Opinion: Man to man defense
Editor's Note: Jeff Yang writes the column Tao Jones for the Wall Street Journal Online, is a regular contributor to WNYC radio, blogging for "The Brian Lehrer Show", and appears weekly on "The Takeaway". He formerly wrote the "Asian Pop" column for the San Francisco Chronicle and was founder and publisher of A magazine. He tweets @originalspin.
By Jeff Yang, Special to CNN
(CNN) - Last Friday, Jeremy Lin – the Knicks’ sensational out-of-nowhere superstar – finally sealed the deal.
Despite his record as one of the most exciting talents to come out of the Bay Area in years, leading Palo Alto High to a stunning 32-1 record in his senior prep year, he was recruited by none of the top basketball schools, finally opting to attend Harvard University after being offered a guaranteed spot on their team.
He subsequently dominated the Ivy League, and put up numbers in his senior year that should have gotten any NBA scout excited, becoming the only player in the NCAA’s Division 1 to rank in the top 10 in virtually every performance category.
And yet Lin went undrafted, finally accepting an offer of a deep backup slot on his hometown team, the Golden State Warriors – who gave him a handful of garbage minutes, shuffling him back and forth between the bench and the NBA’s development league, before finally releasing him in December.
The Houston Rockets, who’d lost center Yao Ming to retirement the previous season, briefly picked up Lin as a potential ploy to retain their substantial Asian fanbase, but dropped him a few weeks later – on Christmas Eve.
The Knicks, ravaged by injuries to all their big-name, big-ticket stars and reeling in the standings, picked him up to ensure they could field a full team on the floor. In the past week, Lin has led New York to a string of victories with a set of incredible individual and team performances.
And last Friday, after dropping 38 points on an elite Los Angeles Lakers squad, he convinced his remaining critics and doubters that they’d been wrong all along.
Most of them.
Minutes after Lin’s amazing game, with the streets of midtown still in the throes of LINsanity, Fox Sports News personality Jason Whitlock issued a flip, ostensibly satirical tweet that probably can not be reprinted in full here. Suffice it to say that it suggested that Lin would be celebrating his victory by entertaining “some lucky lady,” while also reiterating an ugly and cliché stereotype about Asian anatomy.
After heavy pressure from a range of sources, particularly the Asian American Journalists Association, on Sunday, Whitlock apologized for the joke, calling his remark “immature [and] sophomoric” and one that “debased a feel-good sports moment.”
While many people, including, apparently, Fox Sports News’s leadership, have been willing to let things go based on this act of contrition, I think Whitlock dodged addressing the larger cultural context behind his statement.
I think that’s unfortunate, especially in light of a few other recent in-the-news events.
The first is another offhand tweet by a television personality. Roland Martin, a commentator for the news channel behind this blog, CNN.
Just a week before Whitlock’s unfortunate gibe, as the Giants were headed for a shocking Super Bowl victory over the Patriots, Martin blurted a response to H&M’s sexy underwear commercial featuring David Beckham – suggesting to his followers that any men expressing enthusiasm for the ad should be slapped upside the head. The remark drew a firestorm of backlash from LGBT activists, who interpreted it as an anti-gay statement. Martin was subsequently suspended “indefinitely” from CNN appearances.
There is a connection between the two incidents, and it’s not just that they both related to prominent news figures caught out on social media. Both Whitlock and Martin are African-American men. And both were speaking from a position that illustrates a particular entrenched attitude among men of color about masculinity.
This isn’t the place to go deep into the record of how sexuality, gender and race have intersected in black, Latino and Asian American history, with tragic and sometimes horrific results. Suffice it to say that as a consequence of that history, within each of these communities, manhood – its definition, its expression and yes, the defense of it against those who would question it – plays an outsized role.
Whitlock’s joke said more about his own male insecurities, reinforced by mainstream culture’s stereotypes about black men, than it did about Lin’s anatomy.
And Martin’s joke was ultimately less of an attack on homosexuality than it was a rejection of “sissyhood”: Beckham has long been held up as an exemplar of the “metrosexual male” – the sensitive, fashion-forward guy who, gay or straight, presents an image that runs counter to the rugged and bellicose sensibility of organized team sports, particularly football.
As NFL cornerback turned sportswriter Alan Grant noted in an essay some years back for ESPN.com, “the athletic world – that realm of all things male, musky and aggressive – is the final frontier of masculinity,” which is why it’s so frequently a cesspool for, as he put it, “crude, old-fashioned, sophomoric statements about sexuality.” Like Whitlock’s. And Martin’s.
Whether they intended to or not – and even if they’re oblivious to the fact – with their comments, Whitlock and Martin injected themselves into a much larger conversation of what it means to be a “real man” in an era where manhood is constantly perceived to be “under attack.”
But maybe the particular male archetype that Whitlock, Martin and many others have held up as a benchmark is one that deserves to be under attack.
It celebrates physical parameters that few men can reach – certainly not Whitlock or Martin, or me, for that matter: Big, burly, massively muscled, inhumanly endowed. It reinforces the notion that manhood is best expressed through violence – giving women “pain,” per Whitlock, or “slapping the ish” out of someone, per Martin.
