Saturday, November 24, 2007

Glass half full?

There have been very few happy moments for Knicks fans the past few seasons. A few hours after the Knicks’ inspiring win over Denver at home, I was feeling optimistic and inspired by a rerun of Rocky IV. If a street tough turned boxing champion could inspire communists to open their hearts to change, in the midst of the Cold War’s winter, maybe even the Knicks can turn things around!

During this season, I hope to see a lot of changing, in the way you feel about the Knicks, and in the way the Knicks feel about DEE - FENSE!....I guess what I'm trying to say, is that if Nate can change, and Crawford can change, everybody can change!

Here is a list of the optimistic hopes I harbored:

  • Eddie Curry wakes up one day and says, "Holy crap, I'm a big bad 7 foot, 285 lb mofo! I should be getting at LEAST 10 boards a game. I'm pledge to start working on my free throws and caring about defense too! “

  • Crawford continues playing way smarter than he did last season,
    drives to the hoop when his J isn't falling and continues to swish and
    dish with the best of them. Ditto for Nate. Hopefully all that tape he watched of Nash and other elite point guards during the summer stays with him and he doesn't revert to the guy who tackled a naked Malik Rose in the shower. Ewww.....


  • Marbury plays like he did against Denver, never has to sulk with a
    towel over his head again, and continues to entertain the masses by
    taking Gilbert Arenas' spot as kooky yet lethally effective SUPERSTAR. That’s right. I said it. Get paid like one. Play like one.

    Here is a list of pipe dreams I harbored:


  • Isiah becomes fiscally responsible and continues to distribute
    playing time according to merit and not contract size.


  • James Dolan is content to quietly fade into the backdrop. Perhaps
    Daddy hands him the reigns to anything other than MSG...


  • Jerome James is hypnotized into thinking it's a contract year.


  • Knicks fans do NOT regret Fred Jones/Jerome James having a roster
    spot over Demetris Nichols.

There are still 70 games left to make some kind of progress; however, after seeing the Knicks look completely unmotivated and lost against Golden State my optimism is fading. A true fan sticks with his team through thick and thin. A true fan always roots for his team to succeed. Ideally, this season is the beginning of a turnaround. Ideally, Isiah will be vindicated of all wrongdoing, both in his treatment of female employees and the salary cap.

However, if you are a Knick fan and have come to the conclusion that success is impossible with Isiah and Dolan at the helm, is it ok to want the Knicks to continue losing so that rebuilding can begin with a new GM and Coach? If James Dolan and Isiah are cancers to the organization, losing could be part of the painful process needed to rid the body of it’s unwanted guests. Bringing in new players would be comparable to a patient with a chronic disease buying new clothes.

The advantage that pessimists have is that they are perpetually either right or pleasantly surprised when wrong. At the end of 82 games, which one will it be?

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