Knicks G Jeremy Lin's rise to stardom has proved "too quick for professional basketball’s marketing machine," according to Patrick McGeehan of the N.Y. TIMES. No official merchandise bearing Lin’s name or No. 17 jersey was "on sale at the shops in the lobby of Madison Square Garden or at any authorized retailers of Knicks merchandise" on Thursday. A clerk at the NBA's official store on Fifth Avenue said "a lot of people" had asked for Lin jerseys, but the store had none. Gerry Cosby & Co. Manager Jim Root, whose store near MSG supplies the Knicks with their uniforms, said that it "could be two weeks before officially licensed T-shirts arrived." He said that Lin’s "burst into prominence had caught Adidas, the league’s official provider of jerseys, flat-footed." The Knicks' online store Thursday morning started "taking orders for $54.95 jerseys and $19.95 'Linsanity' T-shirts that would not be shipped before Feb. 20." A few MSG employees even "arranged orange numerals and white letters on blank blue Knicks jerseys, then lowered hot presses onto them." MSG PR Manager Stacey Escudero said that starting Friday morning, "as many as 200 of them will be offered for $54 in the stores inside the arena." She added that MSG officials "hoped that some of the T-shirts would arrive before the 8 p.m. tipoff" against the Lakers (N.Y. TIMES, 2/10). Meanwhile, the NBA’s official store in midtown Manhattan said that it "expects to have the short-sleeved jersey T-shirts available in about a week-and-a-half, with jerseys from adidas, the league’s official supplier, expected to be available in about three weeks" (N.Y. POST, 2/10). In N.Y., Rich Schapiro notes Lin jerseys will be available at "three Modell’s stores in midtown and at the Madison Square Garden souvenir shops," as the company is "pulling a batch of the jerseys off the production line early in order to satisfy the red-hot demand." Lin’s play has also "spawned a flood of unofficial T-shirts honoring the breakout star, with one of them featuring a picture of Lin over the letters WWJD and the words What Would Jeremy Lin Do?" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/10). Also in N.Y., Keil & Li note the Knicks' team store is "loaded up with 'Linsanity' T-shirts, Lin posters and Lin's Knick jerseys for what's expected to be big sales" Friday (N.Y. POST, 2/10).

THE MOST LINTERESTING MAN IN THE WORLD: In DC, Matt Brooks wrote Lin’s "novelty factor is the driving force behind his soaring popularity," But in the post-Yao Ming NBA, he "just might be the player to further the league's growth in Asia, while continuing to inspire athletes to break the mold." Lin is the first American-born player of Chinese descent to play in the NBA, and when the Warriors signed Lin out of Harvard as a free agent, they "saw his ethnicity as a way to market their team" throughout the Bay Area. With Lin’s "sudden emergence this week, the Knicks and the NBA likely have similar thoughts" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/9). Also in DC, Mike Wise notes since he was "summoned from the Knicks bench on Feb. 2 to Thursday, Lin has gained 60,000 followers on Sina (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter)." Lin "doesn’t know it yet, but some of his friends have already begun referring to him as 'the Asian Tebow' or 'Tebow 2.0'" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/10).

GIVE ME SOMETHING, ANYTHING: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jason Gay writes more than anything, the "rapid ascension of Jeremy Lin is another blaring reminder of how starved and desperate and ready New York is for great basketball" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/10). In N.Y., Mike Vaccaro writes Lin has "strung together three games that have injected passion and energy and -- most important -- fun into a Knicks season that 15 minutes ago seemed like it was careening into the harbor" (N.Y. POST, 2/10). ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said of Lin, “Three games, two starts, immortality.” But ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said he is "buying into the phenomenon” surrounding Lin. Kornheiser: "A phenomenon is usually fairly brief and I want to be there for the duration of it” (“PTI,” ESPN, 2/9). Lin appeared on the back pages of all three major N.Y. tabloids Friday morning.

