I think people should be more forgiving and understanding of LOFs. Especially if you are not asian. Why is it that LOFs annoy some people so much? It's about race! Well, mostly about race. Now everyone calm down and read slowly the rest of what I have to say and don't knee jerk into old patterns of thought. First of all, it's about race for "Lin Only Fans" because, truthfully, most of them are asian. And why shouldn't they be fanatical about Lin? He is the first and only asian player in the NBA to have had as much success. And that February in NYC was so, so amazing. It doesn't matter whether you think it was a fluke, whether you believe Lin will never replicate that level of play, for asian fans it was simply the first time ever, and I mean ever, that an asian player shined like that (in broadway lights) in the NBA. Now if the fact that asian people like....LOVE....ADORE... Lin just because he's asian annoys you, then ask yourself why, and is it fair to be annoyed by it? As much as we want to believe that we're all mature and that we are above idolizing our heroes, we are ultimately human. And we are biologically wired to look up to leaders and heroes. And truthfully, we look up most to people who are most like us. So why wouldn't asians look up to an asian NBA player more than any other? Why wouldn't they invest so much concern and energy to a hero, especially if there is only one hero to look up towards in the NBA? Lin Only Fans exist because there is only Lin to represent them. Now, I am not implying all Lin fans are asian. But most are. And there are many asians who watch the NBA. Thus the phenomenon we are witnessing here at "Clutchfans" this season. Think of what Jackie Robinson must have been like for baseball fans of color? Not only for African American fans but for all baseball fans of color. I'm sure when he first started playing he had the same single minded fans (they just didn't have the internet nor a fan site to annoy others). I bet some of you knee jerked and said to yourself, "THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN COMPARE JACKIE ROBINSON TO Jeremy Lin!!!!!!!!!!!!" "Jackie Robinson is a Hall of Famer, there was racial segregation..." You are right! There is no way to compare Jeremy Lin's talent to Jackie Robinson. PERIOD! Because Jackie Robinson finished his amazing career and Jeremy Lin is in the beginning of his career. What we can compare is how fans felt about Jackie and what they feel about Jeremy today. So ask yourself if you are not asian and if you feel annoyed that asians are so obsessed with Jeremy Lin.... Why does it annoy you?
I never bother getting into these Lin arguments, but I'll go ahead and post my displeasure with his extremely hardcore fans. I'm annoyed at the fact that they feel he is the savior of the Rockets. Linsanity was an awesome time in NBA History, something I surely will never forget because of how exciting it was, however, because of this, Lin fans feel he has some sort of entitlement. In fact, they go as calling Harden overrated which is ridiculously. I do tend to agree that Harden has gotten a bit ISO crazy some games during this season, but you have to realize Harden is our best player. Harden has actually made our team better. If we wouldn't have Harden right now, it is very likely that this team wouldn't be in it's current position. So calling him overrated just because these Lin fans are jealous that he is our de facto BEST PLAYER is ridiculous and annoying. Second, their utter hate for McHale is sad. I can't believe these people go as far as calling McHale racist. At the end of the day McHale is looking to win a game. More than likely a line up consisting of Harden + 4 others is our best chance to win. However, these people are annoyed that Lin gets taken out. Sometimes Lin is just sucking and he really is a detriment to us winning. He isn't always our best chance to win. Something these fans have to accept is James Harden is our best chance to win most of the time so he has to be out there no matter what, even if he is 1-20. I am okay with the tough love that McHale shows Lin because Lin has only been playing heavy minutes for a little more than a season as opposed to Harden who had a huge role in helping OKC. The situation reminds of Tony Parker when he was just developing. He started for the Spurs, but often times he did not finish. I remember in 2003 Finals, Speedy Claxton finished most of the games because he played so well and Parker stunk it up. I think long term, this helped Parker in the long term. Pop groomed him, was hard on him, but in the long term was a better player because of this. I have no doubt Lin will be a better player because of the tight leash McHale has on him right now, which isn't as tight as Pop's was on Parker. Overall, Lin is a good role player. He is not a Superstar, not an Allstar, not a star player, he is just a very good role player at this point. If he can become a star of Parker's caliber some day, that would be great! My annoyance with Lin fans will be their blatant disregard for the Rockets as a team and their ridiculously assumptions of McHale being racist and their BS of calling Harden overrated. This is coming from someone that really enjoys Lin in this team and hoping he grows with us long term and play in our championship teams .
You're right. Yao was asian but he didn't burst on the scene like Jeremy. Also Yao was successful over his entire career but he never had an intense shining period that captured people's imagination. Lastly, just like all big men, their popularity is tempered by their height. Think of Kobe or Shaq on the Lakers. Who was more popular, why? When you project and live vicariously through you're hero do you pick an avatar that is 7'6" or someone who's more like you? Someone that you may actually be very similar to...
Most Lin's fan are not even from Houston. Our only connection to the Rockets is Lin. Many of Lin's fans spend money, time and effort to support the Rockets.
