By now the Jeremy Lin story is a secret to no one. First there were the nicknames: Linsanity, "All I Do Is Lin," Lincredible, ESP-LIN—the list could go on for an entire story it seems.

Then there were the questions about Lin fitting in with the stars on the New York Knicks that were out when he made his debut. Would he fit with Amar'e Stoudemire? Will Carmelo Anthony mess up the chemistry? What will Baron Davis' role be when he comes back?

Most of these questions are usually formed by the media and are of little concern to those who are actually playing the game. After all, 75 percent of those asking the questions have never played organized basketball and 95 percent have never played at a high level like collegiate or professional level (yes, I've played at both). But Lin and the Knicks have put those questions to rest and now need to just gain trust and better chemistry.

The return of Carmelo to the lineup and the free-agent signing of J.R. Smith will only help put Lin and the Knicks in position to contend for the Eastern Conference championship—if not this year then next year.

Not only will these additions take pressure off of Lin and allow him more freedom to be a pure point guard, but he will become a more efficient point guard, and be named to the 2013 All-Star team for sure. If you are uncertain about this assertion and think it may be jumping ahead too far too fast, consider the following reasons before making your decision.

1. Having Better Players Around Him Actually Makes It Easier to Score

Lin started his run by averaging more than 20 points a game. That's an incredible way to burst onto the scene, especially when the next team you face knows that you are the first, second and fourth option on the court. Insert Amar'e and Smith and you add an inside/outside threat which opens shooting lanes for Lin.

Now add Anthony to the mix. Carmelo now slides back over to fill the scorer role. When he doesn't have to be a playmaker like he was trying to do before Lin came, he is without a doubt one of the top five scorers in the NBA. This will allow Lin to spot up and be the receiver of passes from 'Melo, Stoudemire or Smith.

2. Lin's Turnovers Will Greatly Diminish, Giving Him into the Elite Point Guard Status

One of the few flaws in Lin's stat line is his high turnover rate, or assist-to-turnover ratio. This is the major stat line when measuring a point guard.

His turnovers are credited to a few things that have already changed. He is the primary ball-handler. Now that Anthony and Davis are back, he can play off the ball at times and teams cannot double-team him off of pick-and-roll situations.

The abundance of shooters on the court allows for better driving lanes to the basket. This will ultimately cause for defenders to have to slide over and help, leaving wider passing lanes for him. Wider passing lanes equal a smaller amount of turnovers.

Lin has a high basketball I.Q. and with more games, practices, reps and film study, he will learn the habits of teams and other guards he will face. Familiarity with a defense causes fewer turnovers. Also, now that he is the established starter, the offseason will allow him to focus on his weaknesses, like going left just as strongly as he does when he goes right, instead of focusing on trying out for the next team.

Which eastern conference point guard do you enjoy watching play the most?? Which eastern conference point guard do you enjoy watching play the most?? Derek Rose Jeremy Lin Deron Williams Rajon Rondo Jameer Nelson Total votes: 130

3. The Team's Success Will Gain Votes

It's no secret that if there are two players that are playing at almost the same level, and their stats are comparable as is their popularity, the difference-maker is often the team's success. Right now the top point guards in the East are Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets and Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics. Rose is the reigning NBA MVP and the Bulls will seemingly be one of the top teams in the East for the foreseeable future.

Williams will be a free agent at year's end and it's uncertain if he'll remain with the Nets, who will be in Brooklyn next year. If he stays, he may lose the popularity vote to Lin and unless the Nets make drastic changes to their roster, expect the Knicks to have a much better record.

Rondo is in a similar situation as Williams. The Celtics are on their last legs. The elder team is not expected to be in tact as it currently is next season. Rondo was the subject of many trade rumors this past offseason, so it's almost certain that the rumor mill will once again begin spinning with his name in the midst of it in the offseason. The future of Rondo and the Celtics roster is very unstable and uncertain, so right now, with Lin's stability on the Knicks quickly cementing, Lin has the advantage on Rondo as well.

