Jeremy’s Career: Will the “Linning” Continue?

A Big Splash Doesn’t Always Guarantee Success

ATLANTA, Georgia --Talent is everywhere. It’s just often overlooked or doesn’t find itself in the right place at the right time. I give you Kelly Clarkson. No American Idol. No Kelly.

Now we have Jeremy Lin. Overlooked by all the NBA scouts (too small, not athletic), he managed to attract the attention of one NBA GM, Donnie Nelson of the Dallas Mavericks. Nelson’s invitation to play in the NBA’s summer league led to interest in Lin by four teams and ultimately a contract with the Golden State Warriors.

Even then he was still under the radar, released at the end of the 2010-2011 season and picked up briefly by Houston following this year’s lockout. After playing a total of just seven minutes in two preseason games with the Rockets, he was again let go, this time to be picked up by the New York Knicks.  But the story doesn’t end there. He was almost cut by New York, playing only 55 minutes in the first 23 games of the Knicks season. On February 4, however, after the Knicks had lost 11 of their previous 13 games, he was given his shot. Since then the Knicks have won seven straight and Lin has been the leading scorer four times with 25, 28, 29 and 27 points.

"Lincredible"

While the Jeremy Lin story is one of the most interesting in sports today the jury is out on whether the young star will continue his “Lincredible” ride.

Many have had such a ride including Curt Warner, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan and Ken Griffey, Jr.—all of whom burst on the scene and just kept going.

Others, however, started fast but fizzled, never to be heard from again except in reference to what could have been. Take Dwight “Doc” Gooden. He came on the scene with the New York Mets at age 19 and became the youngest player ever to be selected for the All-Star game. He won 17 games that year—second best ever for a Mets rookie—and struck out 276, breaking Herb Score’s rookie record of 256. He ultimately won 194 games, but more than half those came by the time he was 25. Drugs and arm problems intervened.

The Bird

Mark Fidrych was a sensation as a rookie in 1976 with the Detroit Tigers. He won 19 games, led the league with a 2.34 ERA, was the All-Star starting pitcher and the American League MVP. Fidrych was also an anomaly. His antics on mound, such as kneeling down and manicuring the dirt, were a crowd pleaser. But his behavior may have cost him his career. While kidding with teammates in the bullpen during spring training “The Bird,” as he was known because of his resemblance to Sesame Street’s Big Bird, injured his knee. That led to arm problems, which ended his career two years after it started.

Nowhere is the phenomenon of unrealized expectations truer than in pro football. Just think of the “can’t miss” quarterbacks, who never made it:  Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch and Jeff George, just to name a few.

Being discovered is a big step. But as we’ve seen over and over, it’s just half the battle. The real question is whether this “Lincredible” run will continue or whether “Linning” for Jeremy will be just a passing thing.

Quick take…Jaws will no longer be flapping his on Monday Night Football. Whether it’s the shine of Jon Gruden, the difficulty of having three men in the booth, or the desire to have Ron Jaworski do other things (as ESPN officials suggest), he’s out of one of the most coveted positions in broadcasting. My take is that the Gruden is a powerful personality and the new Golden Boy of ESPN. The network wants him to feel that he’s having a lot more fun and has a lot more potential as a TV star than a head football coach. It also is cumbersome with three calling the game. Jaws was noticeably the third man. Having broadcast many a game, including December’s high school state championship, I have found the three man booth awkward. Working a two man booth with a sideline reporter, as we did at the Dome, is much more effective, since each voice—play-by-play, color analyst and sideline reporter—has its own distinct role. Jaws is a very affable, knowledgeable guy and there is no doubt that he will remain in the forefront at ESPN for many years to come.