GOOD
Jeremy Lin
"Linsanity" has taken over New York. The first Harvard University grad to play in the NBA since 1954, has the ever-rabid Knicks fans in a tizzy after leading his team to three consecutive wins last week, averaging 25.3 points a game in the process. While marketers struggle to get Lin merchandise on the shelves and average ticket prices at Madison Square Garden have jumped 13 per cent, the rising popularity of the only Asian-American in the league is starting to mirror that of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. Not bad for a guy still sleeping on his brother's couch.
Sam Gagner
And for my next trick. … Okay, the Oilers centre didn't quite reach the heights of his eight-point night of a week before, but he did tack on another four goals and two assists over the last seven days, showing his scoring binge wasn't just a one-night stand and giving the Edmonton front office something of a conundrum in the runup to the NHL trade deadline.
BAD
Rob Gronkowski
Maybe someone should tell the New England Patriots tight end that his team lost the Super Bowl. No sooner had the game ended last Sunday than a shirtless Gronk was recorded dancing up a storm at a party – showing far more mobility on his injured ankle than he had in the loss to the New York Giants – before hamming it up with Kobe Bryant at Thursday's Los Angeles Lakers-Boston Celtics game. Who ever said losing hurts?
Sandy Alderson
The New York Mets are in bad shape. How bad? Bad enough to make their general manager drive to spring training. After lopping $50-million (U.S.) off their payroll over the winter, Alderson tweeted Thursday the team was having a "big fundraiser tonight for gas money." He later said he was driving because his dog doesn't like to fly, but it's good to see he can keep a sense of humour about the whole situation.
Urban Meyer
Barely two months into his tenure at Ohio State, the two-time national championship-winning coach has already taken his first handbag swipe at the Buckeyes' great rivals, or as he calls them: "That team up north." For those confused about who he was talking about, let us simplify things, Urban style, by letting you know that they also play in "That there stadium," and they're nicknamed after "That beast from the woods." Simple really.
Paul Attfield