Bill Belichick was asked an interesting question after his New England Patriots beat the New York Jets yesterday. But his answer is likely to have Boston sports fans fuming.
Speaking to the media after the game, Belichick referred to an onsides kick safety Jabrill Peppers recovered as a “shortstop play,” which prompted an interesting follow-up question: Who does Belichick think is the best shortstop in baseball history?
To the surprise (and possible disgust) of many Boston sports fans, Belichick’s answer was New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter.
“It would be hard to put anyone in front of Jeter,” Belichick said.
As you might expect, New York sports fans loved the answer while most Patriots fans hated it:
In fairness, to Bill Belichick, his fondness for Derek Jeter likely predates his tenure with the Patriots. While he was an assistant for the Jets between 1997 and 1999, Jeter was leading the Yankees to their second and third of four World Series titles.
That said, it’s still controversial to pick Jeter as the all-time greatest shortstop – and not even because he’s the head coach of a Boston-based team.
Despite being baseball’s all-time leader in hits for a shortstop, many would argue that Jeter isn’t even the best at his position in the history of the Yankees let alone the entire sport.
Belichick has always marched to the tune of his own drum – even with his sports takes.