It is, quite frequently, accompanied by words and actions that are deeply misogynist or nastily homophobic, or both.
It presents manhood as the fruit of harsh treatment and abuse – as exemplified by the viral video of the so-called “Eagle Dad,” Chinese businessman He Liesheng, forcing his four-year-old son to run around Central Park in the snow in his underwear to make him more manly: “When the old eagle teaches its young, it takes the young eagles to the cliffside, beats them, and pushes them to teach them to use their wings,” explained He.
One of the things that’s most incredible about the Jeremy Lin phenomenon isn’t just that he’s had so much success, but that he’s done so without relying on or embracing the tenets of raw, rugged, roughneck notions of manhood.
He’s a devout Christian who begins each game with a ritual in which he and Landry Fields mime reading a Bible together, and ends games by thanking God (though not in a way that is excessive or flamboyant, unlike some athletes of faith with whom he’s compared).
He’s humble, hard-working and preternaturally mature. When treated with contempt by competitors – for example, Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who professed not to know who he was, and repeatedly called him “this kid” in an interview prior to L.A.’s loss to Lin and his Knicks – Lin has responded with grace, and won their respect with his actions rather than his words. (I admit to having tried to push Lin into a battle of words with Bryant myself: I was the journalist who asked him at the post-Lakers game presser whether he thought Kobe “knew who he was now.” Lin’s polite response was that Bryant had reached down to help him up during the game after he had gotten slammed to the floor in a hard collision, so yeah, “Kobe probably knows who I am at this point.”)
And his Knicks teammates universally call him a genuine and generous “sweet guy” who, in rookie guard Iman Shumpert’s words, “would give you the shirt off his back.”
It all makes you think that Lin’s immigrant Taiwanese parents did a terrific job. Given how deep his relationship is with them – Lin constantly praises his mother and father as his biggest supporters, greatest role models and closest confidants – you can tell that the man Lin is today reflects the boy they raised: A boy who was encouraged rather than coerced to excel, for whom both athletic and academic achievement were placed in balance with simply enjoying life and pursuing higher causes.
That boy has turned out to be a pretty good man, with the potential to maybe become a great one.
As a father of two young sons myself, all of us big fans of Number 17, I’m hoping that continued success as a player and as a person will put Lin’s quiet brand of masculinity on the map. And maybe, Lin-spiration will serve as a man-tidote to all the abusive Eagle Dads, tough-talking sports fans and bad-boy ballers and brawlers we’re subjected to today.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jeff Yang.
About In America
What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.
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Man to Man – Woman to Woman--WoMan what is going on?
Right... and if there isn't gay marriage then everyone might want to get divorced.
See the slippery slope argument can slide both ways... and both are ridiculous.
"Quiet"? Save it for the birds man.
Frankly it makes me laugh when someone tries to tell me what it really means to be a man. I've been a man since I was a kid and I don'rt care what anyone else thinks, I can think for myself. That is the beauty of manhood.
This is a fantastic article that sums up the essential truth about human achievement and the unfortunate criticism that come with it. Good Job.
To Jeff Yang: You criticize, and rightly so, Whitlock and Martin for their insensitive and immature tweets. That is all too common in today's social media world of speak first think later. But you unmistakenly refer to Tim Tebow and his expression of his faith as "excessive" and "flamboyant." So is tolerance and acceptance only relative to culture and masculinity? Is that what you teach your two young sons? I hope they grow up to be bigger than that.
What I find unfortunate about the Jeremy Lin story is that some people seem to need to try to always find something wrong with anything that is joyful. I'm definitely not a Knicks fan, but this is the ultimate feel good story in sports in the past several years. Revel in it.
I wouldn't pay much attention to what a couple of black men might say...there is a Darwinian reason why you find "those people" at the bottom of every socio-economic statistic...
Im a blackman, damn! that comment hurts, but it was a good one, jeremy Lin is the only reason im looking at the NBA right now.
I, for one, couldn't give a rat's rump what a couple of spoiled dip jocks or mysoandric limp-wrists weigh in about manhood. A lot of us have had our manhood tested time and time again, whether catching fish in freezing 15 foot swells, walking steel hundreds of feet in the air with burdensome equipment and chronic bronchitis day to day, working three shifts in a row on a back-breaking production line whenever the boss feels like it, staying awake through many nights tending over an ill loved one to work two jobs during the day for years, doing what you have to do with excruciating pain because the cost of medical attention will draw money out of your child's college funds, constantly taking disrespect from some idiot with a corner office and a trust fund although you could fold him in half and stuff him in a trash bag, walking away from a firefight with some thug on a late night beat; all these things men do for family and loved ones with a smile, although you know that every bad day, more and more of your life bleeds out of you. Screw what the idiots and the posers have to say about manhood, if they have to cackle like hens about it, they need to get a clue.
You've clearly spent your fair share of time thinking about those African-American men's manhood. =|
As have you – I am certain.
Asians (and Americans) couldn't have a better story nowadays to follow. Let's not kid ourselves, it's sports entertainment. And Lin is an entertainer, he will never cut a cancerous tumor from a child's body. But he helps us forget that stuff and he seems to be a good guy. And for that, with all that we have going and kids looking up to celebrities that have lost their way – Lin is a breath of fresh air. GO KNICKS! GO LIN!
