Should Ian O’Connor disclose in his columns that he’s writing a book on Derek Jeter?

I wrote something for The Faster Times about how ESPN NY columnist Ian O’Connor is writing a book that promises “unique access” to Derek Jeter and his camp. Nothing wrong with that. But my issue is that O’Connor has also written several recent columns defending Jeter, without disclosing in those articles that he’s writing a book about him.

One of O’Connor’s columns suggested that Jeter needed a pay raise in his new contract, bumping him up to $23 million (!) a year for four years. Another tied Joe Girardi’s fortunes with the team to Jeter, saying that if Girardi didn’t shape up, “he is not going to be the manager of the New York Yankees long enough to do to a declining Derek Jeter what Casey Stengel did to a declining Joe DiMaggio.” It’s a very harsh take on Girardi, even for the New York media. What does Jeter think on this? Did he have something to do with the article?

That same article also claimed that the Yankee players basically quit on Girardi in the ALCS, an extremely damning allegation that I haven’t read anywhere else. In that article, O’Connor talks about the players’ perspective on Girardi, which makes one wonder if he heard those opinions from his book subject.

I’m not arguing that O’Connor shouldn’t write about Jeter. He’s a New York sportswriter, and not writing about Jeter would be like a Miami writer not being able to talk about LeBron James. But when O’Connor does, he really should put a disclosure in every column, explaining the book deal. Read my Faster Times article to see what else I had to say on this issue.


What do you think?  Tell us about it!