Lin was not the first and neither was Yao. We had Yao and he was among the best to play the game. There was no doubt that Yao was a force on the court. He would even have a bad day and he never had to have an excuse except that it was an off night. He would come back and do it again. His fans (who were Rockets fans btw) loved Yao. We never cared he was Asian. We never even cared he was 7' 6". We cared that he could ball. His fans would never get upset when other players had a great night. We wanted other players to do well. We never got upset when he went and sat on the bench and his back up played well. We saw it as a good thing because it meant the team was doing well. Yao liked it too because he was a winner and it meant the team was winners. As an example. I was happy my team won. Beverley had a real good game. Pretty much won the game for us. I saw my team looking like we may have a bench player finally we could rely on. No bench no winning. But NO after the game we got frigging Lin Fanboys came on a couple of sites I frequent upset about Beverley. Whining and even someone demanding that Mchale be fired. Even started saying that Mchale was a racist for not playing Lin instead of Beverley. I am a Rockets fan. Can't be a longer fan than I as I watched the team when they first came here. I was young and grew up with this team. Lin fans come here and put my team and coach and city down because they are unhappy about perceived slights that are not there. They make me wish Lin would go away forever so I can enjoy my team.
I understand. Jeremy Lin = Danica Patrick. BTW its not cause hes asian that people have a problem its just that he plays horrible. I mean Yao was a beast I can understand why he is loved by many and his jersey will hang with the other greats at toyota center.
Can we discuss everything related to Lin in here...I'm an Asian myself that's why I love Lin..he embodies what I envisioned my life is supposed to be..lol..but unfortunately, I am not fortunate enough like him...aside from him, most of the NBA players that I follow are all black so I think I'm not racist..I like LeBron ( not when he plays against Lin )..I love MJ the most...I like Melo..I like Tyson Chandler..I like Toney Douglas and Marcus Morris....and most importantly I really really like JaVale McGee because he makes me laugh every time I watch him play.... I am not a Yao fan because growing up I believe he was a freak for being so tall...lol...and I was telling my friends that when people have his height, then he'll 99.99% excel in Basketball... Jeremy was different...We can't technically call him as Asian because he is American...and his journey is what makes me follow him..I am excited to know where his journey will bring him to... As his fan, knowing what he had gone through to be where he is now is already remarkable...We are not "cuddling" or making excuses for him...our greatest concern is to watch him play the game that he dearly loves....and if we complain, it's because we feel that he can do much better...
Maybe my memory's off, but I did not remember anywhere near the venom towards Rockets fans from YOFs during his tenure here. And this despite Yao getting tons more crap from Rockets fans from his rebounding to finishing to fronting and so much more. And this despite being top-2 at his position for most of his healthy years.
its because most YOFs could barely speak english, so noone had to hear them try to make rational arguments about Yao. It was almost like playing basketball with a r****ded kid, you gotta let some things slide. Yao almost never made bad decisions when he had the ball.
I don't care if Lin fans are Asian, white, Hispanic, or polka dotted. I care that they -play the race card when anyone doesn't lay out the red carpet and their finest meats and cheeses to recognize #7 as the greatest thing to ever happen to Rockets basketball. -pollute the GARM with garbage like this. It's a sad day a Clutchfans when the D&D has less poo being flung than the GARM. I don't care if you love Lin. I don't care if you love him more than the Rockets. Don't hide behind calling me a racist because I care more about the Rockets collectively.
LOL at could barely speak English...( I'm Asian so please do not accuse me of being a racist please )...maybe it's true...and I strongly believe that most of Jlin fans are not Asians...he got a lot of fans in the US than in Asia...and in Europe....even here in Saudi Arabia they've run a whole page of Editorials ( in Arabic ) for him during his Linsanity days..his Chinese fans will not try and post in this board because they will be eaten alive ( i.e, Knicks board in ESPN ).... And speaking of Yao, how could he make a bad decision when what he just needs to do is to shoot/lay-in/dunk the ball...Jlin is different because he is a PG so his decision making should be at the highest level every time...
I can understand why it would annoy other fans, when LOFs seem so single minded and focused on only Lin, whether by proclaiming Lin as a savior or as a victim of some racial prejudice/conspiracy. I wasn't trying to excuse that behavior but rather show why we would see such behavior. I was trying to say that if a large number of fans had only one player to best connect to and idolize, wouldn't their behavior include the annoying and absurd? If a large group of people only had 1 figure to project their wishes and aspiration for success, wouldn't it be understandable if those wishes are sometimes grandiose and exaggerated? What if there was only caucasian player in the NBA today and no other? Would you be surprised by his popularity regardless of his perceived talent? But this is the most important point... we can't imagine that one white player because of the history of the sport and history in general... and which is why I think folks have difficulty in imagining why LOFs exist.
FYI, a huge portion of this board that aren't LOF's are Asian. I'm Asian and I really dislike LOFs and here are the reasons. 1. LOF's don't care about the Rockets. 2. most LOF's have limited basketball knowledge 3. LOF's can't deal with any criticism of Lin 4. I can't bring up a comment about the starting PG of the rockets without a bunch of fans claiming racisim. 5. LOF's overrating LIN 6. LOF's complain when when the Rockets win with another player playing the point. 7. LOF's complaing that he is misused when in reality he is missing a skill that is important to winning. (ie. spot up shooting)
