Who is more worth the hype, Jeremy Lin or Tim Tebow? Who do you think will be able to sustain it?
-Will Horne '14, Englewood, Colo.
Great question, and both are phenomenal stories because they show how if you work hard and have a little faith along the way, then eventually good things are going to happen to you.
I think in the short run, it's Jeremy Lin and for good reason. From undrafted, to unwanted, Lin has become an overnight legend and his 7-0 record as a starter, 147 points, and his ability to continually hit big shot after big shot has given every Knicks fan in the nation a case of "Linsanity."
However, when I look at the bigger, picture my long run choice has got to be Tim Tebow, for a couple of reasons. First, even though he put up 38 points against the Lakers, six out of the seven games that Lin has started have been against teams with sub-.500 records, and of those teams, four are ranked among the league's worst in team defense.
When he proves that he can beat quality defenses like Oklahoma City, Miami, Chicago, and San Antonio on a consistent basis, then I will know he is the real deal. The true test is going to be Lin's ability to keep this amazing run going. I think that the sooner teams watch film on him, the sooner the "Linsanity" buzz will slowly fade, which is unfortunate because it has been a fun ride.
Tebow, on the other hand, is a proven winner. He won two national championships at Florida, took home a Heisman Trophy, and he (along with a stingy defense) brought a Denver Broncos team back from the dead and made a run in the AFC playoffs. Tebow was 8-5 as a starter this year, and I think that he will continue to become a better pocket passer (you know he'll work relentlessly at it) and be a very successful quarterback in the NFL whether that's in Denver or some other team (cough...Jacksonville).
It must be nice for Lin to have the complete support from his entire organization and head coach—that alone builds so much confidence for a young player in any professional sport. Plus, the fact that Tebow has to go out there almost every weekend with seemingly no support from Coach John Fox and Executive Vice President John Elway just really makes me pull for him even more.
Does Wes Welker deserve the same money as the top wideouts given he is a slot receiver?
-Chris Burke, Andover, Mass.
It's hard to argue against this one. I don't believe that you can justify not paying a slot receiver purely because of the nature of his position, not when you finish second in the league in receiving yards (1,569) and fourth among receivers in the league with nine touchdowns. He tailed off to toward the end of the season, but over the past five years he's averaged 1,222 receiving yards. In four of those five seasons he finished in the top 10 in the league for receiving, including two top-two finishes.
If anything, receivers like Welker, Victor Cruz, and Jerricho Cotchery have shown the importance of having an effective slot receiver in order to have a successful West Coast offensive scheme.
Looking at it from solely the New England Patriots' standpoint, Welker's quickness and tenacity, combined with his consistency, has molded him into one of Brady's most reliable receivers, and he plays such a critical role, especially with the screens and button-hooks that they frequently exploit. The Patriots are a completely different team without Welker, no doubt about it.
The NHL trade deadline is right around the corner, and rumors have been going around in Philadelphia that the Flyers are interested in shopping forward James van Riemsdyk for Toronto Maple Leafs' defenseman Luke Schenn? There's a serious shortage of talent on the blue line in Broad Street right now with Pronger out, but JvR is my boy. Couldn't they just hold on to him and switch to the 3-back?
-Jake Edwards '11, Philadelphia, Penn.
I love where your head's at, Jake, and I'm already three steps ahead of you. There's no doubt that the Flyers need a little blue line reinforcement at the trade deadline, and adding Luke Schenn could potentially be the missing link to a Stanley Cup run. Plus, uniting Luke with his baby brother Brayden in the City of Brotherly Love does have a nice ring to it.
That being said, I have to agree with you on this one. If you take a look at the Flyers forwards, they're big, fast and pesky: the ideal ingredients for effective ones and twos. You take that and combine it with the triangulation of the three-back, having the four slam the door, and occasionally flashing Kimmo Timonen as the five, you've got yourself a winning formula. With the "meat and potatoes way" that so many NHL teams play, I have no reason to doubt that they'll play right into the Flyers hands. Where there's smoke, there's fire, Jakey.
Jam of the Week: I'm going to change it up a bit from my normal Jam of the Week choices and hit you with my actual favorite musical genre: country. It's called "Even If It Breaks Your Heart," by the Eli Young Band. This group got on my radar this past summer with its hit, "Crazy Girl," and now is slowly creeping up into my prestigious group of top eight favorite country bands. Enjoy.