For the past three weeks, while the rest of the world was buzzing about Jeremy Lin (or as I have taken to calling him, “Winter Tebow”) another underdog story was quietly as compelling.
Just call it the “Mac-Attack.” It might not play as sexy as “Linsanity” or “Tebow Time” does nationally, but it was surprisingly just as effective. For two weeks, amid panic and uncertainty, little accounted for veteran Joey MacDonald simply attacked, helping keep the mighty Detroit Red WIngs winners without their star netminder Jimmy Howard. MacDonald first kept hope of setting the NHL’s longest home winning streak alive, then helped break it, then helped extend it. Oh yeah, while all that was going on, the Red Wings remained in first place and never lost their grip on hockey’s best record.
Howard returned to his cage last night, finally giving the Mac-Attack a well earned breather. MacDonald’s numbers in Howard’s absence? 6-1-1 with a 1.66 goals against average and a .934 save percentage. Small sample size, giant results. For a guy nobody expected much of anything from, those numbers are shockingly gaudy. More than that, MacDonald has seemed to develop a unique swagger in net, derived from one part self confidence, one part teammate belief and two parts rabid fan support.
Sadly, few people outside Detroit have even taken notice. When compared to the NBA and NFL, hockey becomes a third class citizen in America, only around to fill time between the ending of the football season and the beginning of the basketball playoffs. The media, desperate for another story in the wake of a lull in Tebow mania, has latched on to Lin and told his underdog story to death. For the second week in a row, the New York Knicks’ freshly minted star will grace the cover of Sports Illustrated. Granted, Lin’s been sensational, but even he might agree that’s a bit of overkill.
Meanwhile, there were plenty of other underdog tales taking place that should be told as well. MacDonald will never have the same advantages as Lin (namely youth, a national following, a giant media market and a league which is typically a media darling) but their stories are eerily similar. The Mac-Attack and Linsanity both started the season in complete obscurity, MacDonald playing for the little known Grand Rapids Griffins after being largely given up on in the NHL, while Lin desperately tried to stick on an NBA roster. Both admitted to watching games from their couch in the middle of the season. Fluke injuries eventually helped paved the way, and in the beginning of February, both players forged their own unique identity by winning and putting up fantastic numbers for legendary teams in historic arenas.
Now, Lin’s captured the attention of the world, and pithy signs pay tribute to him. MacDonald’s sterling play has similarly inspired Detroit, so much so that chants of “Jo-ey!” have begun to fit in as seamlessly as “Ji-mmy!” or “Oz-zie!” chants have in the past. All this from a town often notorious for making life difficult on their netminders. Back in October, who’d a thunk it?
If they each weren’t so humble, someone should set these two up for an endorsement deal, perhaps even MasterCard. As their popular ad campaign once exclaimed, both of these stories are certainly “priceless” in their own unique and astounding way. “Watching games on NBA League Pass and NHL Center Ice? $164 and $79 respectively. Starring as your team wins those games two weeks later? Priceless.”
While Linsanity will always be more popular than the Mac-Attack, it doesn’t mean both stories haven’t been uniquely inspiring. There’s just something about a quiet guy who comes from nowhere and achieves greatness on the biggest stage that makes for the best theater, no matter the league, how temporary the accolades or how fleeting the star may eventually become.
After getting to know MacDonald again, Detroit now sees a bit of themselves in their determined goaltender. The Mac-Attack doesn’t have a pose like “Tebowing” nor does it come with the signs of Linsanity. Instead, it’s all about proving that it’s never too late to give up on your dream of making a difference.