Lin seems firmly in control of his emotions. I admire that and consider it a mark of mature manhood. I think it is OK to show emotion but to just let your feelings flow straight out your mouth with hurtful, embarrassing consequences seems to be a weakness among many public figures.
The point here should be to ask ourselves why we, as a society, hold certain races to lower standards than others. Shouldn't we expect all people to excel despite color, and shouldn't we hold those who choose to engage in irresponsible behavior accountable, also despite color?
Simply put would I rather have a son with a Harvard degree in Economics who excels at sports, is respectful, secure and honors his mother and father or one from Ball State with a degree in Journalism and who is disrepectful and insecure. Easy choice.
Asians typically have smaller statures than other races. But that's primarily due to nutrition, not genetics. The typical asian staple is high in vegetables and carbs, and low in protein and dairy. I have seen Asian kids born in the U.S. who are much taller than their parents who were born in their native country. Unfortunately they're often also much fatter. Give it a generation or so, and you'll see many more Asians in pro sports and other fields they're not typically associated with.
WOW this guy whines a lot, it just went on and on and on with the whining. And why Tebow time in order to raise your Asian boy up?
Racist!
I didn't hear race mentioned at all, in that reply. For you to assume it, says much about you.
Huh?? Why do people go out of their way to criticize others but don't go out of their way to make sense while doing so??
Can we say "white racist inbred trailer trash male"
Lin is a refreshing change. The NBA is now predominantly composed of players who would have played for the Harlem Globetrotters in a by-gone era.
What are you talking about? Lin turns the ball over a ton and jacks up shots.....he plays more Globetrotters than almost any NBA player.
You've completely missed my point. I'm saying that the African-Americans should realize that their players wouldn't even be playing in the NBA or the major leagues a few years ago. Where did all their compassion go??
[jimbo I'm saying that the African-Americans should realize that their players wouldn't even be playing in the NBA a few years ago.]
"in 1950, Chuck Cooper became the first black player drafted by an NBA team, the Boston Celtics."
now stfu. nobody in the nba is bothering lin.
Everyone should just let Lin have his moment in the sun. If he has a successful career in the NBA, than he has earned it. If he is just a fluke, than he will just be an asterisk in New York Knicks history. There is no reason for the black community to be up-in-arms over one Asian-American athlete. After all, if Tiger Wood and the Williams sister can excel in a non-black sport, than why can't Lin excel in the NBA?
Really? "black community up-in-arms"?.. just because one idiot tweets some ignorant ish about Lin that's your intelligent conclusion?... .. Trust me there were thousands of the "black community" cheering and chanting Lins name in MSG, NYC, and across the US the past few games.. even some NBA players were tweeting good things about how he was putting on a show.. The "black community" EMBRACES good ballers from all races.. Yao, Dirk, Nash, Gasol, Bird, J. West, K. Love, Ginobli...etc.. Game recognizes game.. as they say.. I just think whitlock was being a hater just like tebow had his haters.
Exactly.....talk about taking a point out of context and running with it.
Well said!!
Excellent point! And I like the young man, go LIN. And good manners...TRACK
P.S. I really don't care about basetball
Jeff Yang, whatever points you were trying to make this your article was completely killed and disregarded by your opening statement that Jeremy Lin ranked in the top 10 in virtually every performance category. Fact is, Jeremy Lin averaged 12.9 points per game, 3.5 assists per game, and 4.3 rebounds per game through his 4 years at Harvard. You must also take into account that the majority of the games he played were against the IVY league schools where academics, and not athletics attracted their students. Your embellishment at the beginning of your rant discredited any points you hoped to get across.
BLEH............I have seen much better average, if you look at the overall chart, this kid does not even qualify for the 20 best.
Right – he's only averaging 27 points a game in the NBA. What a FOOL you are!
WELL....i guess this is news, since it is not usual to see Asian kid being good at basketball.....both NFL and NBA are dominated by blacks, so anytime there is a white r Asian that does well, the media just focus on them and make them into some kind of God of the sport. LOL
white are always looking for the next "great white hope", in this case "Asian hope" LMAO
And you aren't even including the majority of African American men 18-25 doin time in the factory. LMAO now.
Many things are true. Meaness is maybe the worst of them.
the NBA had it's best season last year with 4+ million viewer.....what is this guy saving the NBA from exactly??? lol
hahahahahahaha......what a pathetic article.....this guy average point is nothing compared to many other ball players. The only reason we hear about his, is because he is an Asian guy who had a good day in a sport that is dominated by blacks.
You clearly don't see the point. Even if Lin was black or white he would still get a lot of attention and hype because the way he came out from nowhere and started winning games. You don't get surprise when Kobe makes 40 points in a game because he's a star and he's expected to do that and that's why he gets paid a lot. Unlike Lin who just earn $800K a year and was even supposed to be waived last week.
The clip states that Lin is the first Chinese NBA player. What about Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets ? (Now retired)
Lin is the first Chinese-American NBA player.
It's great to finally see the racists open their mouths. They're always "sorry" for hating Asians just because they're Asian – AFTER their jobs are headed south because they've opened their mouths. Republican politicians and their secret, hidden, buried, dodging, ashamed, meek, and lying sniper PAC teams are even WORSE!