4. Lin Will Get the Votes Yao Ming Once Got

Although they are from different countries, Yao received votes from many Asian countries as fans vote via the Internet. Lin has appeal from not only the Asian countries, but here in the United States as well. He is the perfect feel-good, anyone-can-make-it story. He is also widely popular in Europe as well. His jersey sales are a telling sign, if nothing else.

The first week that Lin burst onto the sports world, he had the highest-selling jersey and still does since then.

He's gotten so popular he had to make a plea to the Taiwanese press to give his family some space. They were so sought after that they couldn't even go to work.

Personally, I am not surprised about this kid of Taiwanese and Chinese descent making it in the NBA and having the skill set that he does. Watching Lin does give that feeling that with hard work on your craft or passion and perseverance with that craft, you just may get that opportunity to showcase that talent. Just realize that opportunity may only come once.

When it does, don't just attempt to get "a foot in the door"; take a page from the Jeremy Lin story and blow the hinges off the door.

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Jeremy Lin: 4 Reasons the New York Knicks PG Will Be an NBA All-Star Next Season

Jeremy Lin had an easy night ahead of his toughest opponent yet, and the New York Knicks tuned up for their trip to Miami by beating the Atlanta Hawks 99-82 on Wednesday night.

Lin had 17 points and nine assists, sitting out most of the fourth quarter in a rare game during his remarkable run that the Knicks needed little from him.

Carmelo Anthony scored 15 points in his second game back from injury for the Knicks, who led the depleted Hawks by 25 points at halftime. New York bounced back from a loss to New Jersey on Monday and won for the ninth time in 11 games since Lin joined the rotation.

They visit Miami on Thursday in their final game before the All-Star break, and Lin's emergence has the Heat's attention.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and teammates have been asked repeatedly in recent days about the ex-Harvard guard, and coach Mike D'Antoni was told the word out of Miami is the NBA's hottest team will be waiting for the Knicks' back-to-back Sports Illustrated cover boy.

"At the airport?" he joked.

Not quite. But whatever they do will provide more resistance than the Hawks, who trailed by as many as 30.

Jeff Teague scored 16 points for the Hawks. They played without All-Star guard Joe Johnson, who left their loss at Chicago on Monday with a sore left knee and had to pull out of Sunday's game in Orlando, and have lost three straight and five of six.

The Knicks shot 52 percent in the first half, scored 30 points in both periods, and led 60-35 at the break.

They lost their focus briefly midway through the third before pulling away again to lead 78-56 heading into the fourth. Lin watched the first 6-plus minutes of the final period before D'Antoni curiously put him back in leading by 20 with 5:13 left. Lin still played only 33 minutes after he logged at least 36 in all but one of the previous 10 games.

He'll likely need to do more against the Heat, who have won seven in a row and have the NBA's best record at 26-7.

The Heat have been the NBA's biggest story since building their Big Three in 2010, but even they've been flying under Lin's radar in the last two weeks. That will change Thursday in a nationally televised game that James said could be "one of the most watched games we've had in a long time, especially with what Jeremy Lin is doing."

The game against Atlanta came on the one-year anniversary of the Knicks' acquisition of Anthony from Denver in a blockbuster trade that cost them four of their top six players. The results have been underwhelming — 14-14 last season and 17-17 this season, and D'Antoni acknowledged the high price the Knicks paid for the All-Star forward "depleted a lot of things."

However, he said they've built their depth back, and the potential was obvious in the first half, when all nine players who played scored.

New additions Baron Davis and J.R. Smith could be an explosive second-team backcourt, and teamed up on a pretty alley-oop that Smith dropped in with his back to the hoop. Steve Novak is the 3-point specialist needed to space the floor so Lin and Anthony have room to drive into the lane.

Novak scored 17 points, Landry Fields had 16, and Smith finished with 12.