NFL Giants QB Eli Manning “certainly is more marketable than ever as a two-time Super Bowl winner," and as his current sponsorship deals expire, he "will be able to command more money to renew,” according to Neil Best of NEWSDAY. IMG’s Alan Zucker, the marketing agent for Manning, said, "To be honest with you, it doesn't change very much because he already is playing at a high level in terms of number of endorsements and quality of companies.'' Best notes an SI survey of the highest-paid athletes found that Manning “ranked third in 2011 endorsement income among active NFL players at $7 million.” Zucker would not comment on dollar figures, but two sports marketing experts said that the estimate for Manning “likely is on the low side.” With a roster of companies that includes Citizen Watches, DirecTV, Gatorade, Oreos, Reebok, Samsung and Toyota, there is "little room for more.” However, Zucker said that there “might be a place for one major addition to his portfolio.” Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing President Doug Shabelman said that the “only thing that might hold back Manning as an endorser is his laid-back personality.” Best notes those “closest to Manning insist he has a sense of humor," but his brand generally "suggests stoicism, leadership and reliability.” Several experts said that Manning's latest Super Bowl win “will make him more viable as a stand-alone endorser not reliant” on his brother, Colts QB Peyton Manning. But Zucker said that his client “already was at that point” (NEWSDAY, 2/10). Eli Manning ranks seventh on THE DAILY's list of the most marketable NFL players.

GOING FOR A CRUZ: In Newark, Mike Garafolo reports Giants WR Victor Cruz on Thursday “signed an exclusive agreement” with memorabilia company Steiner Sports. Cruz “hasn’t gotten much sleep the past few days as he’s tried to capitalize on his newfound fame by making appearance after appearance” (Newark STAR LEDGER, 2/10). In N.Y., Keith Kelly reports Cruz “is said to be closing in on a book deal,” with Giants coach Tom Coughlin “likely to jump into the book chase sometime in the next two weeks.” Coughlin after the ’07 season wrote “A Team to Believe in: Our Journey to the Super Bowl Championship.” IMG’s Sandy Montag, Coughlin’s agent, said, “We are exploring doing a second book.” Meanwhile, one publishing source said Manning “turned down big money -- seven figure deals -- in the past” (N.Y. POST, 2/10).

STAYING BUSY DURING THE OFFSEASON: Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw and WR Mario Manningham appeared on Thursday's edition on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," and host Jimmy Kimmel asked them what they will do the rest of the offseason. Bradshaw said, “There’s a lot of offseason money to make being champions.” Kimmel said, “That’s true. You can do car dealership commercials, all kinds of crap. You’ll be out in parking lots” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 2/9).

Snack brand Heluva Good "will not return as a title sponsor of the August NASCAR weekend" at Watkins Glen Int'l, according to Chris Gill of the CORNING LEADER. Sister track Michigan Int'l Speedway, which also "had Heluva Good! title sponsorship for one of its two Sprint Cup Series, received the same news." WGI President Michael Printup said, "I was 99.9 percent sure we had a done deal. We had a counteroffer in terms of the terms back to them late last week, then this week they pulled the deal from the table. We were a little surprised, they’ve been a great partner and we’re sad to see them go." Heluva Good, which became the title sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Race in ‘09, plans to "scale back and concentrate on smaller marketing projects." That leaves WGI and MIS in "a lurch with the 2012 NASCAR season just weeks away." Printup indicated that he does not have a backup plan. Printup: "We weren’t talking to anyone because we were actively engaged with Heluva Good!. We (have a second option) as of yesterday" (CORNING LEADER, 2/10).

