Tebowmania and Linsanity Unite in New York: Fan Reaction

Fast forward to Sunday October 28, 2012… The crowd at Madison Square Garden is going crazy. New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin is one basket away from his first ever triple-double. It is a fitting start to the NBA season, as Linsanity resumes in New York.

Seven miles away… The fans at MetLife Stadium are in a frenzy. The New York Jets have the ball at their own 10-yard line, trailing by four points. There are less than two minutes left in the game. The Jets break the huddle, and Tim Tebow surveys the field from the shotgun. He quiets the crowd, pauses and yells "Hut!" New York is about to get their first taste of Tebowmania, the phenomenon that captivated NFL fans last season.

Not since The Keymaster found The Gatekeeper has New York seen such a mighty union. This October, two of the most fascinating sports stories in recent years will unite in The Big Apple. Lin came out of nowhere and exploded onto the NBA scene. In his surprising debut, he led the Knicks to seven straight wins and saved their season. And he did it with stunning performances. Tebow had a similar breakout season last year, leading the Denver Broncos to six straight wins. His magical run made him the talk of the NFL. The Broncos made the playoffs, and Tebow orchestrated a shocking playoff victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Lin and Tebow play different sports, but they have surprising similarities. Both players were given little chance to succeed. Both of them shocked their critics with break out seasons in their second year. Lin and Tebow are both extremely coachable, hard-working and deeply religious. But the greatest similarity is their ability to play great in dire moments. Now both of them will be creating new, spectacular stories in New York.

There won't be enough room on the back pages of New York newspapers. There won't be enough local television time to highlight their games. Lin and Tebow are going to overwhelm New York. It will be maddening. And it will continue for years to come. Luckily, all fans have to do is sit back and enjoy it. And if Lin and Tebow are playing at the same time, just Tebow, I mean Tivo one of the games.

More from Edwin Torres:

Divine Signs Seen As Tim Tebow Leads the Denver Broncos to Playoff Victory: Fan Reaction

The Ten Commandments of Tim Tebow: Explaining His Stunning Success

Denver Broncos Have Found a 'Moneyball' Player in QB Tim Tebow: Fan View

Ability Not Ethnicity Makes Jeremy Lin Great: Fan View

Ten Reasons Why Jeremy Lin Will Stay with the New York Knicks: Fan View

Did Racism Keep Jeremy Lin Down? Fan View

Edwin Torres was born in New York City. He has been a Knicks fan since the early 1980s. He has visited Madison Square Garden on many occasions to watch the Knicks and his favorite player, Patrick Ewing. For more articles, follow him on Twitter @FlipPoker.

Sources:

NFL - Statistics - Yahoo! Sports

NBA - Statistics - Yahoo! Sports

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