Boston's Fleetcenter renamed 'Derek Jeter Center?'

[S p e n c e]

Posted on Sat, Feb. 26, 2005

Fan's bid to rename FleetCenter the `Derek Jeter Center' rejected

BY JOSE MARTINEZ

New York Daily News

NEW YORK - (KRT) - A New York lawyer and Yankees fan went down swinging Friday in his bid to turn a Boston arena into the House That Jeter Built.

Kerry Konrad's winning offer to rename the FleetCenter for a day in honor of Yankee captain Derek Jeter was rejected by arena officials, who were auctioning off the name on eBay to raise money for charity.

"They were going to have to answer the phone all day, `Hello, Derek Je-tuh Cen-tuh,' " Konrad said, mimicking a Boston accent. "I was just going to keep calling them all day just to hear that."

The Manhattan lawyer bid $2,325 for the rights to rename the home of the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins - and to tweak his Red Sox-loving pals from Harvard's class of 1979.

"It really was meant as a private joke," Konrad said with a chuckle. "I guess it was a good one."

All too aware of New York's history of dominating teams from Boston, arena officials reopened the charity auction until Konrad's one-time Harvard classmate - and loyal Sox fan Jerry Rappaport Jr. - came in with a winning offer of $6,275.

That money, combined with Konrad's bid, will go to a Boston cancer charity. On Tuesday, with Rappaport and Konrad set to be on hand, the arena will be renamed the Jimmy Fund Arena for the day.

"The Jimmy Fund is a charity that transcends the biggest rivalry in sports, which is fitting, as cancer affects everyone," said charity chairman Mike Andrews, a former Red Sox second baseman.

The Jimmy Fund's reputation was enough to convince Konrad to back off his bid when an arena official called him.

"I told my friends to step up to the plate," Konrad said. "I told them, `If you've got more pride, then donate more money.' "

Konrad said he never considered naming the arena after anyone but the Yankee shortstop.

"Who can dislike Derek Jeter?" he said. "He's a class act all the way, a true champion."

Konrad intentionally steered clear of invoking the names of other Bronx Bombers vilified in Beantown, which broke the Curse of the Bambino in October, winning its first World Series since 1918.

"I very deliberately decided not to call it the Bucky Dent Center or the Aaron Boone Center," he said. "Now that would have been an insult."

Still, Konrad couldn't help but wonder on Friday what it would have been like if his bid had succeeded.

"It would have been the ultimate topper," he said. "For the rest of my life I could have pulled out the picture of myself next to the FleetCenter with the name of Derek Jeter on it."

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/10997936.htm?1c

[Velcro]

I saw that... after i was able to avoid vomitting, i actually laughed at that idea.  It would be pretty funny, and i give the yankee fan props for attempting it, since the money was for a good cause, The Jimmy Fund.

[S p e n c e]

Yeah, I give him props for taking the rejection so lightly, he was a good sport about it.

[ChiTownBull]

funny that they said jeter = obscenity in bean town

[Velcro]

jeter <> obsenity

bucky = obsenity

[ChiTownBull]

aaron boone  ;D

[ChiTownBull]

Caveman (Damon) > obscenity

[Velcro]

lol!  ;D ;D

[S p e n c e]

Wells = Obesity

[Velcro]

Johnson = osteoperosis