Saturday, February 25, 2012

My Take on Sports-Linsanity

In the world of basketball, there has been a rising name among the ranks: Jeremy Lin. He has been in the news ately for his impressive shots in the world of basketball, and to boot, he is a Harvard graduate and a relatively new figure to the basketball word. The world has gone into an uproar over this player, but since this guy was suddenly famous, I had to question why this guy was so famous in a short amount of time.

For those of you who don't know, he is a Asian-American, more specifically Taiwanese-American who plays for the Knicks in the NBA. He stands about 6'3" , which is pretty tall for Asians, and also due to  his parents only being 5'6". Also, he is a Harvard graduate and he came into the league basically unknown, coming in from the lowest of the low. SO what makes this guy so famous? Is it the Cinderella Story behind him? Probably.

His story is a simple one: He was at the bottom of basketball ranks, playing in the D Leagues. He never got drafted, and never impressed anyone in his college days either. He eventually got drafted into two other NBA teams, though he got cut. Lin was about to be cut from the Knicks, when injuries forced him on to the playing court, and he scored big time. He then brought the Knick's to a winning season so far, and this has brought him much fame for making the Knicks come together.

First off, I would like to say that I am not really a sports person. Yes, it's O.K. but I'm not a die hard fan for it.

My take on the reason why he is famous is simple: is the fact that he is Asian-American. In other words, I blame it because he is not African-American. Basketball is dominated by African-Americans and since Lin is an Asian-American, people rever him for stepping out side the racial norms. Also, I think it's also because he is a Harvard graduate playing in the NBA (What a waste), and that says that you can be smart and also be good at sports. I do think that it is also due in part to the fact that he scored more points in his opening games than any other NBA player, which a good sign.

Overall, I honestly cannot see why people are so obssesed with Jeremy Lin. Yes, I respect the fact that he cae out of no where and took the NBA by sweep, but the Lin puns are going a bit too far in my mind. Anything from "Lin"sanity, to "Lin"ning; these Lin puns, I hate to say it, are already old. They are utterly ridiculous and they need to stop. He is one guy; you did not see puns when other players came into the big picture, or when any other person, from any other sport became famous. What makes this guy so different, besides the fact he has an easily exploitable name? Give the guy a break. 

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