DISGRASIAN™

Your Hipster Jeremy Lin Tee Is Here

Because it’s New York. And most New York sports fans I know are arty-farty like that, so a regular ol’ official licensed product of the NBA just won’t do.

The shirt is from Deer Dana, a label that prints portraits of cooler-than-thou luminaries on tees and totes. They’ve got a few other NBA star tees–Kobe, Paul Pierce, Amar’e–but their insider-y fashion and pop culture tees are the best. Martin Scorsese, Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz, Serge Gainsbourg, and Justin Bieber as the greek god Apollo. Below are just a few of my faves:

Clockwise from left: Karl Lagerfeld as a cowboy, vintage Dolly Parton, POTUS

[Deer Dana]

Filed under: Cool Sports Jerseys, Deer Dana, Hipster Gear, Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lin Apparel, Jeremy Lin Hipster Tee, Jeremy Lin Swag, Linsanity, Swag

Chink In The Stands, An Asian American Fan’s Notes

I sat down to write about the fallout that’s ensued since ESPN editor Anthony Federico wrote that “Chink In The Armor” headline a little over a week ago, and I ended up with a bunch of stories about myself. In some ways though, I think these notes better articulate my frustration and anger over many of the conversations that have taken place about Jeremy Lin with regard to race than explicit words to that effect would have. Or maybe I just really like talking about myself.

____

For most of my life, I’ve been a sports fan. I was born and raised in Texas, so it was mandatory. More to the point, I was born and raised Chinese American in Texas. I couldn’t look like my peers, I couldn’t be accepted as an equal by many of my peers, but I could root for the same teams as my peers. And somewhere deep down, I probably figured that if I could demonstrate the same devotion to the idols of my peers, they would eventually come around to the idea that I wasn’t all that different from them, and perhaps even accept me as one of their own.

____

My father arrived in College Station, Texas from Taiwan in 1965 on a student visa. Continue reading Chink In The Stands, An Asian American Fan’s Notes

Filed under: #1 Fan, Alex Rodriguez, Asian Americans, Chink, Chink in the Armor ESPN, Chink in the Armor Headline, Dwight Clark, ESPN, Fandom, Houston Rockets, Jeremy Lin, Joe Montana, MLB, NBA, New York Knicks, NFL, Pudge Rodriguez, Race Dialogue, Race Discussions, Racist Slurs, San Francisco 49ers, Sports, Sports Fans, Taiwanese-Americans, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Rangers, The Catch, The Dallas Cowboys, Wen Ho Lee

Happy Presidents Day, aka Jeremy Lin Is The New Obama

Ta-Nehisi Coates tweeted last week that Jeremy Lin is “the Barack Obama of the multiverse.”

And comedienne Kristina Wong noted on her Facebook page that Lin is “like 2008 Barack Obama.”

So on this Presidents Day, I give you:

You can make your own Linbamacon here.

Filed under: Barack Obama, Happy Presidents Day, Jeremy Lin, Kristina Wong, Linsanity, Obamania, Presidents Day, Ta-Nehisi Coates

NY Post Calls Jeremy Lin “AMASIAN,” We’re Gonna Sue

The blogosphere’s abuzz over today’s NY Post headline that declared Jeremy Lin an “AMASIAN” after he hit a game-winning three against the Toronto Raptors last night. Writers are wondering if this is offensive, given the fact that Lin is Asian American, born and raised.

And the answer to this question?

YES. THIS IS TOTALLY OFFENSIVE. WE ARE TOTALLY OFFENDED. HEADS WILL ROLL.

BECAUSE THE NEW YORK POST IS BITING OUR STYLE.

AND TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THEY’RE SPELLING “AMAZIAN” WRONG.

Behold, the first entry in the DISGRASIAN Dictionary:

Continue reading NY Post Calls Jeremy Lin “AMASIAN,” We’re Gonna Sue

Filed under: Amazians, Amazians of the Week, Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lin Toronto Raptors, Linsanity, New York Knicks, New York Sports, NY Post Headline Amasian, Trademark Infringement, We Will Sue

#Linsanity, The Valentine’s (Or VaLintine’s) Day Edition: Who Should Be Jeremy Lin’s Basketball Wife?

So Linsanity took, what, all of a week to sweep the nation? Now what?

If Jeremy Lin keeps playing the way he’s been playing, he’s going to have to negotiate a much bigger contract when he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. (Currently, he makes the league minimum.) But that’s for his sports agent to figure out.

And dude needs a place to live, since he’s currently–and adorably–crashing with his older brother Josh, who’s in dentistry school at NYU. But that’s for his real estate agent to figure out. Preferably after his sports agent figures out where Lin will be playing next year.

After all that, the next thing Lin ought to figure out is who his “And One” will be. Because nothing–apart from a lot of sparkly man-jewelry–says “I’ve arrived” in the NBA quite like a Basketball Wife, a boo to cheer you on when everyone else is, well, booing your sorry ass. And since it happens to be the holiday of bitterness, loneliness, cliched expressions of affection, flawed diamonds, deli flowers, teddy bears that give you allergies, cheap boxes of chocolates, and crying yourself to sleep, er, LOVE, I’ve taken it upon myself to be Jeremy’s matchmaker. (And, yes, my ten percent cut can totally come in the form of courtside seats.)

JAMIE CHUNG

Like it or not, at the moment, Jamie is arguably the most famous young Asian American Continue reading #Linsanity, The Valentine’s (Or VaLintine’s) Day Edition: Who Should Be Jeremy Lin’s Basketball Wife?

Filed under: Basketball, Basketball Wives, Beliebers, Girlfriends, Jamie Chung, Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lin Girlfriend, Khloe Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Kismet, Linsanity, Love, Matchmakers, Matchmaking, Michelle Wie, My Funny Valentine, NBA, New York Knicks, New York Sports, Rihanna, Rooney Mara, Selena Gomez, Valentine's Day, Vanessa Bryant

AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Jeremy Lin

Name: Jeremy Lin

Hails from: Cambridge, MA (via Palo Alto, CA)

Occupation: College senior, Basketball player for Harvard University

Jeremy Lin Knows How To Win

Filed under: Asian Basketball Players, Bests, Bright Young Things, College Basketball, ESPN, Everybody Loves a Winner, firsts, Hardass Asian Parenting, Harvard, Jeremy Lin, Pigeonholes, The Suzuki Method