Jeremy Lin: Manny Pacquiao Saying Right Things about Best Story in Sports

Manny Pacquiao is right, Floyd Mayweather is wrong and Jeremy Lin is the best story in sports right now. 

Forget Tim Tebow. That superstar has had the spotlight since his college days at Florida, and it's time for a new kid on the block. 

Jeremy Lin is the man of the hour, which proves he is far greater than most 15-minute flashes in the pan. The dude can play, and that is not the full story. 

There are so many aspects of this story that makes it interesting to millions and pulls us all in as sports fans. Manny Pacquiao gets this with his recent tweet that is simple, direct and to the point. More importantly, it is filled with good will when it would be far easier to hate. 

Instead, some would like to hate on a guy that was sleeping on his brother's couch just a few days ago. One of the more famous tweets to cause a stir came from Manny Pacquiao's rival and boxing equal Floyd Mayweather. 

Here is his tweet on the Jeremy Lin phenomenon. 

As you can see, it is far more hateful and, more importantly, it is wrong. 

Yes, other black players do enjoy the same production of Jeremy Lin, and they are called All-Stars. He has put up a string of 20-plus point games and beat a hot Lakers team while matching Kobe Bryant shot for shot. 

Yes, his ethnicity certainly plays a part into the story. We are a nation that is grounded in race and ethnicity for the best and worst of what that means. 

However, that is not all of what grabs us about Jeremy Lin. 

He has had to work to make basketball teams from high school all the way through the pros. Every step of the way he was closer to being shown the door than he was being a superstar. This is despite having amazing talent to go along with his humble demeanor. 

This is not like Carmelo Anthony throwing up 25 points a game, or Kobe Bryant doing the same. This is like Andrew Goudelock winning games on his own for the Lakers or Cory Higgens putting up All-Star numbers out of nowhere for the Bobcats. 

No, Money May, other black players in the same exact boat as Lin are not throwing up his production. The fact that he was a scrub nearing the end of his contract, is a Harvard grad and is carrying a team that lost two of their stars to injury is playing a huge part in the mania. 

You just sold another athlete well short, and that is funny coming from a player that puts so much importance on integrity and legacy. 

On the flip side, Manny Pacquiao took time out of his day to give some props and offer a blessing to a fellow athlete. 

This is yet another sign on why Pac-Man is well liked and Mayweather continues to get picked on by the media and boxing fans. 

There is nothing to hate about Lin—nothing. 

He is a hardworking athlete that is ridiculously humble. If you can't get on board with a story like that, well, you are just a curmudgeon that can't see the great positives in life. Even when they slap you in the face. 

Follow @gabezal