The Red Sox and JetBlue Friday morning unveiled an Airbus A320 plane decorated with a custom Red Sox-themed paint scheme featuring the team's uniform colors and marks. The plane, modeled after the club's road uniforms, features a gray paint scheme, blue wing tips, and a gray tail with the Red Sox dangling socks logo. The plane also features a banner commemorating the upcoming 100th anniversary of Fenway Park. JetBlue has been a Red Sox sponsor since '08, and the plane follows similar ventures between the Brewers and AirTran and the D'Backs and the former America West. MLB clubs, typically restricted to using their logos within their own home markets, are allowed to have one plane with one airline partner depicting team marks. "This is something we both wanted to do right from when we first signed our deal," said Red Sox Exec VP & COO Sam Kennedy. "JetBlue has been a very aggressive partner, and this is another big step in our partnership." The Red Sox-themed plane made its first trip from Boston to Ft. Myers, Fla., site of the club's Spring Training facility that also bears the airline's name, JetBlue Park (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal). In Boston, Eric Wilbur notes customers on Friday's flight to Ft. Myers "found Red Sox hats and jerseys waiting for them on their seats" (BOSTON.com, 2/10).

The Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal Thursday placed an ad in the city’s French-language newspapers listing the current top teams in the NHL’s Eastern Conference, and at “spot number eight -- the cut-off for the playoffs -- it reads: ‘Let us pray,’” according to Andrew Chung of the TORONTO STAR. The Canadiens currently are 11th in the conference, and Catholic Church of Montreal Communications Dir Lucie Martineau said, “It was a lighthearted wink, to ally with people who love sports.” Martineau said that the Archbishop of Montreal, Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, is “a Habs fan and quickly approved the idea proposed by the church’s outside ad firm, Bos.” Bos VP/Creative Hugo Leger said that the company “has searched for a long time to ‘link the two religions’ but had to wait for the right moment” (TORONTO STAR, 2/10). A church spokesperson said, "Cardinal Turcotte loved it right away. We know it takes unshakable faith to believe the Canadiens will make the playoffs” (Montreal GAZETTE, 2/10). Leger said that when people "get past the joke, they will find a simple message that encourages prayer.” Thursday's ad was “described as a one-shot deal; the spots were scheduled to appear in two French-language daily newspapers, for one day only” (TSN.com, 2/9).

In Detroit, Dave Birkett reports Lions QB Matthew Stafford is "much more in demand" this offseason after his "breakout 5,000-yard season and the Lions' first playoff appearance in 12 years." Stafford spent a few days in Indianapolis last week "conducting radio and TV interviews on behalf of DirecTV, signing autographs for Courtyard hotels and walking red-carpet events with the help of Van Heusen menswear." Stafford said before last week's NFL Honors show, "It's different as far as things like this, going to the Super Bowl, getting chances to work with companies, do opportunities with them. There's more of them now than there was 12 months ago. That stuff's not that big of a deal to me." He added, "I might pick the Super Bowl weekend or another thing here or there to do, but I'm not out there doing a bunch of stuff. Football's more important to me than doing this stuff" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/10).

AMAZING RACE: CAMPAIGN magazine's Daniel Farey-Jones noted there are "plenty of jokes about airlines and baggage but British Airways is making the subject the focus of an Olympics-related TV ad, which features an international suitcase race." The ad, which was released Thursday, features a girl's British bag "racing luggage from other nations to the arrivals hall." The spot ended with the line, "2012. We're ready. To fly. To serve" (CAMPAIGNLIVE.co.uk, 2/7).

HEART OF THE PARK: BMW has "revealed plans for its stunning pavilion at the heart of the Olympic Park which will be used to highlight their latest vehicle innovations and house a range of interactive visitor exhibits." The company is "providing a fleet of around 4,000 vehicles to transport athletes and officials during the Games and will use the new venue in Stratford to highlight their commitment to sustainability." The pavilion will be "built on an elevated site above the Waterworks River, between the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre" (London DAILY MAIL, 2/8).

ANOTHER ROUND: Univision Deportes signed an exclusive deal with Publicidad Virtual and inked MillerCoors to be one of the first advertisers to take advantage of its virtual advertising technology. The first ads will run during coverage of Liga Mexicana matches. MillerCoors is a premiere sponsor of Liga Mexicana programming. The advertising will run on the matches that appear on Universal Network, TeleFutura, Galavision and Univision Deportes, which is scheduled to launch later this year (John Ourand, THE DAILY).