I just… I can’t accidentally the word I’m thinking of to describe my dismay. Believe it or not, I actually get the hype surrounding Jeremy Lin. I really do. He’s singlehandedly provided some much-needed fresh air to a New York Knicks franchise that was struggling to overcome the stain of Isiah Thomas.

It also helps that Lin’s insanity is happening in the perhaps the media capital of the world; not to mention it’s happening in the day and age of Twitter, which only helps further the legend of Jeremy Lin. But this? That just goes beyond my ability to articulate.

I understand the attraction of rookie cards to collectors, and after the Stephen Strasburg investment — which was for almost double the Lin acquisition price tag — I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised; but still, when someone drops $21,000 on an athlete’s rookie card, I’m still taken aback.

Yes, the card was signed and it’s true that Jeremy Lin has had a remarkable, albeit, non-traditional start to his NBA career; and while I’m one to believe that yes his stats are good, he’s also playing in an era where the NBA rules are a lot easier on guards than they when players like Jordan, Magic, and Bird played. Furthermore, after watching Lin and the Knicks get baptized by the Miami Heat, not to mention Deron Williams’ “you can’t guard me” performance, I’m skeptical Lin will remain on his meteoric pace.

That doesn’t mean he won’t be a very good, perhaps even perenial All-Star level NBA player, but I’m not sure he’s going to be a player whose rookie card, signed though it may be, is worth 21 grand ($21,580.00 to be exact). I, for one, blame the “follow the trend at all costs” that permeates in society.

Just observe the Galaxy Foam craze that is gripped Orlando last night.

As for the auction itself, the page is testament to latching onto the current fad and milking it for all it’s worth. According the to description, the auction has been picked up by a number of MSM outlets, including ESPN. The seller, Yair Rozmaryn, apparently paid $1000 for the card, which means he made a $20,580 profit. It would be nice if all sports cards had the ability to offer such a return on investment rate.