Jason Whitlock is fat, rascist tub of goo. No one should pay one second of attention on that worthless lard-arsh.
Being a man means dominating things penetrating things, forcing things, controlling things, and devouring things and feeling like the controller. That is the feeling of testosterone and being a man. Woman can't understand that as they have their estrogen fits of emotional I need comfort Im in pain I need the feeling of your pain or my body natural will go into pain on its own. Man needs to create pain to survive.
So, is that rock you live under heavy enough to cause the necessary paint for you to feel like a real man? I hope you were kidding!!
Prison is in your future, if you haven't done time already.
Here Rider I....lay down here on this couch and tell us all about your childhood. Sounds like someone didn't get enough nurturing as a child. Or any at all, I'd say.
If some Asian sportscaster had tweeted about Whitlock's IQ, it would have brought down the PC police, with the Reverend Sharpton leading the charge to have him fired.
But in reality, Whitlock's IQ does need to be questioned – not as a stereotype, but as an individual. His package upstairs is short a few inches.
Yea, if Whitlock had been white, and Lin had been black, this story would be front page news, and number one on Al Sharpton's 'nuther 15 Minutes List.
I love how black folks are always screaming racism and playing the race card, but they are just as racist and into stereotyping other people as anyone else. Is one asian-american athelete in the NBA that much of a threat to their livelihood or manhood? Do they really think this is going to start a wave of asian athletes into pro sports? Black people loved it when Tiger Wood and the Williams sister dominated a white-only sport like golf and tennis. But heaven forbid a chinese-american should ever succeed in the NBA. It seems like black folks only condemn racism when it is directed at them, while other ethnic groups are fair game for racist jokes.
As a black man I agree... Ignorant people make sick and its people like Whitlock and Mayweather that make our race look bad with ignorant childish jokes, its completely uncalled for these days..
Kennie,
I am a black man and a big fan of JLin...I don' think that black hoopers are afraid that Asian players are afraid of Asian players coming in and taking over the league. However, I do agree with your point that black people think that they we are the only ones that deal with racist acts. Where are the black so called activist to speak out against Martin, Mayweather and Whitlock's silly comments. I love JLin and he should be a welcome prescene in NBA. MLK said 'a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere'....
Yo, Tiger Woods is much more Chinese than Black. His mother's a Thai-Chinese mix who's darker than his father who was a mix including Chinese and Black. If color is really relevant, note how much white folks covet a tan, yo.
LMAO LMAO
what a dumb comment, the majority of ball players are blacks, why the hell will they be scared of ONE Asian guy??/ LOL
you are the racist, because you clearly have a problem with black people.
Jeff, thanks for the insightful and articulate article. Testosterone without the self-control civilization is based on is an ugly and dangerous thing.
Real men are secure in their masculinity. As such, there is no need to prove one's "manhood". Insecurity can breed behavior to appear manly. Fortunately, real men know the difference.
Whatever jokes may be made about Asian anatomy, over a billion Chinese people pretty much make that argument irrelevant.
I was glad to read this article. I don't watch college ball and rarely watch the NBA so I'm not familiar with Lin as an athlete. Based on his stats, it's too bad he was not picked up before but there is a reason for everything. Perhaps having to slug through all the steps will ensure that he stays the same guy he always was.
There will always be men who will speak inappropriately about other guys' bits or their race. It's juvenile. And with the technology we have now, every gaffe spreads like wildfire. Seems to happen with any rising star who looks different from those in their league (Tiger Woods for example... people made comments about his race too.) This tempest shall blow over, like everything else. I don't care about the size of anyone's parts... if the guy can play ball... that's what's most important right?
Jason Whitlock must have some obsession with asian penises.
He should really come out of the closet and admit his gayness.
Eloquent description of a truly talented athlete.
Lin is not being praised because he is Asian. He is being praised because he just had the best 4 game start to a career(first 4 starts, he has played in other games but not started) in decades. And he plays for the Knicks...in New York City...who were horrible until he showed up...playing without their two best players...and they won 5 in a row and have become relevant again.
The fact that he is of Asian descent in a sport where Asians are not known for their prowess is really just a side note.
How ironic that Jason Whitlock would throw around racist stereotypical comments about Aisans. Anyone who's ever read on of his columns on FoxSports would know that Jason is always first to accuse anyone (like team owners etc.) of racism when it comes to african american athletes in the NFL or NBA.
Great article!
@Cleo: I just took the time to browse through every post listed. I have several issues with you and your 'posts.' First, you harangue anyone who discusses anything other than your narrow definition of the article's topic, specifically 'the nature of manhood." Yet, you have not offered a single opinion yourself on the topic. I agree with others that your behavior within this forum has been woefully inappropriate. Secondly, I find fault with your premise that the 'topic of the article' is the nature of manhood. The article appears to me to be an analysis of the complexities of race, gender, and archaic schools of thought that are all too rampant in our society, with a specific focus on the aforementioned issues and how they have surfaced recently in the specific case of Jeremy Lin. I believe the author intended to be more specific than abstract in his essay. If you disagree, I encourage you to please harass the author about it, and leave the rest of us to chat in peace about topics of our choosing. Thank you.
