the Jeremy Lin story

Sometimes we hear great underdog stories of great players that just need a chance to show what they can do. Usually these are in a movie and fictitious. Then there is Linsanity that took the world by storm. I did a little research and here is the background.

- Jeremy Lin went to Palo Alto High School, where he was named Northern California Division II Player of the Year, and as a captain he led the basketball team to a 32–1 record and upset nationally ranked Mater Dei for the California Division II state championship. But it seems like no one noticed him.

- Lin applied to Stanford (right where he grew up) and UCLA, but they only invited him to try the team as a walk on. Harvard and Brown were the only teams that guaranteed him a spot on the basketball team, but Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships. At first, Harvard said the team wasn't interested in him, but a few weeks later changed their mind. So he went to Harvard.

- At Harvard he was a unanimous selection for the Ivy League First Team. He led the 2010 team to a school record for wins and non-conference wins, and finished his college career as the first Ivy League player to compile and 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists, and 200 steals. Still, it seems like no one noticed him.

- Lin went undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft. The Dallas Mavericks were the only team that invited Lin to play in the Summer League. A few teams offered him a contract and he signed with his hometown Golden State Warriors. He made the opening day roster but was placed on the inactive list. He played in 29 games, mostly on Asian Heritage Night for whatever arena the team was playing in. He went to the D-League 3 times that season, but played so well that he was recalled up each time. Lin was cut by the Warriors on the first day back after the NBA lockout.

- A few days later he was claimed/picked up by the Houston Rockets. He was cut by the team on Christmas Eve, right before the season started.

- The Knicks claimed him a few days later when Iman Shumpert got injured to be a backup behind Toney Douglas and Mike Bibby. A week later he got sent to the D-League again. A couple days later he had a triple double (28 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists) in a win. A few days later he was recalled. By Feb 3, he had played in just 6 games for the Knicks and scored 32 total points, while the Knicks were sitting at a record of 8-15.

And then the rest of the story

- On Feb 4 against the New Jersey Nets, Lin came off the bench to score 25 points and electrify the crowd as the Knicks won.

- Lin started the next game against the Jazz. All Star Amar'e Stoudemire was injured and did not play. Carmelo Anthony was injured in the first quarter and didn't return. Lin played 44 minutes, scored 28 points, and the Knicks won again.

- The Knicks were without both All Stars against the Wizards. Lin scored 23 and the Knicks won again.

- On Feb 10 against the Lakers, Jeremy Lin scored 38 points, outplayed Kobe Bryant, and the Knicks beat the Lakers. The 38 was the most points by a Knicks player this year.

- In the next game, Super Lintendo hit some last second free throws to beat the Timberwolves. He finished the game with 20 points.

The point is

Here is a guy that has succeeded at every level he has played at but fails to get noticed. He was not offered a college scholarship. He was undrafted. He was waived by two NBA teams. Two weeks ago he was in the D-League. A week ago no one knew who he was.

And now, Lin has led the 8-15 Knicks to five wins in a row despite being without their (other) two best and most important players. In those 5 games he has averaged nearly 27 points (near Kobe's NBA season-best 29), 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. If that's not impressive enough for you, remember that these were the first NBA games he has started in his career, and a week ago you never heard of him.

How did nearly every university miss this? How did every NBA team blow the opportunity to get him? How has everyone in authority overlooked this guy's skills and abilities so long? Give him a chance and look what happens.

This isn't one of those cases like the 1984 Miracle on Ice where some underdog surprises the world and plays better than their ability. This isn't Tim Tebow, a terrible quarterback with a world famous resume who leads a bad to the playoffs. This is a situation where a player with insane skills has emerged out of practically nowhere, completely whiffed by everyone, and takes a league by storm. Given a chance to play for an underachieving team with no other great players, he leads the team to 5 straight wins including one where he outplayed one of the best players in NBA history. If that isn't enough for you, please tell me one other undrafted player in the NBA who has made an impact on the court. Especially in the NBA, that never happens.

