Stop it. Just stop it. The comparisons of Tebowmania and Linsanity have gone too far.
I am sick and tired of everybody comparing Tebowmania and Linsanity. The only things these two people have in common are this: they have strong Christian faiths and are professional athletes. That is it.
But if there is one thing that has given me the most headaches since Jeremy Lin took over the sports world in early February is the term “underdog.”
Tebow and Lin are considered underdogs. However, there is only one true underdog in this story: Tim Tebow.
Jeremy Lin is beloved by the New York Knicks’ fan base. Whenever he gets the ball, Madison Square Garden holds their breath hoping to see something magical. Tim Tebow? Half of Broncos Nation wants him to fail. Whenever he makes a bad throw or turns the ball over, all of the Tebow haters say, “I told you so.”
When Lin makes a game-winning shot, the media adores it. When Tebow wins a playoff game in overtime, they say that the opposing defense was injured. When Lin makes a clutch shot, the media calls it skill. When Tebow leads a come from behind victory, the media calls it luck.
When Lin plays, nobody wants him to fail, and no basketball analyst is screaming from the top of his or her lungs that Lin can not play in the NBA. When Tebow had that rough patch in late December, all of the Tebow haters were screaming, “he can’t play.”
Aside from the fans, Lin has Knicks management support. New York head coach Mike D’Antoni has never spoken ill about Lin. He supports him 100 percent.
Meanwhile, Tim Tebow has to deal with Denver Broncos head coach John Fox, who would rather get teeth pulled before he compliments Tebow’s play. Then there is John Elway.
Apparently, the Broncos’ Executive Vice President of Football Operations isn’t a Tebow fan. Although I can’t read minds, I think Elway had a plan for Tebow: let him play a few games, let him struggle, bench him and let Denver select Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.
As we all know, however, that didn’t happen. As a reward for leading the Broncos to a playoff victory, he said: “I think Tim has earned the right to be the starting quarterback going into training camp next season.”
Are you kidding me? If Lin leads the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals, he will probably be the starting point guard for the next 15 years. If Tebow wins another playoff game, Elway may be forced to say that Tebow is going to be the starting the quarterback going into the first preseason game.
Finally, I wonder what would happen if Tebow and Lin switched sports. I can already think of what would happen.
Everybody would say that Tebow has too many turnovers and he is getting help from Amare Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony. Meanwhile, everybody would say that Lin is doing all of the work by himself and would be the reason why the Broncos are winning.
In the end, Tebow is the underdog.
People: Amare Stoudemire, Andrew Luck, Carmelo Anthony, Jeremy Lin, John Elway, Mike D’Antoni, Tim Tebow
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