New York writer rips Derek Jeter’s tribute to Muhammad Ali

Former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter was among the millions to pay tribute to Muhammad Ali on Saturday. 

Jeter wrote a brief, but seemingly heartfelt message on the Players’ Tribune website, sharing what Ali had meant to him on a personal and professional level. 

[Related: Marlins say Muhammad Ali’s family is not angry about early tribute] 

The tribute didn’t really stand out among those directed toward Ali on this day of reflection and mourning. That would be impossible given the breadth of Ali’s reach and the many lives he touched in so many ways. But it somehow stood out to New York Daily writer Ebenezer Samuel, who took the opportunity to rip every word Jeter wrote in an article he titled: “Derek Jeter honors Muhammad Ali for living the life he never would.”  

Never had such eloquent words of Jeter’s PR flaks rung quite this hollow, the most inauthentic athlete of our time celebrating the most genuine. From LeBron James to Chris Paul to Serena Williams, plenty of athletes spent Saturday paying tribute to Ali, but none came off as insincerely as Derek Jeter, “real” personality for hire.

Freedom, Derek? Really? Jeter always had that, from the very moment he landed in the Big Apple spotlight in 1995, a superstar who could have addressed any issue he ever wanted. But Jeter, tone-deaf on Saturday because he never listened to the world in the first place, never understood what Ali really brought, that what he really did was offer a roadmap for today’s athlete to be an activist.

Clearly, Samuel took specific issue with this line from Jeter’s tribute. 

He was one of the first athletes to speak his mind, and that opened the door for the many who do so today. He always stood up for what he believed, no matter what the cost.

Samuel is basically saying that Jeter had a chance to affect change at the height of his career and popularity in New York, but instead played coy, barely giving answers to baseball questions, let alone addressing bigger world issues.

Samuel also wrote: 

You could walk up to Jeter in the Yankee locker room and ask him about his stance on race issues, or his position on the presidential election, or his thoughts on the way Ken Griffey Jr. wore his baseball cap, but there was always a lot of “what am I supposed to say?” rhetoric.

You’re supposed to say what you want and what you believe, Derek. That’s how the great Muhammad Ali always spoke.

The argument could be made that Jeter could have and even should have done more in that regard, but the argument can also be made that it wasn’t Jeter’s job or perhaps within his comfort zone to do so. Jeter is allowed to have a different personality from Ali, while still respecting and appreciating the courage Ali showed until his dying day. 

[Elsewhere: Who plays first for Yankees with Mark Teixeira’s season in jeopardy?]

Muhammad Ali was the exception, not the rule. He was a one-in-a-lifetime personality and a one-in-a-lifetime human being who had courage in ways few of us can comprehend. He was truly fearless. That’s why millions respected him, and that’s why millions are mourning his loss.

Ali was gifted and unique in every way possible that’s both good and refreshing. To expect anyone else to be like him or to follow in those exact footsteps is simply unfair. 

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813