A Tale of Two Cities: How Lin and Sanchez Reflect the Best and Worst of New York

Remember Jason Hill? He is the wide receiver on the Miami Dolphins who early in the season said that Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis was over-hyped because he played in New York.

Hill had a point, but he was telling only half the story.

Jeremy Lin, the Knicks point guard who has become an overnight sensation on Broadway, and Mark Sanchez, the Jets' embattled quarterback, are examples of how New York can build an athlete up higher than the tallest skyscraper or knock him down like a wave washing over a sand castle. 

And all of it in a New York minute.

Lin has been a revelation for the Knicks. He was a waiver pickup who was sent to the D League and then inserted into the lineup in desperation by coach Mike D'Antoni with the team floundering. Lin has infused the Knicks with energy, enthusiasm and understanding of how to play the point guard position.

And he has done it with mostly a rag-tag bunch of reserves because Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony have been out of the lineup and the preseason point guard Toney Douglas is not even in D'Antoni's rotation.

He has captured the imagination of New York basketball fans and tested the imagination of tabloid headline writers: Linsanity, Linderella, Linning streak, and other plays on his name have made Lin a household name in less than 10 days.

Over-hyped? Perhaps. Would Lin become a topic on the nightly news around the country if he played in Portland, Sacramento or San Antonio?

But Lin should heed how quickly the worm can turn in the Big Apple. Sanchez, the Jets' No. 1 pick three years ago, was christened "the Sanchise" when he arrived. He has posed for GQ and dated supermodels. He helped lead the Jets to the AFC Championship game in his first two years.

But after going 8-8 this season, Sanchez has come under fire. Questions have been raised whether he can lead the Jets to a Super Bowl or ever become an elite quarterback. Teammates have gone on the record to criticize him, and some have chosen the more cowardly way—hiding behind the unnamed source label.

Sanchez has been silent since the season ended, perhaps waiting to see if the Jets management and coaches still believe in him or will try to acquire Peyton Manning. But this much is clear. The love affair between Sanchez and Jets fans is over. They even booed him before a game this season.

It's hard to imagine a quarterback with a winning record and 4-2 in the playoffs being treated this harshly in Carolina, Jacksonville, Seattle or Houston. But that's the other side of fame in New York.

It's a lesson Jeremy Lin should keep in mind.