Ford Flex, New York Yankees, Derek Jeter, Jeter’s Ford Challenge

Derek Jeter actually drives a Ford. For real!

    Growing up in the Tri-State area, you have a slew of sports teams to root for. In football, you have the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, and the New York Jets. For basketball, you have the 76ers from Philly, the Knicks from the city across the Hudson, and the Nets right here in Jersey (though they are soon to be moving to Brooklyn). When it comes to hockey, you have the Islanders, the Rangers, the Flyers, and the Devils. As for baseball, you have the Phillies, but there really are only two choices: the Yankees or the Mets.
    I catch enough brown stuff being a Jet fan, especially with the wife being a Giants fan. That made for a LONG off season-until Brett the Jet came that is! When it came to baseball, though, I really didn’t have a choice. My dad has been a diehard Yankee fan since Mickey Mantle roamed centerfield wearing number 7, before Steinbrenner took ownership of the team, and well before Yankee Stadium was renovated. Since I have been a little kid, I have been engrossed in the Yankee way of life, though being forced to accept the fact that there is another New York team, albeit it a bunch of upstarts (okay, feel free to send the hate mail for that comment). Either way, since I was old enough to hold a bat, I was rooting for the Yanks.
    With this year being the final season for Yankee Stadium before the “new” Yankee Stadium opens across the street in the Bronx, I made a point of it to grab a couple of tickets to the opening game of the final series between the Bronx Bombers and those Boston Red Sox at the House That Ruth Built. I will try and disguise my disdain for the arch-enemies, as I met more than a few Red Sox-loving Mustang enthusiasts at the Epping Fun Ford Weekend event this past weekend. In any event, I got 5 tickets (which cost a good chunk of my salary I might add…think the Yanks need to cut A-Rod’s salary a *** for Tuesday’s 7:05 game in the Bronx, and made the trek to the stadium with enough time to take a walk through Monument Park.         Since we got there a bit before the gates opened, we had the chance to check out the Yankee players as they drove up in their rides and entered the clubhouse. Some, like “Pudge” Rodriguez were driven in, while others, like Jason Giambi, cruised to the stadium in their behemoth (and mad expensive) SUV’s and luxury cars. Then came the captain himself, Derek Jeter. Even non-Yankee fans know the name, so one would automatically assume he rolled up in a hot car. When I saw what DJ came to the ballpark in, I was flabbergasted myself. He didn’t drive in behind the wheel of a Ferrari or Lamborghini. He came in…a Ford Flex? Are you kidding me?
    I don’t kid folks. The Yankee shortstop stepped out of a maroon Ford Flex, no doubt thanks in part to his advertising campaign that can be seen and heard on numerous television and radio stations across the greater metropolitan area. While I found it kind of amusing that a star shortstop playing for arguably the biggest and most well-known sports team in history would come to the cathedral of baseball in a Flex, I found it cool at the same time. Here was a guy who makes millions of dollars a year driving something you and I can afford.
   

    I came into the office today after catching the game yesterday (don’t ask about the result), and pointed my web browser to www.jetersfordchallenge.com, the website devoted to Jeter and the Ford marketing campaign surrounding him and his promotion of Tri-State Ford dealers. I have to admit, I spent more time than I should have checking the site out, which has a slew of games, as well as information, on not only the Flex, but also all of Ford’s other offerings. I suggest you check it out, as there looks to be some pretty cool incentives for doing so. Besides, there is a spot to sign up to win some pretty cool Jeter memorabilia, as well as an area to check out video of Jeter’s commercials and outtakes from them.
    All in all, its kind of cool seeing DJ step up to the plate and wheel a Flex. Now if I could only get A-Rod to stop hitting double play ground balls with runners in scoring position…