Even though they play different sports and one was much more well known in college than the other, there is a great deal of similarity between the way the media and fans have attached themselves to Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin. There was nothing more popular during the NFL season than “Tebowmania,” and “Linsanity” has similarly consumed all the attention in the NBA. Lin has previously said he’s inspired by Tebow. On Saturday, Tebow reciprocated the praise.
“I really like him,” Tebow said of Lin during a red carpet interview at the Hall of Game Awards. “I respect him a whole lot and I’ve had the pleasure to really get to know him over the last few weeks and what a great guy he is. I just wish him the best of luck. How he handles himself and how he carries himself, I think he’s a great role model, and I’m proud of him.”
There are very few athletes who can relate to the type of attention these men have received. Tebow went through his season without any controversies (except the whole sign fine thing), and Lin has done the same the first few weeks of his popularity. And like Tebow said, with the way Lin has focused on the team instead of himself, he has been a great role model.
