Off the blocks

Fare-thee-well, Jeremy Lin

February 25, 2012 at 9:24 AM | Posted in Basketball, Fan-dom, Sports | 6 Comments
Tags: Brendan Mackey, Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, Dave Ramseur, Gary Nelson, Jack Mackey, Jeremy Lin, Joe Sommers, Knicks, Luke Mackey, Marv Albert, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed

They say that Clark Gable never got over the death of Carole Lombard and I have never gotten over the golden Knick period that began with the drafting of Willis Reed and ended with the wrenching travesty known as the trade, the betrayal, of the greatest Knick of them all, Walt Frazier, to Cleveland. In that time we had our two championships but for those with their ear to the radio voice of Marv Albert, it was a  period like none other in our lives. I will in a future post name the names once again but this piece belongs to Jeremy Lin.

Of course I heard of Jeremy Lin just after his first start and his tremendous first game. I read of his 38 points against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. My son Brendan, a die-hard, was in Lin-topia right from the start. Then I got a message from the good Dr. Ramseur about Lin and the southsider Gary Nelson chimed in. Most surprising of all, Joe Sommers, he of the single-digit handicap, sent Lin-signals from South Carolina.

I had not seen a minute of play as I sensed that the bubble would burst the minute I tuned in and so it came to pass. I watched much of the game against the Heat and it was painful to see Lin stripped so often but more so to see him shoot so many floaters. Floaters are doomed and Clyde never shot one, to my memory.

I had, in that early Knick stretch, as much intense pleasure (and some pain) as any man deserves. I can’t take anymore and I have nothing left to give. I wish you well Jeremy Lin and I leave you in the capable rooting hands of my son Brendan and my grandchildren, Jack and Luke.