Derek Jeter is not worth $190 million, but that is what the Yankees most likely will be paying him over the next ten years. Even among the abundance of ridiculous contracts that have been handed out over the course of this off-season, Jeter's stands out.

Jeter has become the latest in a long chain of "legends" that have been hyped up by the New York media. He is a great baseball player, but not as good as many would like you to believe.

First, it is necessary to point out Jeter's strengths. He has a flair for making big plays at the right time-there are few players in the majors that I dread more in a clutch situation than Jeter. He is a solid defensive player, and he is a leader on the field and in the clubhouse. He is an all-star caliber player, but-at best-he is the third best shortstop in the American League.

The biggest complaint I have about the coverage of Jeter by the New York media is the glorification of his defensive play. Jeter looks great when he makes plays, but he just doesn't make that many of them. Last year he fielded the fewest chances per game by a major league shortstop-which I will admit is influenced by the type of pitching staff the Yankees had-and he made 24 errors. His fielding percentage and number of errors were worse than all of his elite level American League counterparts-Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada and Omar Vizquel. These statistics debunk the commonly-held belief that Jeter is the best defensive shortstop in the game.

Rodriguez, now of the Texas Rangers, is the best shortstop-and arguably the best player-in the game. He has blossomed into a superstar, and he has helped to redefine the position of shortstop. Last year A-Rod hit 41 home runs while committing only ten errors in the field.

Second on the list is Nomar Garciaparra. In his four seasons in the majors Nomar has won the Rookie of the Year, two batting titles and finished second in the MVP voting.

Third on the list is Jeter, but his position here is tenuous. Tejada is quickly becoming a star player for the Oakland A's, and he has already surpassed Jeter in some aspects of the game.

Fifth on the list is Vizquel. He is a wizard with the glove and in recent years he has picked it up offensively. Last year he made three errors over the course of the season and was routinely a fixture on Sportscenter with his remarkable plays.

If the Yankees want to pay Jeter $190 million, they can. It isn't my money, and they can obviously afford it. My problem with the deal is that it sets an unreasonable standard for player contracts.

Now don't get me wrong; player contracts are already ridiculous and Jeter is just another in a long chain of players undeserving of their salaries. The problem comes when you pay good players-not great players-outrageous salaries. It is possible-although difficult when the amount of money is considered-to justify the A-Rod and Manny Ramirez signings, because one is the best player and the other is the best run producer in the game. Jeter is not the best player in baseball in any single category, and he shouldn't be paid as such.

When players such as Garciaparra and Tejada-who is only 24-come up for their next contract talks, they can expect salaries similar to Jeter's. This isn't as much of an issue for the Red Sox, who play in one of the larger baseball markets. The A's and their many small market peers will have trouble keeping together their talented, young core of players

Within baseball right now there is little competitive balance, and the proliferation of astronomical salaries continues to skew the playing field. Every year, the small-market teams have very little chance of making the playoffs, and if player salaries continue to escalate power in the majors will continue to be centralized.

It X-sucked

With the much-hyped debut of the XFL last weekend I felt obligated to tune in. To say the least, I was disappointed with the portions of the game that I saw.

My major complaint with the game was the way it was packaged. The cameras over the field didn't give a good view of the action, and many times only half of the play was visible. If the camera angles were of the standard NFL/NCAA variety, then I think I would have enjoyed the game much more.

The XFL also failed to deliver on many of its promises. The pace of the game didn't seem to be any faster than an NFL game, but that really didn't surprise me. The XFL is using a second-rate group of players, as much as they want to project an elite level of play on the field.

At this point in time the XFL will have to rely on its wrestling roots to kep their fan base. The cheerleaders were attractive and it was interesting to let the players "express" themselves on the field, and that is what many people tuned in for. But if the game isn't emphasized, the novelty act will wear off soon, and the league will fold just as the USFL did.

That said, I think that the XFL will make changes almost continuously as its inagural season progresses. Dick Ebersol of NBC and Vince McMahon of the WWF have proven track records, and they both have shown the ability to adapt. The success of the XFL will ultimately rest upon the level of play on the field, but their package of peripherals will continue to attract viewers.

Super Mario

With the NHL All Star game this weekend, all fans of the game have another chance to marvel at the unbelievable exploits of Mario Lemieux.

Clearly my sentiments here are not terribly original. Since his return to the ice in late December, Lemieux has dominated the game in a way that only he can.

In his first run at the NHL, Lemieux was one of the greatest players ever to strap on skates. Over the first leg of his career he averaged 2.01 points per game, a feat matched by no other player in NHL history. Wayne Gretzky is the only other player in NHL history to average two points per game.

Since his return Lemieux has kept up that unbelievable pace. In his 16 games this season he has scored 16 goals and has 16 assists. Coming back from retirement and dominating the game so quickly is unprecedented in recent sports history-even Michael Jordan wasn't up to his normal standards right off the bat.

If Lemieux continues this pace-and he believes that he will only get better as the season progresses-he may end up as a legitimate contender for the MVP award.

Brilliance by any player in this media-dominated era is often overstated, but Super Mario deserves all the praise that has been heaped upon him.

Everybody loves Raymond

Another impressive story from all-star weekend is the play of Ray Bourque of the Colorado Avalanche.

This is his 19th all-star appearance in his 20-year career, and he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, despite his veteran standing. Bourque still carries as heavy a load as any defenseman in the NHL-often over 25 minutes per night-and is still a presence on the power play.

In the skills contest over the weekend, Bourque took home his eighth title in the shooting accuracy contest and played a solid game on defense-well, as solid as you can get in an all-star game.

While I was saddened by Bourque's request to be traded last year from the Bruins, I understand his reasons for wanting to leave. The Bruins were going nowhere last year, and while Bourque continues to play at an elite level, he won't be able to do that forever. The Avalanche have a team full of stars-five members in the all-star game-and they have a title shot every year.

This year the Avalanche are leading the Western Conference at the all-star break. A chance to hoist the Stanley Cup is the only piece missing from Bourque's career, but it would have been nice to see him get that chance with the Bruins.