And the head coach of the Knicks, “The Harasser” November 6, 2007
Posted by mb in 1990s knicks, the garden.add a comment
Went to last night’s opener. Amidst the crowd’s non-response to the introduction to Isiah Thomas (mostly because Mike Walczewski brilliantly raced through the coaches’ part of the lineup), was something else: an awful idea for starting lineup introductions, in which pictures of the players appeared onscreen with nicknames. For example, as the Times article linked in this post indicated: Jamal Crawford is The Closer.
Here’s what I can remember from the starting lineups:
- Randolph Morris: The Steal
Mardy Collins: The Apprentice
Renaldo Balkman: The Defender (way to establish that only one Knick plays defense, PR people)
Malik Rose: The Veteran
Fred Jones: The Athlete (ugh)
Nate Robinson: The Energizer
David Lee: The Rebounder (really? best you can do there?)
Quentin Richardson: The Marksman
Eddy Curry: The Centerpiece
Zach Randolph: The Warrior (presumably even against Golden State)
Jamal Crawford: The Closer
Stephon Marbury: The Floor General
Jared Jeffries, Wilson Chandler and Jerome James, on the inactive list, did not get nicknames. I recommend “The Disappointment,” “The Slightly Larger Athlete” and “The Lipid Deposit,” respectively.
What preceded the announcement was a video sequence so mediocre that I won’t describe it here, except to say that if MSG thinks that simply showing energetic youngsters jumping over turnstyles is enough to excite a crowd, they’re mistaken.
I know everyone who works their currently has forgotten, but THIS is what an intro looks like (ok, you may have to click it and fast forward to about 6:50 in).
Great Underrated Mysteries of All Time: Charles Oakley’s Appearance in the Hootie and the Blowfish Video October 25, 2007
Posted by mb in 1990s knicks, charles oakley.2 comments
Can anyone explain why this happened?
Allan Houston October 20, 2007
Posted by mb in 1990s knicks, allan houston.add a comment
I was a bit confused by what was happening here, and am actually quite happy that it didn’t work out. I wondered for a bit whether Allan’s attempt might be an act of loyalty to his protector and patron Jim Dolan–serve as a distraction for a few weeks to help the stench of Anuchagate dissipate more quickly. Or perhaps the idea was to provide a talented Knick locker room with the veteran leadership it lacked.
Either way, it would’ve been an odd fit. No one cares enough about the barely mobile Houston to get excited about his return. And although the Knicks crave leadership, certain other blasts from their past–vocal, crazy blasts–would’ve meshed far better with this team than Houston’s quiet leadership-by-example (how does one lead by example when one can’t play for more than 10 minutes a game?). Godspeed, Allan.
Meanwhile, I think Jeff Van Gundy’s got it right:
The day before the Knicks’ 40-point preseason flop against the Celtics, he said of his former team, “I don’t think there’s any doubt they’re a playoff team.”
Van Gundy praised the acquisition of Zach Randolph, the positional balance on the roster and the “glue-type players” such as Quentin Richardson, David Lee and Renaldo Balkman.
Stephon Marbury? “Hopefully his ankles are healthy and his mind is clear. His game is still a very good NBA point guard’s game.”
Ding ding ding! No NBA preview I’ve seen has been able to actually justify the Knicks exclusion from their playoff projections based on anything other than “they’re the Knicks.”
John Hollinger:
The Knicks won’t be terrible, simply because Randolph gives them such an offensive force that it should make up for all the nights he mails it in on defense (the Vegas over/under is 81.5). Otherwise, it’s hard to see how this outfit is much of an improvement on last season’s lottery team.
Well, John, how about this concerning last year’s team:
Then there were the strange goings-on with the team’s injuries. Crawford was thought to just have a sore ankle and kept playing on it, then found out weeks later it was a stress fracture and he was done for the season. Similarly, Lee was diagnosed with a sprained ankle and listed as day-to-day; then got a second opinion and found out he had a deep bone bruise that would keep him out the rest of the season.
You know who observed this, John? You did. You don’t think that losing 2/5 of an NBA starting lineup hurts you at all, especially when one of those players is the only guard with any real chemistry with Eddy Curry? And an injured Quentin Richardson on top of that? And Jared Jeffries for most of the year? You really don’t think that a healthy version of a team that was knocking on the door of the 8th seed after a year in the basement can improve to playoff caliber?
JVG knows of what he speaks. Prepare yourselves.
The Death of an Archduke August 21, 2007
Posted by mb in 1970s knicks, 1990s knicks, blog news, introductions, personal ramblings, stephen a. smith heckling society of gentlemen.1 comment so far
From New York City, this is Rockin’ Steady.
1. The Way We Were.
I remember a time when New York Knicks basketball, in my mind, roughly approximated the above, give or take about ten feet on Patrick Ewing’s range. The quarter-by-quarter score was about right, the games were that physical and the Knicks prettty much had exactly two guys on the floor who could score. Most Knick fans wanted all of the above to change, even as the 50-win seasons flowed like tap water.
You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
This blog will be, as much as anything, a view of the current team as someone who never stopped cherishing the mid-90s festival of elbows and 20-foot jumpers.
2. Miracle on 33rd Street
I never got to see the 1970s Knicks live, having not yet even been an idea at the time. I’ve had them spoonfed to me over time, through Walt Frazier’s anecdotes on TV and radio, through MSG and the Classic Sports Network (later ESPN classic), through DVDs and the best-written sports memoir ever. The steady IV drip has been glorious. The idea of a team of such divergent yet compatible personalities, bound by a mantra of unselfishness and vision, the coincidence of Walt Frazier’s obsession with cool and efficiency, Bill Bradley’s essential preppiness, Dave DeBusschere’s blue collar and Dick Barnett’s mouth overcoming adversity with the purest of basketball philosophies–See the ball. Hit the open man.–must have been corrupted through romanticization at some point. I find it incredibly difficult to imagine a team that fun to watch without the pleasure being at least somewhat guilty–see, e.g., the 1993-1994 team.
This blog will also devote ample consideration to these fellows and their foundational role in establishing the soul of the Garden–a soul that still seethes beneath the facade of Madison Square, waiting to be unleashed anew.
3. 14:59
I list the below films as two of the highlights of my life, guarantees of some dubious immortality few grasp in their lifetimes and, admittedly, few desire. There will be some things about these, and about things even less relevant to the Knicks, every now and then. Bear with me.