See the original post here:
Lin leads Knicks to another victory

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jeremy Lin had an easy night ahead of his toughest opponent yet, and the New York Knicks tuned up for their trip to Miami by beating the Atlanta Hawks 99-82 on Wednesday night.

Lin had 17 points and nine assists, sitting out most of the fourth quarter in a rare game during his remarkable run that the Knicks needed little from him.

Carmelo Anthony scored 15 points in his second game back from injury for the Knicks, who led the depleted Hawks by 25 points at halftime. New York bounced back from a loss to New Jersey on Monday and won for the ninth time in 11 games since Lin joined the rotation.

They visit Miami on Thursday in their final game before the All-Star break, and Lin's emergence has the Heat's attention.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and teammates have been asked repeatedly in recent days about the ex-Harvard guard, and coach Mike D'Antoni was told the word out of Miami is the NBA's hottest team will be waiting for the Knicks' back-to-back Sports Illustrated cover boy.

"At the airport?" he joked.

Not quite. But whatever they do will provide more resistance than the Hawks, who trailed by as many as 30.

Jeff Teague scored 18 points for the Hawks. They played without All-Star guard Joe Johnson, who left their loss at Chicago on Monday with a sore left knee and had to pull out of Sunday's game in Orlando, and have lost three straight and five of six.

The Knicks shot 52 percent in the first half, scored 30 points in both periods, and led 60-35 at the break.

They lost their focus briefly midway through the third before pulling away again to lead 78-56 heading into the fourth. Lin watched the first 6-plus minutes of the final period before D'Antoni curiously put him back in leading by 20 with 5:13 left. Lin still played only 33 minutes after he logged at least 36 in all but one of the previous 10 games.

He'll likely need to do more against the Heat, who have won seven in a row and have the NBA's best record at 26-7.

The Heat have been the NBA's biggest story since building their Big Three in 2010, but even they've been flying under Lin's radar in the last two weeks. That will change Thursday in a nationally televised game that James said could be "one of the most watched games we've had in a long time, especially with what Jeremy Lin is doing."

The game against Atlanta came on the one-year anniversary of the Knicks' acquisition of Anthony from Denver in a blockbuster trade that cost them four of their top six players. The results have been underwhelming - 14-14 last season and 17-17 this season, and D'Antoni acknowledged the high price the Knicks paid for the All-Star forward "depleted a lot of things."

However, he said they've built their depth back, and the potential was obvious in the first half, when all nine players who played scored.

New additions Baron Davis and J.R. Smith could be an explosive second-team backcourt, and teamed up on a pretty alley-oop that Smith dropped in with his back to the hoop. Steve Novak is the 3-point specialist needed to space the floor so Lin and Anthony have room to drive into the lane.

Novak scored 17 points, Landry Fields had 16, and Smith finished with 12.

Notes: Hawks coach Larry Drew was disappointed that Josh Smith was passed over in favor of Boston's Rajon Rondo when Commissioner David Stern chose the injury replacement for Johnson. Smith averages 16 points and 9.6 rebounds, is top 15 in the league in blocks, rebounds and steals, and was already considered perhaps the biggest snub when reserves were chosen. "I really thought that he would get the invite once word was that Joe wouldn't be able to play," Drew said. "I mean, you look at Josh's numbers, he has good numbers. His numbers are good enough to be where he should be an All-Star. Why he didn't make it, I don't know." ... Knicks assistant Mike Woodson was the Hawks' head coach from 2004-10. ... Lansdowne Road, an Irish pub in the Hell's Kitchen section of New York, announced it was changing its name to LINsdowne Road

Read this article:
Lin has 17 as Knicks smoke shorthanded Hawks

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jeremy Lin had an easy night ahead of his toughest opponent yet, and the New York Knicks tuned up for their trip to Miami by beating the Atlanta Hawks 99-82 on Wednesday night.

Lin had 17 points and nine assists, sitting out most of the fourth quarter in a rare game during his remarkable run that the Knicks needed little from him.