Am I the only one that doesn't think Yang isn't being completely honest with himself and what he thinks about "manhood"? Exactly what was he trying to do when he asked Lin a very pointed question to try to get him to engage Kobe in a "battle of words"? Was he hoping that Lin would puff out his chest and talk some trash? Seems like Yang wants his hero to be ready to prove his manhood. The authors actions go against the exact complaint he outlines in the article.
Jason Whitlock used to write for the Kansas City Star, and he was just as racist then as he is now. He is a big, tubby jerk who longs for the days he allegedly played college football. Every article he wrote had some tinge of racial bias. Don't pay any attention to him.
stupid article.....i have seen much better players, this article is just pathetic.
you havent seen a better player over their first four starts....and thats fact.
Both your name and your comment clearly show that you can be dismissed as irrelevant. Thank you, please drive through.
Gee, from the headline I was expecting something else from the article. It's just more of the same. CNN giving a PC platform for everyone who has some cry-baby rant.
I think Jeff Yang should be questioning his own manhood. What a little pu$$y.
Yang doesnt need to when ignorant thugs like you do it already.
So being against racism is "PC" to you Dan? Bet you wish for the days when "men" wore white hoods.
I agree but remember this is CNN....they love to promote any kind of class warfare...such is this vile networks agenda...of course they have many other dishonest agendas also....
i take it that you're probably white; i may be wrong, but you probably never experienced racism; so you cant possibly understand what Asian people go through here in America, i have been called a lot of slurs and that my people are responsible for WWII (i'm 3rd generation American), etc. But my parents and grandparents never complained about things like that; just work hard and make something of yourself, so Jeff is saying what many of us Asians feel, but don't say out loud, so give Jeff a break, and try to be more empathetic.
sorry to say this, but there are lot of players than this guy. he is being like only because he is Asian and he had a good day in a sport that i dominated by black people.
c'mon now....i have seen better.....and the NBA had his best season last year with 4+ million viewer. this guy is "saving" nothing!!!!!
There was a lot of hoopla made about the Williams sisters and Tiger woods too in part because of their ethnicity. So what? They are all still very talented individuals that earned their place. Same with Lin.
Lin has helped turn the team around with his play. He also came out of nowhere and may well have been overlooked in making it to the NBA sooner because of his race....did any of you think about that?
In any case, he seems to be demonstrating a huge amount of class. More power to him!
jheron
TYiger wood and the william sister were actually NUMBER ONE in the charts for a long time, it ha nothing to do with their race they were just on top of the chart.
this Asian guy average scores is low compared to many ball players.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHA
THIS GUY GET 38 POINTS IN ONE GAME AND NOW HE IS MICHAEL JORDAN JR.
LMAO LMAO LMAO
Everybody knew about Michael Jordan before he joined the NBA. Did you know about Lin? A week of good press about the guy, and you have to be a jerk about it.
LMAO, the guy score 38 points in ONE GAME and suddenly he is the god of basketball.
LMAO LMAO LMAO
dude he has averaged 27pts 8 assists over the last 6 games with a team of nobodys...give some credit.
@JIMMY
DUDE, There are other ball players with a much better average.
nuggernaut, name one PG over the last 6 games playing better than Lin.
Most Points Scored in First 4 starts (since ABA-NBA merger):
MJ – 99
Shaq – 100
Iverson – 101
Linsanity – 109
BUDDY....OPEN YOUR EYES WIDE...........AND KEEP WATCHING AND SEE HOW THIS GUY DOES IN HIS TEAM.......
"after dropping 38 points on an elite Los Angeles Lakers squad, he convinced his remaining critics and doubters that they’d been wrong all along."
UMMMMM.....the Lakers are hardly "elite" anymore. "Old" is a better word to describe them.
This article implied the NBA had some bias against Lin for not drafting him high enough or giving him more than garbage minutes of playing time and implied that this was do to his ethnicity. He was highly recruited in prep High School and excelled at Harvard. Does it make sense that the NBA would overlook him?
The NBA (& Pro sports) are indeed biased but not against race but intelligence. When a team is comparing two like players of similar talents, whom to choose? To most players, the NBA is the ticket to golden life. With a Harvard degree, Lin has options far beyond playing basketball.
I hope Lin inspires young athletes with his Harvard education as well as his ability to score...
oh big deal. These two guys are like the jocks at high school making fun of the nerd. Except that in this case, the "nerd" is a harvard grad playing basketball in NBA and created the term "Linsanity". Women will be more willing to line up for Lin especially after hearing how well spoken, how nice, how smart, how talented, and soon how $$ than these two jokers. When people have to make fun of someone on his "manhood", it just shows they can't find anything else to fault him. So they have to come up with some hypothetical scenario. These two jokers cannot be more jealous of Lin....
Well said and totally true. It's this "reverse racism" that makes it even worse. Imagine how Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson would freak out if someone like Jason (but white) tweeted something stereotypical about black people – like "Popeye's is going to be sold out tonight" or "if Jeremy (i.e. black dude) could read, he'd love his stat line..". Etc..
Wait...Don Imus did and lost his job...this is ridiculous.
