Linsanity wasn’t always just a personal problem.
Many moons ago, it was a cultural phenomenon that swept the entire country (and certain other countries). It’s impact wasn’t felt only in New York, China, and in my dreams, but throughout the sports world… and, like, Twitter.
People were Googling Jeremy Lin like I do every day. He was featured on magazine covers. Linsanity Apps were created. Stupid websites like this one…. ok, you get it.
Jeremy Lin was BIG in 2012. Here’s a list of 2012 end of year lists / retrospectives that I came across:
Sports Illustrated‘s ranked Jeremy Lin’s magical run as the 9th Biggest Sports Stories of 2012: Jeremy Lin, a previously little-known Harvard grad, became a legend in early February, captivating the world with his improbably strong — if turnover heavy — play. It started on Feb. 4 as he scored 25 points and made seven assists off the bench in a comeback win over New Jersey. He went on to lead the then-reeling Knicks to seven consecutive wins.
Google‘s Zeitgeist 2012 Video (A glimpse of Jeremy is at the 2:!4 mark)
Lin was also the most searched athlete. On Google. In 2012. In the whole fraking world. And the seventh most searched person globally.
Just in the United States, Lin was #5 in overall trending searches on Google in 2012. He was #2 overall for trending people (behind Whitney Houston).
Twitter‘s 2012 Recap of Top Trends (“Jeremy Lin” #6)
USA Today‘s Best of 2012 World Of Sports named Lin as most interesting athelete, beating out the likes of Tim Tebow, Oscar Pistorius, Lolo Jones, and Hope Solo. “if you want to lift “interesting” to the point of “compelling,” you just couldn’t beat Linsanity.”
Facebook‘s Year in Review placed Jeremy Lin at #8 for Most Popular Public Figures in-between Honey Boo Boo at #7 and Paul Ryan at #9. Lin was #9 in sports (what?), and “Linsanity” was the 10th most-popular “meme” on Facebook.
New York Post named Jeremy Lin, Person of the Year in their annual recap: It ended badly, the way so many of these things tend to end. But the brief, brilliant stretch of basketball wonder known as “Linsanity” was an important reminder of just how deep the affinity between the Knicks and the city really is. Jeremy Lin is long gone but the love affair has been rekindled, and can be traced directly to the unforgettable two-week stretch when he was king of the sports world.
The Wall Street Journal‘s Top 10 Sports Stories of 2012 starts their list off with Linsanity at #10: “You just scoffed. Don’t lie—I have foolproof scoff detection! I know what you’re thinking: This guy just promised no Tebow, and now there’s Linsanity? So much has transpired since that magical February—Lin’s playing for Houston; the Knicks are playing well without him; former New York coach Mike D’Antoni is trying to comprehend Laker egos. It’s possible to have forgotten what a fascinating moment this was—the undrafted, unheralded, twice-dumped point guard leaping off a couch to transform an underperforming club.”
Yahoo Sports ranked Linsanity #1 on their Top 5 NBA Stories of 2012 saying “At this time a year ago, not many had a clue who Jeremy Lin was. In fact, in December of 2011, Lin was waived twice (first by Golden State Warriors, then by the Houston Rockets). Then February arrived and Lin put together an epic 13-game stretch in which he averaged 22.3 points and 7.4 assists. The Taiwanese-American’s heroics were celebrated from Manhattan to China, was highlighted on the cover of Time and Sports Illustrated, was mentioned by President Obama and made him as big a celebrity at All-Star weekend as any other player.”
The Sporting News‘ Top Sports Stories of 2012 says this about Jeremy Lin and Linsanity: “It started with a 25-point game against Deron Williams and the New Jersey Nets on Feb. 4—the first of six consecutive games with at least 20 points and seven assists. After seven consecutive Knick wins, Lin became an international sensation.”