Carmelo Anthony scored 15 points in his second game back from injury for the Knicks, who led the depleted Hawks by 25 points at halftime. New York bounced back from a loss to New Jersey on Monday and won for the ninth time in 11 games since Lin joined the rotation.

They visit Miami on Thursday in their final game before the All-Star break, and Lin's emergence has the Heat's attention.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and teammates have been asked repeatedly in recent days about the ex-Harvard guard, and coach Mike D'Antoni was told the word out of Miami is the NBA's hottest team will be waiting for the Knicks' back-to-back Sports Illustrated cover boy.

"At the airport?" he joked.

Not quite. But whatever they do will provide more resistance than the Hawks, who trailed by as many as 30.

Jeff Teague scored 18 points for the Hawks. They played without All-Star guard Joe Johnson, who left their loss at Chicago on Monday with a sore left knee and had to pull out of Sunday's game in Orlando, and have lost three straight and five of six.

The Knicks shot 52 percent in the first half, scored 30 points in both periods, and led 60-35 at the break.

They lost their focus briefly midway through the third before pulling away again to lead 78-56 heading into the fourth. Lin watched the first 6-plus minutes of the final period before D'Antoni curiously put him back in leading by 20 with 5:13 left. Lin still played only 33 minutes after he logged at least 36 in all but one of the previous 10 games.

He'll likely need to do more against the Heat, who have won seven in a row and have the NBA's best record at 26-7.

The Heat have been the NBA's biggest story since building their Big Three in 2010, but even they've been flying under Lin's radar in the last two weeks. That will change Thursday in a nationally televised game that James said could be "one of the most watched games we've had in a long time, especially with what Jeremy Lin is doing."

The game against Atlanta came on the one-year anniversary of the Knicks' acquisition of Anthony from Denver in a blockbuster trade that cost them four of their top six players. The results have been underwhelming - 14-14 last season and 17-17 this season, and D'Antoni acknowledged the high price the Knicks paid for the All-Star forward "depleted a lot of things."

However, he said they've built their depth back, and the potential was obvious in the first half, when all nine players who played scored.

New additions Baron Davis and J.R. Smith could be an explosive second-team backcourt, and teamed up on a pretty alley-oop that Smith dropped in with his back to the hoop. Steve Novak is the 3-point specialist needed to space the floor so Lin and Anthony have room to drive into the lane.

Novak scored 17 points, Landry Fields had 16, and Smith finished with 12.

Notes: Hawks coach Larry Drew was disappointed that Josh Smith was passed over in favor of Boston's Rajon Rondo when Commissioner David Stern chose the injury replacement for Johnson. Smith averages 16 points and 9.6 rebounds, is top 15 in the league in blocks, rebounds and steals, and was already considered perhaps the biggest snub when reserves were chosen. "I really thought that he would get the invite once word was that Joe wouldn't be able to play," Drew said. "I mean, you look at Josh's numbers, he has good numbers. His numbers are good enough to be where he should be an All-Star. Why he didn't make it, I don't know." ... Knicks assistant Mike Woodson was the Hawks' head coach from 2004-10. ... Lansdowne Road, an Irish pub in the Hell's Kitchen section of New York, announced it was changing its name to LINsdowne Road

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Knicks make quick work of injury-ridden Hawks

21-02-2012 14:49 Second Story Addition A full rotation of the Model rendered with Final Renderworks

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Custer FR360° - Video

February 22, 2012 - Canadian Football League (CFL) Winnipeg Blue Bombers WINNIPEG, MB - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have announced that they have hired two new defensive coaches who will join Head Coach Paul LaPolice's staff this season. Will Plemons will be in charge of coaching the defensive line and Chip Garber will take over coaching the linebackers.

"I am very excited to have both Coach Plemons and Coach Garber join our staff for this upcoming season," said LaPolice. "Both coaches have a ton of experience at either the collegiate level, or in Coach Garber's case, the professional level and specifically the CFL. They will both be great teachers to our players and are great additions to our team."