J. Lin is a Sensation and a New York hero right now, all of the other negativity and racial BS aside, he should be celebrated for what he has done and is doing which is revitalizing basketball for New York! Congratulate the man!
Tiger-mom and eagle-dad; meet skunky-son and foxy-daughter.
Funny!
me love you long time
Have some respect.
Blame Bobby Brown
So a lot of the stupidity contributing to this article started at Fakes Snooze, eh?
Imagine that. They have a stable of fools over there at Rupert's house...replete with dumb ish*.
Whitlock's Twitter message is disgusting. Jerry's piece here puts that twitter msg in the context of the greater question – "how do we view manhood today". It is sad that sports journalists like Whitlock are actually reinforcing incorrect perceptions that are very harmful to the next generation of NBA followers. Good piece Jerry..the eagle example especially conveys a very strong message!
This is an exceptionally perceptive and well-written article. I wish more sports writing was like this.
Peace
By the way, just to stay off topic, which is actually the intent of Cleo, aka this forums particular troll du jour. A logical fallacy is a comment that seems logical but is in fact a fallacy. For example, if it rains the ground gets wet, the ground is wet therefore it must have rained. While on first inspection this seems like a logical statement however it is in fact a logical fallacy. I'll let you do the math on this one.
These are not real heroes!!! Stop the idol worshiping.. These are well paid entertainers.. Yes they are talented, but not real heroes.. The real heroes are those individuals who go out of their way to do good in the world.. Usually the world takes no notice..Sometimes they risk everything to make this a better world.
Actually Lin is a pretty charitable guy and has a couple of youth organizations he runs. So, he is more than just a not so well paid entertainer by NBA standards. He actually does some good with his fortune or lot in life.
Who is and is not a hero is defined by us. Lin was clearly discriminated against because of his race and beat the system anyway, and should be a role model for all kids, especially Asians, who don't conform to stereotypes. That may not be enough to be a hero in your book, but do not presume for others who is and is not a hero.
Sorry, in Houston teaching HS class on critical thinking.
Student misunderstood, 'Pretend you are the teacher..', and, 'Lablel post with Logical Fallacy you found'.
Good for you, I think my engineering skills trump your I teach a I HS class in critical thinking. I live in the world of logic. English while enjoyable is riddled with opinion, the topic of the article is "the nature of manhood" however no where is there a forum rule that suggests must only comment on said topic, sub-topics , sub-plots, alternate themes are all opinion for discussion. I did not know you were the forum moderator.
test.
I'm not the forum moderator.
I'm a VERY tech unsavvy 41 year old teacher trying to figure out how to block posts to CNN from these two macs now. With some very entertained students looking on but not being helpful.
test.
Of course, you are not the forum moderator, somewhere your middle school english teacher is rolling his/her eyes in disgust as the facetiousness of my comment was utterly lost on you.
Cleo, you're annoying. And you last comment was wayyyy off topic. Not many would care what the 'ell you're up too.
Off topic.
Cleo-Retracting my previous post that you were annoying. It's a good thing you're teaching your students using the
internet to analyze what's on/off topic, logical, overly emotive, skewed, etc. My apologies. It's a good idea.
he already explained. His students are pretending to be him, posting here on any comment that has logical fallacy. Leave the man alone.
Very insightful, thoughtful commentary. I remember reading a book ( "Class") discussing different cultural perceptions
of masculinity. Basically, there's the "Hugh Grant" kind of guy in England (accepted in the shy, stuttering way) and the
"John Wayne" type in the US. Maturity and a real education is peeling away all the facades and accepting there's
all kinds of "Men."
There are all kind of men, but there are cultural differences. I don't think you neccessarily need to accept that there all kinds of men, just that their are differences in culture. At one time footbinding was considered beautiful in parts of Asia, does that mean Western Culture has to accept that as beautiful? I personally have no issue with footbinding however I don't find it particular beautiful at all and that is ok. To each his own. Accepting and trying to redefine a cultural norm are two different things. John Wayne is masculine by American standards, Hugh Grant isn't. So what? French men would be considered effeminate by American standads big deal, why do people have a problem accepting that their is differences but also have a problem accepting one has the right to not embrace that difference.
All facades from Hollywood.
You probably should have an issue with footbinding as it is incredibly painful and essentially torture for women. Women were pressured or in some cases forced to do this. The fact you don't have a problem with footbinding shows just how uneducated you are
I think the problem is that there is a stereotypical male that journalists visualize, either white or black, but nothing else. There is a lot of importance on sports placed in both those communities that you just don't find in the Asian community, especially so in the U.S. It's probably why though Lin was exceptional, it still wasn't enough to convince the NBA teams that he had what it takes to play in their league. It's kind of sad that it takes someone of Yao's or Lin's ability just to be considered for a position.
Is this cleo person for real? talk about not having a job or anything to do except comment on people's comments lol and no it was not relevant to the article, but I do love lin-sanity
He (Cleo) is intolerable.
'It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
Abraham Lincoln
I enjoy watching good, fundamental baskeball, and hope that Mr. Lin continues to play well and make his teamates better.
Question at hand is not about basketball.
Central issue of Author's article is 'Thoughts on contemporary manhood'.
Your post is slightly off topic.
