Allen Barra in the Village Voice:
Derek Jeter Named Greatest New York Athlete (EVER)
In 1975, a survey representing America’s biggest rock and roll stations asked several thousand listeners to name the greatest rock and roll record of all time ... According to those surveyed, the winner was “Kung Fu Fighting” by the immortal Carl Douglas.
What does this have to do with baseball, or for that matter anything except the occasionally bizarre taste of “normal” Americans?
Barra:
I'm not saying that Derek Jeter is baseball's equivalent of "Kung Fu Fighting." He's more along the lines of a good Beach Boys single. But according to the 801 New York State residents recently surveyed by the Siena College Research Institute, he's the greatest ballplayer - nay, the greatest athlete - in New York history.
Yes, this is terribly silly but not particularly surprising. Some significant percentage of those 801 New York State residents have never heard of Joe DiMaggio or Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth. And it’s worth noting that Jeter, though he “won” the poll, was the choice for only 14 percent of the poll-ees. That seems like not a lot.
Hey, whatever gets me through the night.
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