Lobbying for support
-
- December
- 11
Who really has the hardest job at Madison Square Garden?
It’s not Isiah Thomas.
How would you like to be the vice president of ticket sales or the vice president of marketing for the Knicks today?
I got to watch third graders sing Christmas songs at the Poughkeepsie Galleria this morning, so my Journal News colleague, Jeff Gold, inherited the follow up to last night’s public relations disaster. And it doesn’t sound like Thomas was the least bit contrite.
And that’s his right.
I personally believe every fan who was in attendance last night deserves a handwritten thank-you note, along with a piece of the court signed by a Knicks legend. Thomas is apparently going to bat for his players, who do not respond well to malice.
We saw it happen last year, too.
Does anybody remember one of my first blogs? Malik Rose admitted the booing was making a number of teammates panicky. Several players were pressing to avoid making anyone in the stands unhappy. Thomas is sending the same message.
Here are some of the highlights from today:
“I know the team I coach and the players I coach,” Thomas said. “You can gauge their emotional response and when they’re aggressive and when they’re tentative. And right now, my team is a little tentative and a little hesitant. My job is to get them going, to get them aggressive and to get them confident. We love our fans, we appreciate them, we just want to give them a better show, and they want a better show. It’s not complicated.”
There was no apology.
“If there is one thing that I hope all of you know about me or will learn about me, I fight ‘til I die. It’s not about giving up or quitting. To me, it’s win or die. And I literally mean death. I don’t mean walk away. I mean death. That’s how I approach it. We got a job to do here. We’re going to get it done. I’m confident we have the right players. I’m confident we have the right people and we’ll dig our way out of this. It’s been done before. We’ve done it before. We did it last year and we¹ll do it again this year.”
That’s a more logical approach than scolding fans during a game.
It will be interesting to see how the crowd responds tomorrow against Seattle. The best thing for Thomas and everyone involved might be the sticks-and-stones approach.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 at 6:14 pm by Mike Dougherty.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Share and Enjoy: 
| 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
So now the team is aspiring to be as good as last year. When they won 33 games and had the ninth worst record in the league. This franchise just gets better and better.
I think the crowd would respond well if the Knicks came out of the gate with a mean streak.
“To me, it’s win or die. And I literally mean death.”
That’s a more logical approach? I guess he’s saying he’s not giving up. That’s creepy though.
As to the whole, we’re a sensitive group and we’ll play better if you don’t boo, what would Laimbeer say to that?
I just could not believe it could get worse than the last two seasons but it is.
I agree with Isiah. When you get booed harder at home than you do on the road, it makes you second guess everything. Okay they are terrible, but either love and support them or say home and watch the Mavs. If you need to go to a game go to Jersey. If you think booing makes a team play better, I think you’re mistaken. I’ve been a fan long time and I never boo. Last night they didn’t get any calls. I saw Jeffries get fouled and knocked around where the top of his body was moving in one direction and the bottom in another and still no call, but on the other end Dirk gets a call on the next play. People have been booing for months and the results are no better. Now Zach, and David are starting to show the effects of the boos.
How about we boo the refs for not calling the fouls for our guys. They have no pressure to call it fairly. How about showing hostilities to the other teams when they come in our house? It’s easy to kick your team when they are down. But it takes real courage to stand by them when they are doing as bad as our guys are. I can only imagine how Spike Lee felt when Reggie Miller rubbed his nose in it and the fans blamed him for the loss. That’s just stupid. Spike didn’t do anything wrong. Do we have to be afraid to root for our guys, to try and distract the opposing players? Then put away the thunder stick and stop whistling. Reggie is a great player and fortune fell his way that day. Our guys are gun shy now. I saw in the one report where Curry was afraid to make comments about an up coming opponents’ center. He wouldn’t be afraid if we supported him and the team. Give them a break until the all star competition from the boo’s and see if it helps. I pray you do and I pray it does. I also pray for all you true fans. I pray for all of you who just come here to taunt us (no team stays on top or bottom forever). And I pray for my Knicks from the Owners to the towel boys.