Garber comes to Winnipeg from the Toronto Argonauts where he spent the last two seasons as the team's Defensive Coordinator. In 2010, his defence gave up the fewest points, both per game and overall, was second in the league in both average yards gained per pass and average yards gained per rush. Four of his defensive players were named to the East Division All-Star team in 2010 and two were named to the team in 2011. Garber's first foray into the CFL came in 2008 when he was named Defensive Backs Coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. That season, the Tiger-Cats finished second in the league in interceptions. The following season, Garber was named Defensive Quality Control Coach of the Washington Redskins of the NFL. Garber has a vast amount of experience at the collegiate level having worked on the staffs of the University of North Texas, Hofstra University, Army, Virginia Military Institute, University of Minnesota, Texas Christian University, Mississippi State, Kentucky University and Southern Methodist University.

Plemons has been the Defensive Line Coach at Fresno State University since 2009 where he helped develop Pittsburgh Steelers draft pick Chris Carter into being named the 2010 Defensive MVP of the Western Athletic Conference. Fresno State's defence ranked sixth in the nation in sacks in 2010. In 2007, Plemons coached the defensive line at Sacramento State University where the defence was ranked second in total defence in the Big Sky Conference, second against the run and first in sacks. He moved to Fresno State in 2008 and coached the linebackers for one season. Plemons began his coaching career as the Assistant Offensive Line and Tight End Coach at California Lutheran University in 1998, before taking over the defensive line in 2000. He moved to Fresno State in 2003 to coach the defensive line before joining Idaho State University as defensive line coach in 2006.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Read more from the original source:
Blue Bombers Add Two Defensive Coaches to Staff

22-02-2012 12:24 The community celebrated the official opening of the newly renovated and expanded Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre on Thursday February 16. The second story expansion of Centre provides open concept rooms that host arts and crafts programs, a computer lab, billiards room and a lounge with an outside patio and seating area. The original floor has an upgraded kitchen with areas for dining and socializing. In addition, the gym and meeting rooms have been upgraded to provide additional versatility in programming. A senior's garden is in the planning stages and should be completed in the coming months in time for spring plantings. Programs previously run out of the Sunrise Pavilion are now being offered at the new centre. As part of the grand opening, a community celebration was held with Surrey seniors that featured live music, Seniors' Choir performance, artist activations, a professional billiards demonstration, carpet bowling and table tennis demonstrations, and other fun for all ages.

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Grand Opening of the Expanded Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre - Video

Remember when Steve Jones and Nicole Scherzinger were to originally share The X Factor hosting duties? Well, the duo hosts option is back on the table as part of a rejiggered second season according to one of the show’s top executives.

PHOTOS: An 'American Idol' to 'X Factor' Timeline

"Simon's vision was always to have a man and woman host this and to make it feel a little bit like an award ceremony,” FremantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz, whose company is a producer on both American Idol and The X Factor, tells TV Guide Magazine. “A glamorous girl and a good-looking guy doing a kind of double act."

Jones may have appreciated sharing the burden with someone else. Alas, that wasn’t his lot in life. After suffering much criticism among fans for his curt style, Jones broke the news of his departure from the show himself via Twitter in late-January. Well, you know what hit the fan then. Over the next few hours, both Scherzinger and Paula Abdul would find themselves sharing the termination headlines with the British talent.

STORY: The J.Lo Effect: $15 Million Becoming the New Standard as Reality Salaries Soar

As to the reasoning behind the changes, Frot-Coutaz says that X Factor didn’t differentiate itself enough from American Idol, which they chose to leave alone this year after last year’s additions of judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler -- another decision they seem to be second guessing in light of its ratings decline.

In the case of Abdul, it felt Simon Cowell’s chemistry with her was too reminiscent of Idol, as well. So, the pop star and choreographer had to go too.

PHOTOS: Inside Simon Cowell's 'X Factor' Trailer

"There was no way around it," the CEO says. "In terms of making the show feel different, everyone felt we needed to put it in a different situation."