Linsanity, Lincredible, AmazLin, whatever you want to call it, it's a story for the ages. And it has just begun.

it's Super Bowl Time!

Anyone who knows me on Facebook will know that I love the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. This is the Miles Miller Super Bowl, as one of my west coast friends put it, and a repeat of (in my opinion) the greatest Super Bowl ever from a few years ago.

Some people find it hard to believe or understand why I could be a Giants fan (NYC) and a Patriots fan (Boston). This really is not an issue. It is not like Yankees vs. Red Sox, two hated rivals from the same division that play 20 times a season, vying for the same playoff position and whose new coach declares "I hate the Yankees." These are teams from different conferences that meet once every four years during the regular season and only beyond that in the Super Bowl.

- I grew up listening to the Giants on the radio. I waited through the Dan Reeves and terrible Dave Brown years, cheered for the Jim Fassel, Kerry Collins and Tiki Barber team, and now root for the Eli and Coughlin team.
- I have not always been a Patriots fan, but I love Tom Brady. He has been my favorite player for the last 10 years. If you have a problem with me rooting for my favorite player's team then you need to get a life.
-Along with that, the Patriots and Giants are both the biggest rivals of the New York Jets, the football team I detest the most. That's another reason why I'm happy to see them succeed.

This game has so many of my favorite players: Brady and Eli Manning are my favorite QBs, Rob Gronkowski is an advancement in evolution, and Jason Pierre-Paul has emerged as one of the most exciting and explosive defensive players in the league.

What My Heart Says
A lot rides on this game for Tom Brady, Belichek and the Patriots. If Tom Brady wants to justify his claim as the greatest quarterback of all time he needs to win this game. And if he does win, there isn't much critics can argue about. But Bill and Brady haven't won the big game since like 2004, and frankly I don't think they will get another chance after this.

As for the Giants, they have already exceeded expectations this year. All I cared about was that they beat the Cowboys in Week 14 and the Jets in Week 16 and I was happy. They were picked to be 3rd in the division, but they split with the Eagles and swept the Cowboys to grab the playoff spot, then dominated the Falcons and the 15-1 Packers and squeaked past the 49ers, which is more than even Giants fans could expect. Eli has already won a Super Bowl MVP, and he will get more opportunities to repeat over the next decade.

What My Brain Says

The Patriots have Brady, Gronkowski, and Wes Welker, and are slight favorites, but the GMen are clearly the better team. They have beaten the Patriots twice in a row and have the recipe to do it again: an elite pass rush. They have better receivers, a better ground game, better defense. Brady and Belichek are possibly the best QB/coach combo in history, but at this point Eli and Coughlin are just as good. (Coming from someone who hated Eli a year ago, that is saying something!) 49er Alex Smith is probably the most improved offensive player in the NFL but Eli is the runner up.

Who is going to guard Victor Cruz? What about Hakeem Nicks? And if the Patriots manage to do that, what about Mario Manningham, last game's hero? The Pats can't put pressure on Manning and they won't be able to guard all those playmakers. Especially with how the GMen have been playing the last 6 weeks, the Giants will put a lot of points on the board.

Rob Gronkowski is the X-factor. He has a bad ankle right now and while it is highly unlikely that he won't play, his effectiveness is questionable. However, Gronk is the most unguardable player we've seen since, well... ever. If he's on he can score a couple touchdowns and be the difference. Brady will have to have an incredible game for the Patriots to win. Again, that is not outside the realm of possibility, he is Tom Brady. But four reasons for him to be worried: Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora, and Mathis Kiwanuka.

The Giants were 9-7 and the Patriots 13-3, but the Giants are the best and most complete team in the NFL right now and that's why they made it through the NFC. And since the Saints were eliminated already and they don't have to play the Redskins again...

I am only looking for a well-played, entertaining game, and I will be happy with either team winning.

Prediction

Giants 35, Patriots 27