I know I gonna get lit up for my comments but I LOVE my team and gladly accept what ever comes my way. God bless you all.
Sad to say Knicks fans are the least loyal and worst fans in the NBA. They are sheep led around by the nose by the nasty NY media. They booed Clyde Frazier. They booed Patrick Ewing. They booed Alan Houston. They are a joke and for once Isiah is right.
Thanks Mike for that confirmation! I weep for those men who suit up each night and their families. Everybody says their hearts go out to Steph and his family. I say you who boo and send condolences are hypocrites. One of the last things that mans father heard was his son being booed by the city he loves. It probably (and I don’t say this lightly) was more than his heart could stand. I am a Christian and can’t hate but I am profoundly sad at our cowardice as fans. Each guy out there on the floor had a family. Kids, wives, mothers sisters, brothers. How would you feel if it were you. And if your thinking it could happen, remember it’s a team. One guy tries to turn it around by him self and they will report he was selfish or didn’t trust his team mates. Bottom line: You can boo all your want but your team will still be losers. Cheer and support? Well I guess we’ll never know will we, cause we’re “tough smart NY (fair weather) fans”.
BIP132
I think it’s a lost cause. They are better off losing until Dolan finally comes to terms with the disaster that Mills and Isiah have created.
Wait a min Mike, I’m a loyal fan and I do not boo the Knicks. I am not a fair weather fan, and those who are, are not REAL fans. I watch every game (gotta love that TIVO), read most articles and I stand on my soapbox at work and defend them against people who don’t watch the games and do not know the team and only go by what the media is saying. I just think they are cursed. They change players and coaches and still have similar outcomes. But I don’t give up hope and most of my friends and coworker are surprised that I stick behind them, even when they are losing. And I boldly shout out that I am a Knicks fan. I don’t hide it.
Maybe they need to train and practice harder. They need to go back to the High School and College days where the coaches gave them curfews and were extremely strict. That might help them to focus.
Look at the Celtics. They did a complete 360. So can the Knicks.
DAVE,
How long are we supposed to be supportive before we, as fans, are allowed to be frustrated?
It has been over 6 years since the team has finished over .500. Shoot, I can’t even recall this team being 6 games over .500 in the last several seasons.
I don’t think the ‘BOOing’ is pre-emptive. We want to cheer, want to root, etc… but when you see lack-luster effort on defense game-in and game-out – well, that is disrespectful to the fans.
and lest anyone forget, it is still the fans (and foolish Cablevision customers) who are paying their bloated salaries.
All we want is a team that is worth rooting for – and let’s be clear about one thing too – ‘BOOing’ the Knicks is NOT the same as rooting for the other team.
Chris,
I agree with Mase. We’ve been here blogging every week for the last season, all summer, and up until now. We’re not fair weather fans for thinking that there need to be changes to this team. I’m glad the fans are booing. Maybe management will wise up. What else can fans do? Alot of people have stayed home. The Garden used to be sold out every night.
As to these peoples families, please! Their families are well taken care of. I feel sorry for people in the Sudan.
Stephon and Isaiah brought everything on themselves. Blaming the fans for causing the guys heart attack. That’s just insulting.
Which came first the boos or the lousy team? Again, and I have said this before, this is not just about losing. It’s about an embarassing disfunctional organization. It’s about players that don’t play smart and don’t hustle. It’s about management that’s traded draft picks and put us hopelessly over the salary cap. It’s about a coach that can’t figure out his rotations, and doesn’t seem to understand X’s and O’s. It’s about an owner who doesn’t seem to understand the problem. Fans are taking it into their own hands because they feel they have to. It’s their right.
The media isn’t leading any charge here. For example, Mike Dougherty might feel the way I do, but he needs to keep a good relationship with these guys. He can’t rip them like I can. I came to these conclusions on my own, with the help of bloggers here and at knickerblogger.com, and Tivo.
