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Related: About this forumTebow comparisons not fair to Jeremy Lin; he's much better story...
I suppose it was inevitable that some people would compare Jeremy Lin to Tim Tebow. This is partly because every sports story these days must be compared to Tebow, as well as every non-sports story, and retroactively, every previous sports story. But it is also because Linsanity has temporarily replaced Tebowmania as the can-you-believe-that story that your mother who doesn't watch sports might bring up in casual conversation. And because Lin appeals to an unusual demographic for an NBA player (Asian-Americans) just as Tebow appeals to an unusual demographic for an NFL player (evangelical Christians).
The problem is that as stories go, Jeremy Lin makes Tim Tebow seem as interesting as a rain delay. Lin is a much better story because he is a much bigger long shot and is playing much better than Tebow did. He is an undrafted Asian-American guard from Harvard who is playing as well as almost anybody in the NBA. How unlikely is this? Unbelievably so.
Tebow was a five-star recruit who chose Florida over Alabama, LSU, Michigan, USC, and not Harvard. Gators fans clamored for him to start his entire freshman year even though senior Chris Leak was leading the team to a national title. Tebow won another national title two years later.
Tebow also won something called the Heisman Trophy. Perhaps you've heard of it. As a senior at Harvard, Lin lost the Ivy League Player of the Year award to Ryan Wittman of Cornell.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/michael_rosenberg/02/14/lin.tebow/index.html#ixzz1mSY8KFOf
Auggie
(31,156 posts)RockaFowler
(7,429 posts)Warner was brought in after being a bag-boy for God's sake
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)And, quite frankly, Teblow stinks.
ProfessorGAC
(64,960 posts)He really seems to have a feel for the game.
I think he'll have some defensive issues against the cream of the point guard crop, (remember Derek Fisher is 108 years old), but just the 3 quarters i've seen and the highlight stuff on NBATV, he has great instincts for the game.
He doesn't overthink, he sees the court, he knows who is going to be open, his shooting form is pretty good.
You're right: He's NOTHING like Tebow.
Last point: They're winning BECAUSE of him, not despite him.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)Although last night's game-winning 3...whoever that was on Tornto defending him...he phoned in those last few seconds...Lin had all the time in the world and wasn't under pressure.
wilt the stilt
(4,528 posts)He was stuck between a rock and a hard spot. If he pressured the ball and took away the 25 ft shot then he left himself open to the drive. Lin is quick and can penetrate. If he beats him and drives then he has a 15 ft. pull up jumper so he had to make a choice and as defender the odds are better on a 25 ft. shot than a 15 ft. shot. Pick your poison.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)couple minutes...who took their final shot with about a minute to go..he got it about half way between where he was and the basket.
wilt the stilt
(4,528 posts)ProfessorGAC
(64,960 posts)Darren Williams schooled him last night. Seems he still played ok, but Williams is one the elite PG's, and Jeremy isn't quite ready for that form of "prime time".
But, if he turns out to be the 5th to 8th, or even 10th best point guard in the league, that's quite a bargain for the Knicks.
GAC
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)A game a day after he played 46 minutes. Remember this whole Lin thing didn't start against Derek Fisher but against Derron Williams where Williams was 7-19 for 11 assists. There was also the revenge factor which shouldn't be overlooked in sports, it seems Avery's gameplan was to keep the PG involved in the game in an effort to get him tired.
trumad
(41,692 posts)Tebow---not so much.
madinmaryland
(64,931 posts)El Supremo
(20,365 posts)KamaAina
(78,249 posts)"Actually a lot of inspiration just because such a polarizing figure but I think the things he says in interviews, his approach to the game is just unbelievable and I respect him so much. I want to be able to do some of the things that he does in terms of the amount of charity work and the non-profit work, and the way he impacts people off the field. I think that is what is most inspiring to me about him."
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/02/jeremy-lin-says-tim-tebow-is-his-inspiration/1
(burp)
BestCenter
(287 posts)What a poor metric for religion. And good job pushing the "Asian submission to the white man" narrative.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. I loathe and despise all public figures who wear their religion on their sleeve. And as for Tebow-mania becoming worship, what about this?
BestCenter
(287 posts)How many public figures wear their religion on their sleeve? I'm not even talking about just Christianity. Would you have this opposition if Lin happened to be a very public Buddhist?
Asian American males have been deprived of sports representation for long enough, and your hating is just disgusting. Rain on someone else's parade.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)and I would hardly describe Obama as "vocal in his beliefs" in the way that, say, Newt is.
rocktivity
(44,573 posts)Last edited Wed Feb 15, 2012, 08:14 PM - Edit history (2)
He seems to have come from out of nowhere, like Michael Jordan and Steve Colbert. But if you look into their backgrounds, you'll see a lot of hard work, not a lot of praying loudly on street corners. Lin is man-bites-dog, not god-blesses-underdog!
rocktivity
DinahMoeHum
(21,783 posts)even though he may be an evangelical, just like Teblow.