February 10th update

Lin taking Big Apple by storm

• Of all the big stars to make a splash in New York, absolutely nobody was predicting that Jeremy Lin would add himself to that list. If you haven't followed the NBA for the past week, you'd be completed justified in asking, "Who is Jeremy Lin? I've never heard of him."
• Lin, a end-of-the bench backup for the New York Knicks before this week started who played in the Developmental League and was released by the Houston Rockets, was inserted early into the Knicks-Nets game on Saturday because they've had inconsistent play at the guard spots and immediately made an impact. He's started 2 games since then and made a few highlight reel plays already, had the MSG crowd chant 'MVP' for him and has scored at least 23 points and dished out 7 assists in all 3 games the Knicks have played, stringing back to Saturday. He's the only player to do that in his first 2 starts other than Lebron James in the past 9 years.
• Lin is probably the least likely NBA star possible, a short Chinese-American who was born in Palo Alto, California (where Stanford is) and going to Harvard for college, you would think he'd be an academic not an athlete. But here he is, making a giant splash in a city where anything less is unacceptable. He has a long way to go to equal the likes of Derek Jeter or Eli Manning for the heart of New York but he's already gone a long ways toward passing the disappointing Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire in terms of being the most loved Knick. Let's wait to see if he can keep it up.


Supermodel Splitting a Team

• As we reported on Monday the New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl on Sunday when a last minute drive fell just short. In the last couple of drives, two of their receivers (Wes Welker and Deion Branch) dropped very catchable balls that Tom Brady threw. Had these players caught the passes, as they have done for most of this season, the outcome could have been very different.
• To make matters even worse for New England, Tom Brady’s wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, was taped calling out Welker and Branch. Even though she was supposedly provoked by Giants fans who were trash talking Brady, Bundchen’s comments could possibly cause a rift amidst the Patriots a la Yoko Ono (who she has been compared to by more than one analyst).
• The Bundchen controversy is just one that is effecting the Patriots after the Super Bowl. Injured Tight End Rob Gronkowski was taped dancing (if you can call it dancing) at a team sponsored after party on an injured ankle. Given his performance in the Super Bowl in which he hobbled around, some fans wondered how he was able to jump around with seemingly no pain, and others wonder why he was dancing in the first place, as athletes who lose their title game are unofficially expected to briefly "mourn" for lack of a better term after losing the championship game.


Former Pitcher claims use of cocaine while playing

• Former Boston Red Sox Pitcher Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd claimed that he was high on cocaine for approximately two thirds of the games he pitched. Boyd pitched for 10 seasons from 1982 to 1991.
• He claimed that he used cocaine all over the nation in clubhouses. He also said that all of his teammates knew of his addiction, and a few even made a few attempts to get him help. Boyd claimed that he was able to get away with it because he was never drug tested throughout his career.
• Boyd, whose nickname makes it seem as though he played in the 1880's, not the 1980's (the nickname comes from a slang term for a beer can from his native Mississippi) was known for his use of illicit substances. Boyd is not the only pitcher to claim pitching under the influence of illegal substances. Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis claimed to have pitched a no-hitter on LSD.