Does Race Play a Role in the Media Fascination with Jeremy Lin?

Over the past two weeks, the “Linsanity” of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin has swept across New York, and much of America. Breaking records for scoring and assisting in his first five games, many sports fans are celebrating. Meanwhile, many are wondering when was the last time a black athlete ignited the same type of passion. William Rhoden is a sports columnist for our partner The New York Times.