel University, from Totowa, NJ. She is currently on a Marketing and Corporate Sponsorship Co-op with Learfield Sports Marketing at the University of Pennsylvania. Alexa will also be working with Drexel Athletics on marketing strategies and game day operations for the Drexel Dragons basketball team. She is a huge New York Sports fan, specifically the Yankees and the Nets. 

Follow Alexa on Twitter @Lexa_Font4 and connect with her on LinkedIn.