Shut up, moron. You don't dictate the manner of random conversation readers choose to have over whatever article they want to have it. Contribute or get off the internet.
The quote is from Confuscius.
First things first, Fisher hacked the HELL outta Lin, when he put the spin cycle on'em and the Lakers. That typed, Basketball superceeds racial barriers,....sports in general and organized athletics. Skunks gotta write an article about something. NBA.
Off topic.
Any ideas on manhood today? (Which was the central question of the article)
Lin, is the real deal.
So...
What is your opinion about the contemporary nature of manhood?
A breath of fresh air that is neededfor the NBA. It's a great game, with a lot of amazing athletes, and it doesn't need trash talk Yo Mama! slam dunks to entertain the crowd. The game does that.
Totally off topic.
Any thoughts on ... oh I don't know ... What manhood means today?
You know...the point of the article.
Cleo, I didn't realize that these OPINION posts are subject to a referee telling people what is on and off topic. This article touches on many topics and themes...if you have an opinion, share it, but don't be dismissive of other people's opinions because they aren't offering an opinion about the one topic you want to discuss.
Actually, longtooth is not totally off topic. If we're policing others thoughts today. . . then this post is in keeping with the author's proposition that a quiet leader who's on-the-court ability and humility evoke an image of a stronger, more confident male than the headline-grabbing, highlight-seeking behavior of many of his peers. You needn't read any further than the author's last paragraph to read a similar summation of his thoughts. Not far from the poster's conclusion that Lin's on and off the court personality are a more favorable representation of manhood, more exemplar than what is more typical in the sports arena.
Uh .. yes it does. You must be white. Oh wait ... didn't we just have a whole article about this ...
Whitlock's comment is a disgrace and a slap in the face to the very forefathers of the african american sports community (e.g., Jessie Owens, Jackie Robinson, Satchel Page and many more) who trailblazed the path that he took to get to where he is today. His half-hearted attempt at justifying his words as reflecting the "comic in him" insults and demeans the very hardships that Jessie, Jackie and Satchel faced while they pursued their dreams as Jeremy Lin is doing now.
Slightly off-topic AND speculative.
Central question of article is, 'What is the nature of manhood today?'
Do you have any thoughts on that?
Tebow has an appeal to women. Not the tall Asian guy...you can pretend otherwise if it makes you feel self righteous.
So what is the nature of "manhood"
This is your opinion, but to link Whitlock and Martin about two COMPLETELY different subjects is wrong. Then you made it an African American thing because they're both African American. Landry Fields is African American. He's on the Knicks. He's friends with Jeremy Lin. He went to Stanford. Jeremy Lin was sleeping on Landry Field's couch. Why didn't you link Landry Fields being African American to be like Whitlock and Martin? Because people of the same ethnicity are not THE SAME. Just because you have the same ethnicity as someone else doesn't mean you think and feel what they think and feel. To make this an issue of manhood, and implying that Jeremy Lin is the new example of manhood in the NBA is absurd. There are many players in the NBA who are Christians and pray and do awesome things for many other people. The one you mentioned praying with Jeremy Lin is African American. Praying in the NBA is not new with Jeremy Lin. Jeremy Lin is American. He's not injecting anything new into this entire thing that other NBA players have not done already. He is a good player that's getting his shot. And i hope he takes it and run with it. What you fail to remember is that MOST players in the NBA were long shots too. They worked hard to get where they are, and they overcame insurmountable odds. The media has turned this feel good American story into a circus story. They've made it a gimmick story as if an Asian American being in the NBA is a gimmick and a trendy thing. Jeremy Lin worked hard to get his shot now, and he appears to be doing a great job of utilizing his opportunity. I think its absolutely great. And it gives a good role model for ALL PEOPLE to be inspired by. But this not anything new in the NBA, or in America. This is what this country is all about. But, you making this an African American-Jeremy Lin-manhood-Whitlock-Martin hate thing is not accurate. Don't assume every African American agrees with Whitlock and Martin about anything they say or do. Every man speaks for HIMSELF. I didn't like or agree with what either of those guys tweeted, and I'm an African American man, and a Jeremy Lin fan.
Off-topic.
Authors central question is about the nature of manhood today.
Your response is an emotional outburst about perceived inconsistencies in his portrayal of Blacks. I will give you a few points... but only because Landry Fields IS black as you say. So your outburst at least has facts in it. Which puts it ahead of most of the other posts here.
Now...
Do you have any ideas about ... say ... the contemporary nature of manhood?
You know... the central question of the article.
Thank You, You know what irritates "blacks" is that you assume that "blacks" are one monolithic group who all think alike , speak alike, act alike, look alike, or whatever else. and we have so called leaders that speak for all of us. Thank You for pointing out that Martin, Mayweather, and Whtlock aside from being "African-American" have nothing inc ommon that we know of, and they certainly don't have the commonality of speaking for me as a blackman. I can speak for myself. I wish other people would learn this and stop trying to group all blacks together.
Off topic.
Another emotional outburst, only with fewer facts.
thanks Cleo, for your opinion. I think you should learn the difference between facts and opinions and my comments wer ea matter of opinion, except for the fact that "I can speak for myself" since it is my ability and I would be authoratative agency on said comment, it is a fact.
