Jeremy Lin: Why 'Linsanity' Will Topple 'Tebowmania'

Not only is Jeremy Lin filling up the stat sheet in every possible category, but he's actually winning basketball games for the New York Knicks.

New York has won three straight with for the first time in a month and is looking relevant once again.

Lin is not only running point, but he's leading the Knicks' scorers as well because of an injury to Carmelo Anthony and the absence of Amar'e Stoudemire.

With last night's victory over the Wizards, Lin's third straight 20-plus point game, it is safe to say "Linsanity" is officially a force to be reckoned with.

But is it enough to topple the hysteria of the "Tebowmania" phenomenon in the NFL this fall?

Absolutely.

Tim Tebow led the Denver Broncos to an improbable playoff berth and even more improbable playoff upset. The quarterback is easily the most scrutinized figure in the country's most popular sport and, love him or hate him, people want to talk about him.

But while Tebow captured an entire nation with his late-game heroics and controversial character, he did it out of Denver. The Broncos organization has nowhere near the appeal of the New York Knicks.

And although Tebow has roots in the Philippines, his international appeal falls short of Jeremy Lin—the first American NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent.

People would be lying if they said they ever expected the New York Knicks to win games with an Asian-American point guard running the show, but that is exactly what we have here.

If Lin can keep playing at a high level, and legitimately bring the Knicks back into the playoff picture, things will go wild both stateside and overseas.

New York is home to millions of people, and the Knicks have a widespread fan base as it is.

Factor in the rarity that is Lin, and "Linsanity" not only has legs to run on, but it has legs to thrive on.

If the New York freaking Knicks become playoff contenders because of the first Asian-American, "Linsanity" will not only match the hype that was "Tebowmania," but it'll topple it.

The city of New York wants so badly for the Knicks to be good again that they'll not only embrace Lin, but may even idolize him.

A lot still has to happen, and we're only three games into the Lin era, but when it comes to the New York Knicks anything is possible.

Expected the unexpected because "Linsanity" is here.