Derek Jeter triumphantly returned to the Yankees lineup yesterday. He quickly reasserted himself by getting a hit, driving in a run, scoring a run himself... and leaving the game after tweaking his quad muscle.
Jeter has struggled to get healthy after injuring his ankle last year in the ALDS. He's missed most of the games this season, and it's abundantly clear that he's not going to be playing pro ball for much longer. It'll be a sad day when Jeter hangs up the pinstripes for good; I may hate the Yankees as a team and organization, but I generally don't have a problem with individual guys on the diamond. And Jeter's never done anything that I've taken umbrage with (y'know besides win the Yankees their elevendy-billionth World Series). He's been the face of the franchise for nearly twenty years. And now, the once always prosperous looking future for the Yankees has a few storm clouds billowing overhead.
The Yankees aren't nearly as talented as they were even two years ago. The balance of power has shifted away from them, not just in the AL East (where they sit behind the Red Sox, Rays and Orioles), but the AL in general. The Tigers, Rangers and Athletics all have better winning percentages than the Yankees right now, making a trip to the post season very unlikely, barring those previously mentioned teams going on extended bad runs. But they Yankees aren't the only powerhouse in sports of the last decade that aren't what they used to be. In fact, it seems to be a trend sports wide.
NFL: The New England Patriots have more question marks on offense than they've had in over a decade, and their defense is still shaky at best. Nothing they've done in the draft or free agency has convinced me that they got better than the Ravens, Bengals, or Broncos in the AFC, and if anything, they've gotten worse. Plus the whole Aaron Hernandez fiasco goes so far beyond football that couching it in terms of on-field consequences seems in poor taste at best.
NBA: The Celtics had themselves a fire sale, trading their two most seasoned veterans Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the division rival Nets. That leaves the Celtics with Rajon Rondo, and not much else. 4th Place in the Atlantic division seems to be the most optimistic fate for the Celtics next year. Meanwhile the Lakers lost Dwight Howard in free agency, and his unhappiness with Mike D'Antoni's system, Kobe's constant disapproving stares, and the L.A. media's badgering was plain as day to anyone watching. So now the Lakers are made up of great players that are closer to retirement than not, and young guys who have inspired zero confidence in their abilities to take the reigns. They look they'll also be watching the playoffs from home as well.
NHL: The Red Wings are probably the one powerhouse with dwindling talent that looks to be okay for the near future. The addition of Daniel Alfredsson makes them better, plus they were good enough to take the current Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks to seven games in the second round of the playoffs. But are they perennial contenders to go all the way like they have been in the past. I don't know. Plus, the Bruins either got rid of a good chunk of their talent, or lost it in free agency, dropping a huge question mark on them now.
I've never seen such a radical shift away from traditional powers in every major sport at the same time like this. We're likely looking at a new era of big shots on the diamond, field, court and rink. It adds a level of the unknown back in every sport, and if nothing else, it's definitely intriguing.
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