There is nothing emotional about it.
The author's point was whenever a white commentator, celebrity or politician so much as sneezes the wrong way at a black person, they are crucified. These 2 black guys made moronic racial comments, yet the lack of uproar by the left-wing media is deafening. If the cancer known as political correctness must continue, then all races and ethnic groups must be victims because anything less is hypocritical and intellectually dishonest.
I am definitely NOT a Knicks fan, but very much a Lin fan! Every "abusive Eagle Dad, tough-talking sports fan and bad-boy baller and brawler" needs to read this piece. Very well said Mr. Yang.
The only ones who doubt others masculinity are those who are insecure in their own.
I think it is very ironic that the David Beckham commercial was included considering it was an American football championship. To me it shows that soccer is indeed the world's game, and the NFL can never ever get away from that.
On topic AND offers a zen like existential appraisal of the nature of Man-Hood.
You are at the head of the class so far.
Only critique is the addendum on the off topic subject of soccer v football. But given your comment on manhood, I will give you a high signal-to-noise rating anyway.
Cleo, just shut up and go away
who died and made you the topic police?
Upon further review withhold comment.
Beautiful article. When I was young I have always been taught by my parents to be humble, respectful to others. American society however thinks it is a sign of weakness. You have to be loud, aggressive, and arrogant to be considered "manly". Mr. Lin is a good example for young men and a good example of what Asian men are like.
Thank you so much, Jeff, for writing this thoughtful piece. There is too much animal courage in this world and not enough moral courage. And Mr. Lin possesses the latter in abundance. I have never given a hoot about the Knicks or any other NY team, but I will watch the Knicks any time Jeremy Lin plays. My twin brother, who is one of my favorite people in the world, is named Jeremy, too!
Couldn't agree more; well-said.
Nice article. Overall, I agree with your post except for the one about Kobe. I don't think he meant any disrespect to Lin for calling him "this kid". Kobe is near retirement age and J Lin is is what 23? You can't expect basketball's greatest player right now, to pay respect someone before he played him. As for the black commentators and jocks like Mayweather, is it any suprise? Blacks have impugnity when painting themselves as the perennial victim, the one who is discriminated, stereotyped, cliched. Well, they show their true colors all the time. They would like to say, well don't let a few bad apples speak for our race. Well, I don't see their spokesmen coming to denounce their brethren when they behave badly in public, even if that is a true reflection of whats in their hearts. How come there aren't so many bad Asian, White, Hispanic apples out there to denigrate blacks more? Oh that's right, everyone has been cowed into thinking that some blacks can just mouth off with no repercussions. Yes they do, because Whites are afraid to speak their mind. I don't blame them. But let's not pretend we don't see the big white elephant in the room. Anyone remember when Yao popped into the scene, invited Shaq to dinner, made by his mom, and got nothing but racial slurs form Shaq in interviews? Oh yes, but our black compatriots can do no wrong. Maybe we need a Wang Sharpton, Yessie Jackson? But in the end, J Lin will do what most Asians do, we shrug it off and do our best and succeed....quietly. So, China is #2 now in the world, coming from nowhere within 20 years. There's no shame in being Asian, or Chinese.
Your post is off topic.
Offers no incite on the nature of 'Man-Hood', which is the material question put forth in the article.
Sorry...I'm just in the 'Logical Fallacy Cop' mode today.
Sorry meant to say :
"Your post offers no INSIGHT into the nature of 'Man-Hood'"
So, Andrew you disgrace yourself by starting with this comment "Blacks ...." . So, what we've learned is that people are full of prejudist including yourself. Neither Martin, Mayweather, Whitlock or any blackman speak for me. I'm my own man, and yes, I'm black. Lin's play is unbelievable and he should be congratulated but to celebrate as though race plays no part in this story is insane. Yao Ming race played a role in his story, the Jamaican Bob sled team's race played a role in their story. Are they breaking molds, yes, just like a Black QB in the NFL borke a mold right or wrong. As stated to imply events happen in a bubble irrespective of race is asinine.
So, you're rooting for China now? Are you American or Chinese?
Who cares?
Just another liberal racist article that makes no sense...
Supposition.
Do you have any supporting arguments?
Amen!
Well written article, and one that I'm sure most people agree with. I hope the rest figure it out as well.
No True Scotsman Fallacy.
But you're doing better than most here!
Thanks for this great op-ed. Mr. Lin sets a shining example for our nation's young people. It is heartening to hear that the hateful bigots Martin and Whitlock are being held at least partly accountable for their actions.
I agree that his is a good article, and that Mr. Lin is a good example (and a really good basketball player). However, one comment by Mr. Martin or Mr. Whitlock does not make either of them a "hateful bigot" any more than your post makes you a "moron". They both said something they shouldn't have said, just like you just did.
The PC police are out in force, phyiscally speaking Jason Whitlock was probably right and all you have to do is do got to an Asian supermarket that sells condoms to see for yourself. It's like reffering to Blacks as African American, say f'in what?!
Seriously the only type of ANYTHING American are NATIVE Americans and the slapping of PC stickers on everything is just hypocrytical BS. But to be really honest it doesn't matter how long your dong is, as long as you make sure to finish what you start women just don't care.
Nicely said.