The world of baseball and baseball players has often found a confluence with the commercial world. With players representing qualities on the diamond, brands have often sought to capitalize on their image and tie into their principles off the diamond as much as possible. Players active in MLB have obviously dealt with this closer than players who may have moved beyond this but it seems to be a problem that has affected players across the board.

Some players have become more than just icons in the game, they have become ambassadors of the sport. Not just nationally, but globally, Derek Jeter is the most recognizable New York Yankees player. While capitalizing on his personal recognition was certainly on the cards, it appears the move could have backfired for a brand that was aiming to do almost the exact opposite.

Brand Collaboration Gone Wrong?

Derek Jeter is easily one of the Pinstripes’ most easily iconic players. He left an indelible mark on the team’s history with his remarkable defensive plays and clutch hitting throughout his impressive 18-year career in the Major Leagues. While going as far as calling Jeter the GOAT of baseball may be a far stretch, there will certainly be those that argue in his favour. His latest endorsement however, may have swung his fans in the wrong direction.

Despite being one of the most well received stars of his generation, Jeter copped a bit of flak for his collaboration with network service provider Optimum for their Optimum Complete campaign as a part of their Greatest of All Time Offer.  Jeter released a blooper reel video on his social media to begin the marketing campaign.

Jeter posted a blooper reel of the shoot on his personal handle with the caption “Great to partner with @Optimum on #OptimumComplete and honored to work with a real 🐐. #optimumXjeter”

Fans react to Release of New Video

While Jeter was proud to announce the partnership, the fans were not as enthused. Despite gushing at another video from the 5x World Series Champion, the reactions still stemmed from the point of why Jeter chose to partner with Optimum. Some fans even made a few desperate insinuations. Said one fan on Instagram, “So that’s where the money went to you instead of improving their shitty service.”

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Another possibly Yankees fan was adamant in his beliefs despite Jeter lending his own vote of confidence to the product. He commented, “Nope nope nope, the one thing this man can’t sell me on.”

Other still were more concentrated on the product rather than the partnership being announced. Said one fan, “Optimum sucks and that’s why I left them“.

Still others were hesitant to take in the partnership that Jeter was announcing, eager to bring in news of another that the MLB Icon is said to be on the cusp of agreement on. Rumors are rife that Jeter may be headed back to the Bronx, this time as a part of the front office. And the fans couldn’t control their excitement for it.

Said one fan, “next u partner w the new york yankees again to take us back to the promise land cap , and soon to be gm“. Another added, “Please become GM or Head coach for the Yankess! We need your vibes back in the Bronx!”

With Jeter’s future still uncertain, he looks to be in the mood for partnerships. If Steinbrenner is listening, now may be the perfect opportunity to capitalise.

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