week 12 and my thoughts on the Knick moves.

I’m a fan of the Knicks. Ok there, I said it. I’ll wait for you to stop laughing. Don’t give me hell for saying that. I suffered enough through the 90’s. They say that New York is a baseball town. Well New York City is a basketball city. The ebb and flow of a basketball game is unmatched and can’t be matched by baseball’s slow pace. You can’t call football NY’s game because our teams play in Jersey and the idea of traveling to another state is just lunacy. Hockey is Canada’s sport that has been shoved down our throats for the last 60 years.

Growing up as a teen in the 90’s was a difficult time to say the least, if you were a Knick fan. We always had an all time player standing in our way of a championship. What’s an all time player? Think Jordan and think Olajuwon and then you’ll get the picture. We didn’t have a team full of All Stars and nationally recognized players but we had a certain swagger that most teams in the league didn’t.

But they broke my heart year after year because they just never could win one. Sure Ewing had ONE big shot in the 90’s and it was a questionable put back in Game 7 of the 94 Eastern Conference Finals off a John Starks lay up miss. Sure Pat Riley quit on our team. But we had some rivalries that resulted in fights, suspensions but always 48 minutes (sometimes more) of hard fought, physically intense basketball that always had you on the edge of your seat because you knew that at any minute these two teams could break out into a brawl. I mean can you imagine Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson playing on the Knicks during those years? To take it a step further, if this were the playgrounds, I don’t think the Knicks/Heat/Pacers/Bulls could go five minutes without it ending up in atleast pushing and shoving between players.

But 7 years ago all that stopped. The fun got sucked out of New York and in came the Dolan express. They stopped competing, they sent Ewing packing, they forced Allan Houston to retire, Latrell Sprewell couldn’t feed his family on 5 mil and his boat was repossessed. Everything just had an ugly stink about it. Then came the trial that revealed more than we cared to know. The Knicks had hit a new low. Finally, James Dolan caving into common sense, decided that the Isiah Thomas era had to end. All the mess that he had allowed to continue for so long had to be stopped. The Worlds Most Famous Arena was now an empty shell of its former self. The Knicks didn’t deserve to play there. He parted ways with Isiah, brought in Donnie Walsh, and he in turn brought in Mike D’Antoni.

Everyone criticized that move because he was an offensive coach and New Yorkers love tough, hard nosed defensive teams more than anything. But we weren’t complaining because the tough part had been taken care of. Isiah Thomas wasn’t the ringleader anymore. D’Antoni immediately put his foot down on Stephon Marbury, the self proclaimed greatest point guard in the NBA. He put him at the end of the bench and let him stew, even though his skill set was probably most suited for D’Antoni’s style. This was definitely more about clearing the negativity that this Knick team had been burdened with the last few years more than hurting his ego.

Then the Knicks began to compete in games, even defeating the Jazz. I heard the MSG organ play and there was that defense chant that always seemed to send a chill down my spine. I found myself watching Knick games again. Last Sunday I went to MSG and watched it in a skybox and I found myself actually interested in the game more than marveling at my first sky box experience.

But the fact is, I was hooked again. Its like that first love that walks back into your life when you’re looking for someone just like her. No matter how she looks, it’s the good times that you remember. Its like that with the Knicks.

Then it happened. I came back home on Friday from work to find out that the Knicks had in fact sent long term contracts to other teams in order to reserve one possibly two roster spots to big time players. I was more than happy. Suddenly Knick fans were everywhere. They were coming out from witness protection programs, and they were wearing their faded John Stark jersies. Even though the team currently taking the court in MSG is not exactly enticing, its about the future. A town not known for its patience is suddenly willing to stand pat. Knowing that in a few years, the Knicks will do everything in their power to field a very strong team. That chant of defense will return to the Garden. The roof will be torn off. Now, the Knicks are serious. Finally us Knick fans can come home.


Now here are my picks for week 12:

Jets (+5.5) over Titans- It had to happen. I believe the Jets are playing too well and especially coming off that demon exorcising win over the Patriots, they seem primed to beat on the Titans.

Lions (+8.5) over Bucs- Sorry, the Bucs just don’t have that kind of offense for me to ever take them really beating up on teams. No matter how many QB’s Jon Gruden has stashed away.

49ers (+10) over Cowboys- Romo still hasn’t healed fully from his finger and well, the 49ers showed little common sense but enough of an offense to think that they can put up points on this overrated D of the Cowboys. After the front 4, the Boys are vulnerable. If that front four goes, so will the Boys defense.

Texans (+3) over Browns- I flipped a coin on this one, but I just like Andre Johnson more than anyone else on either team.

Chiefs (+3.5) over Bills-We will remember Tyler Thigpen this year for beginning as a laughingstock and then astonishingly leading countless fantasy teams to championships.

Bears (-9) over Rams- The Rams really tried Mr. Haslett. But they realized that they just don’t care.

Ravens (-1) over Eagles- Dear Mr. McNabb, You suck. Sincerely, Fantasy football.

Vikings (+2.5 over Jags- I just can’t see why you would favor a team like the Jags at this point. Were they just a fluke last season? Either way, Jack Del Rio needs a victory here before he loses that locker room.

Falcons (-1) over Panthers- Have you seen Jake Delhomme’s stats lately?

Broncos (-9.5) over Raiders- no one really saw this Broncos team keeping first place. Its no secret. They don’t care what you think about their defense. They will just flat out score you.

Redskins (-3.5) over Seahawks

Giants (-3.5) over Cards- how can prognosticators and the like actually pick the Giants to lose against a guy, Kurt Warner, that will play right into the Giants defense’s hands? I guess Wilt Chamberlain was right, maybe no one does like Goliath.

Colts (+2.5) over Chargers- How are the Chargers still favored in this game when its very clear that the Colts are shaping into form right at the right time.

Packers (+2.5) over Saints- Everyone knows that Ryan Grant only gets going after week 10. duh.