Since then, Cowell has made it very clear that they’re looking for big stars to fill the open judging spots. Currently, Janet Jackson is in early talks with the producers. And while Mariah Carey remains a desirable hire for the show, Cowell has admitted that the late Whitney Houston was under consideration at one point as well.

Who do you think can fill the two hosting spots they’re mulling over? Tell us in the comments section below. 

Email: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com; Twitter: @TheRealJethro

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'X Factor' Entertains Replacing Steve Jones With Two Hosts

Steven Madden Ltd. reported higher profit for the fourth quarter as revenue showed growth. Steven Madden designs, sources, markets and retails women’s, men’s and children’s shoes for sale through its wholesale and retail channels.

Investing Insights: Warren Buffett Trashes Gold, But What About Silver?

Steven Madden Earnings Cheat Sheet for the Fourth Quarter

Results: Net income for Steven Madden Ltd. rose to $23.8 million (55 cents per share) vs. $17.6 million (41 cents per share) in the same quarter a year earlier. This marks a rise of 34.9% from the year-earlier quarter.

Revenue: Rose 73.7% to $279.8 million from the year-earlier quarter.

Actual vs. Wall St. Expectations: Steven Madden Ltd. beat the mean analyst estimate of 54 cents per share. It beat the average revenue estimate of $266.2 million.

Quoting Management: Edward Rosenfeld, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are pleased to have ended 2011 with record fourth quarter results. We delivered high-teen organic sales growth in each of our wholesale footwear, wholesale accessories and retail businesses. Our flagship Steve Madden brand led the way, as we recorded strong gains in Steve Madden women’s footwear and handbags in both wholesale and retail and in both the United States and international markets. We also continued to integrate and capitalize on our new acquisitions, Topline and Cejon, which are proving to be excellent additions to the business. We believe we are well-positioned as we head into 2012, with a strong portfolio of brands, a proven business model, and a number of substantial growth opportunities which we anticipate will enable us to continue to drive top and bottom line gains.”

Key Stats:

The company has enjoyed double-digit year-over-year percentage revenue growth for the past five quarters. Over that span, the company has averaged growth of 45.8%, with the biggest boost coming in the most recent quarter when revenue rose 73.7% from the year earlier quarter.

The company has now seen its net income rise for three quarters in a row. In the third quarter, net income rose 39.3% and in the second quarter, the figure rose 20.1%.

The company has now topped analyst estimates for the last four quarters. It beat the mark by 4 cents in the third quarter, by 2 cents in the second quarter, and by 3 cents in the first quarter.

Gross margin shrank 7.7 percentage points to 35.5%. The contraction appeared to be driven by increased costs, which rose 97.3% from the year earlier quarter while revenue rose 73.7%.

Looking Forward: Analysts have a more positive outlook about the company’s results for next quarter. The average estimate for first quarter of the next fiscal year is 52 cents per share, an increase from 51 cents sixty days ago. The average estimate for the fiscal year is $2.24 per share, a rise from $2.23 ninety days ago.

(Company fundamentals provided by Xignite Financials. Earnings estimates provided by Zacks)

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To contact the reporter on this story: Derek Hoffman at staff.writers@wallstcheatsheet.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Damien Hoffman at editors@wallstcheatsheet.com

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Steven Madden Ltd. Earnings: Fifth Consecutive Quarter of Double-Digit Growth

24-09-2010 06:18 The latest addition to the acclaimed and award winning Classic Albums series tells the story behind the making of one of Heavy Metal's greatest achievements: "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath. Released in the autumn of 1970, the band's second album is regarded by many as the finest Heavy Metal album of all time, is hugely influential and has come to define the Heavy Metal genre. The four original members of Black Sabbath: Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward talk us through the making of the album, together with the original engineer via interviews, demonstrations, archive videos and use of the original multi-track tapes.

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Rush - 2112 and Moving Pictures - Classic Album (Trailer) - Video