I agree that Ewing was treated unfairly by the media. He did everything he could for this franchise. Booing someone for not winning a championship (Ewing) or for getting a max deal (Houston) is unfair. I love the Yankees but the pressure they put on their players and manager is unfair.
For a non-judgemental christian you make some heavy accusations. If you give up on a team you are a fairweather fan. We haven’t stopped watching. We’d just like to see them split with Philly, I mean, come on man!
Ulee,
We are twins separated at birth, because I too Tivo every game, read every article and defend to the death the Knicks as well. But, I can’t do it anymore mannn. I’m beaten down. It’s hard to defend these guys now.
They showed me so many signs last year of improvement and with the addition of Zach and the kids in the summer league; I couldn’t wait for the season to start. But instead I get nothing but drama (Anucha & Marburry/Isiah).
The beat down in Boston, 76ers, etc.. Isiah is now taking a page out of Marburry’s book saying stupid stuff to the media, come on man.
Where do we go from here? If we do fire Isiah, who do we get to clean up this mess? And please don’t tell me Herb. How do we get rid of these contracts?
Marrbury 21M\2yrs – Zach 16\4yrs – Eddy 11M\4yrs – Q 9M\3yrs
Jamal 9M\4yrs – Malik 7M\2yrs – James 6M\3yrs – Jefferies 7M\4yrs
What can anyone do with this? Where the only team dumb enough to take these contracts. We can’t trade with our selves.
Ulee man, I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. Can you help me out?
Oh yeah, and one more thing:
If you look back over this blog, you’ll find that, in the past, I have defended Isaiah, Marbury, Curry, Crawford, and even Steve Francis. If they get it together, no person will be happier than me. I started this season with optimism, but 6-14 is cause for concern, no?
Oh I said Chris, I meant Dave.
Gentlemen,
I apologize if my comments were offensive to you. It was not my intent to get under anyone’s skin. I understand your frustration and agree it is your right to express your displeasure. I just don’t think it is productive. I thank you all for your support of our team. All I am saying is the booing may make us feel better, but it surely is not helping our team at any level that I as see. I started to laugh the other day, I was watching the NJ – NY game minuses the two starting points, and the Knicks were getting booed by the NJ fan and I said to the TV, you’ve got to be kidding me we get booed harder than that in the Garden, then I stopped laughing. Really wasn’t that funny once I thought about it. Some of the people in the Knicks organization/team are trying their best. Like I said it’s a team and right now the team is down on their selves.
I don’t think anyone would deny they have great talent. What they lack is confidence. Everyone please stop for a moment (you can tell me what an idiot I am later) and think of where true confidence comes from. Most will probably say it comes from within, that sound good and may even be true, but I believe it comes from your experiences. I believe how we nurture some determines or causes an individual’s differences in behavior/outcome. I not as smart as many of you but I know if you tell someone they will fail or “you suckâ€? long enough they will begin to suck and fail. Everyone will respond differently and at different times but I don’t think anyone is immune. So yeah they suck and thus they fail as a team.
It been my experience that people who have experienced success are confident and confidence breeds’ success, but even the most confident person in the world can be broken. I think that is a major contributor in torture. The person being tortured ultimately looses confidence they will survive of endure. The will has to be broken for it to work. I’m sorry and I know I’m a minority here but I think fate or misfortune may have broken their confidence but we’ve not allowed it to heal. There is no good reason with the talent they have that they are not playing better ball. Throw in bad management, coaching etc, what ever… A team with the level of talent they have would still make a good go of it. We’ve seen them show glimpses of their ability this season. I know you are all tried, I tired too, but they are our team.
Try and hold on and one day (hopefully soon) our prayers will be answered. BTW I do claim Christianity but I sometimes (often) fall short. I appreciate your inputs. Best Regards Dave (a work in progress) .
Go New York,
Go New York,
Knicks!
I said “So yeah they suck and thus they fail as a team.” I meant to say: So yeah they suck and thus they fail as a team because we feed it to them every day.