CNN/SI‘s Top Sports Moments of 2012 ranked “Linsanity” #2 out of 112 sports moments (!): “Jeremy Lin went from benchwarmer to worldwide sensation in two weeks. Lin was likely days away from being released by the Knicks, his third team in two months, when his overnight rise quietly began with a 25-point game against the Nets on Feb. 4. Six days later, after dropping 38 points on the Lakers in a nationally televised spectacle, ‘Linsanity’ became a transcendent cultural phenomenon unlike anything we’ve ever seen — or will see again. Lin appeared on back-to-back SI covers, was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People and made every Knicks game must-see TV… more”
Fox Sports‘ Top Ten NBA Stories of 2012 lists “Linsanity” at #2. Here’s what they had to say: “The emergence of undrafted, Harvard-educated, Taiwanese-American point guard Jeremy Lin as the New York Knicks’ savior for a month transcended the confines of the NBA. There was no bigger, better sports story – arguably no better story, period – than Linsanity, which gripped New York, America, Asia and elsewhere as Lin led the Knicks to seven straight wins and turned around their season with his dynamic play and joyful spirit. It easily would have been the No. 1 NBA story of the year had it not been so fleeting. His falloff in play, knee injury and free-agency departure to Houston ended Linsanity for good, but it was fun while it lasted.”
New York Daily News‘ Top Sports Stories of 2012 lists Linsanity at #3. Only surpassed by LeBron and the Miami Heat winning the NBA Championship and the Penn State/Jerry Sandusky Scandal.
ESPN New York‘s Top Ten Sports Stories ranks Linsanity at #2, second only to the New York Giants winning the Superbowl.
CNN/Sports Illustrated‘s Ian Thomson ranks his favorite NBA stories of 2012 listing Jeremy Linsanity at #3: “Linsanity. Little more than an hour before a Feb. 3 game at Boston, New York coach Mike D’Antoni was admitting that the Knicks were desperate for leadership at point guard. “That’s why we’re going to give Jeremy Lin a shot today,” he told me. “See what he can do.” Lin, who played four years at Harvard and 21 games in the D-League after going undrafted, was a neglected 23-year-old guard at the end of the bench of the Knicks, his third NBA team in two professional seasons. Lin showed enough in seven minutes for D’Antoni to give him a bigger opportunity off the bench the following night against the Nets, who were beaten by his 25 points. Two nights later he was starting and scoring 28 in a win against the Jazz. He would lead the Knicks to seven straight wins… more”
The Guardian‘s Year in Review (America) is an interactive pinwheel featuring images that represent the biggest names and phenonmenons of the year. Lin is shown with Lance Armstrong, the London Olympics logo, Payton Manning, and Gabby Douglas.
MSN‘s THE YEAR IN POP CULTURE Jeremy Lin is the #1 photo in this gallery that includes Carly Rae-Jepsen, 50 Shades of Gray, President Obama’s re-election photo, and of course, Honey Boo Boo!
CNN/SI shows up a third time with their Best Games of 2012. Linsanity was in full swing when the New York Knicks met the Toronto Raptors on February 14th. “February 14 looked like it was going to be the day that ‘Linsanity’ was going to die down. Instead, Jeremy Lin took the phenomenon to a new level, scoring 27 points and nailing the game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds to give the Knicks their sixth consecutive win.”
Men’s Health picked Linsanity at #6 out of their 12 Most Inspiring Sports Moments in 2012. Here’s what they had to say: “If the word “Linsanity” didn’t escape your lips during two glorious weeks in February, you were living in a bunker. Jeremy Lin—the underdog, Asian-American, Harvard graduate who was living on his brother’s couch—single-handedly made the New York Knicks relevant last spring… more”
Did we miss any? Put the link into the comments and we’ll add it to the list.
NOT ALL ROSES: Lin didn’t quite sweep the lists. Some of the well-known 2012 recaps that didn’t include Jeremy Lin in there lists were Yahoo‘s Year in Review (LAME), Associated Press‘ Top Ten Sports Stories of the Year (AP), and CBS failed not once, not twice, but thrice to mention Lin in their end of the year sports lists: their Year in Review article, their Year in Sports: 2012 Pictures, in The Year in Sports segment. Somehow U.S. News and World Report‘s 20 Best (and Worst) Sports Moments didn’t include Linsanity.
Need a friendly reminder why Jeremy Lin was the BEST OF EVERYTHING IN 2012? Check out our video timeline of Linsanity. Weez love Jeremy Lin and weez love the internet.
