With the plethora of the negative stories about frustrating, underperforming, or cheating athletes, we as fans find ourselves hard pressed to maintain a positive outlook on the world of sports.
We are bombarded with the saga of LeBron James, Tiger Woods’ road to redemption, and steroid cases, such as that of Ryan Braun. However, the tales of Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin are quite refreshing for a culture riddled with unfortunate cases.
The phenomena of “Linsanity” and “Tebow Time” are rather unlike each other in origin, as each player’s rise to fame was completed in a different way.
Tim Tebow won a Heisman and was a first round draft pick, only to be relegated to the 4th string. Tebow, a devout, outward, and sincere Evangelical Christian, performed seven 4th quarter miracles, bringing his team back from the darkest abyss to attain victory, usually in the most improbable fashion. Tebow was a polarizing figure among football analysts, mainly due to his uncanny throwing technique and his unique spread option attack. Tebowing, his prayerful pose, became an international sensation, imitated by athletes and fans alike. Essentially, his story is one of redemption, where after getting knocked down, Tebow rose to the occasion and saved the season for the Denver Broncos.
Jeremy Lin, to me, is a walking sports movie. Lin was undrafted coming out of Harvard in 2010, and was cut by two teams before signing with the Knicks. After a Feb. 3 loss to the Celtics, Mike D’Antoni inserted Lin into the lineup out of desperation.
Lin made his debut against the Nets on Feb. 4, and scored 25 points and 7 assists. Over his first 5 starts, Lin scored 136 points, the most by any player in that span. Lin’s first eight games were amazing, considering Carmelo Anthony was out for all of them.
The reason that Lin’s story is so special is because of all the adversity that he had to overcome. Being cut twice meant the end for many NBA players, yet when Lin got his miraculous opportunity, he took full advantage. He is dominating in a league that looks nothing like him. He played for a school more likely to produce a President than an NBA player. If Jeremy Lin continues to perform at this level, there is no doubt that his life will end up in a biopic. Lin’s story is simply amazing, and cannot be replicated.
Only in New York.