ALUMNI TRACKER: Amish Rifle Wins in Overtime

Jeremy Lin ‘10 stumbled in his preseason debut for the Houston Rockets this week, averaging 5.3 points per game and shooting 21.1 percent in three games. Last season, Lin averaged 14.6 ppg and shot 44.6 percent from the field, and he has attributed the week’s underwhelming performance to his ongoing recovery from knee surgery.

“My speed and my explosiveness and my agility [are not] there yet,” Lin told the New York Daily News after Houston’s 95-75 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Friday.

Nevertheless, questions about Lin’s athleticism have provided fodder for the New York media. The Rockets went 2-1 with Lin in the line-up this week, defeating the Thunder and Hornets on Wednesday and Friday, respectively, before falling to the Spurs on Sunday. Lin did not play in the Rockets’ 123-104 loss to the Mavericks on Monday.

Ryan Fitzpatrick ‘05 and the Buffalo Bills (3-3) eked out an upset overtime victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The Amish Rifle threw for 153 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions before Rian Lindell booted a 25-yard field goal to clinch a 19-16 win on the road. The game was a homecoming of sorts for Fitzpatrick, who grew up in Gilbert, Ariz., and guided Highland High School to an Arizona Fiesta Region championship as a junior. In the end, few overtime heroics were required of Fitzmagic as Arizona’s Jarius Byrd yield his second interception of the game to provide the Bills with ideal field position to chip in the decisive points.

As the NHL lockout drags into its second month, Craig Adams ’99 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Dominic Moore ’03, who played for the San Jose Sharks last season, have probably had some input into recent collective bargaining talks. The former Crimson hockey stars are both members of the 31-player NHL Players’ Association negotiating committee. Adams and other signed players would have received their first of thirteen NHL paychecks on Monday had the season started on time. Moore is still an unrestricted free agent and may sign with his 10th different NHL team in nine seasons once a new CBA is in place.