The Knicks Fix

Hey Alan hope that cross isnt too heavy......

By the way, the Knicks give you pleanty to write about........48 min. worth about every other night or so.

You cant choose to write mainly about basketball. Even though it would be welcomed by many.

You write what your editors tell you to write. Which is resentment fueled gossip.

Thank you Alan, for another great blog column.

And I agree, the shameful treatment of the Knicks beat reporters is just another clear signal that the franchise is poorly run, has little respect for its fans, and ultimately will not be a winner until they realize that they have made a once glorious franchise into a laughing stock.

As I see it, the beat reporters represent us, the fans. We can't ask the questions, be at all the games, watch the practices so we depend upon you guys to do that. And to treat you guys in such a poor fashion, in a way the Soviet Union treated free speech, well that is simply unacceptable.

Also, the 29 average wins over the past four years since Dolan has instituted his policy shows that the poor management runs deeply through this organization.

I support you Alan! And I support all the fans who want to see change.

Reggie was right. The Knicks are a joke.

http://beta.bleacherreport.com/articles/4262-NBA-New_York_Knicks-Firing_Isiah_How_the_Knicks_Can_Show_Thomas_the_Door-291107

I can't help but wonder how many people get their dream job and find it isn't quite what they expected. I would bet money that the young Knicks players never dreamed the media would treat them the way they are treated. I know Marbury never dreamed he would be treated like this when he finally made it to MSG. I'm sure the NFL is a lot more gruesome than it appears on TV and in the dreams of kids.

I agree with your premise that more media would give you guys more stuff to write about and that this could lead to more positive stories. The problem is that the relationship with the media is so poisened at this point and the media abused the access they had to trash the team and very possibly kill some deals. I cannot hold them harmless in the current state of the relationship.

I think that one of two things have to happen for a thaw to occur and only see one of those two options actually working out. The option that will not happen is for the media to stop being so over the top trying to fire people and belittling the team. The other option is that the team start winning. Let's hope it starts soon.

Alan, Fixers,

Well, in a way, everyone is right. As a Knick fan, I really don't care how the media beat writers are treated. There is always tension between teams and the media because the media wants to sell papers (or ads on websites) and really doesn't have the Knicks--or for that matter--the Knick fan's interest at heart. The media--Alan included--want to be read. And what sells? Controversy. If you can create a controversy, then more people read it. It doesn't matter if the event is real, speculation or complete fabrication.

Nonetheless, everyone should be treated with respect. Does it say something about the Knicks that they treat the media with disdain? Yes, it says something about James Dolan and MSG and their media policy. The obvious hatred of the Knicks by the local media doesn't help promote the Knicks so Dolan is misguided in this directive. He should coddle you guys because then you'd write more favorable stories (don't deny it) and the fans would feel better about the team.

However, it doesn't say anything about Isiah (who's job it is to avoid the controversy and make is seem that all is well) or the Knicks themselves whose only job it is to win games and play well. As a Knick fan, I want them to play well so however Isiah handles the media is no moment to me unless it undermines the team and hurts the win column (like the Marbury incident, say). I don't care if Eddie Curry talks to you. I don't care if Marbury snubs you or insults your clothes.

The media way oversells it's "we're the representative of the fans" argument. The media represents Newsday (or the Post or whatever outlet) and its advertisers. The media no more cares about the fans (who want to see wins) than they do Isiah, Dolan or Mardy Collins. They want to make money. Period.

Alan, careers are never what we think they will be. If you don't like it you should ask to cover say, zoning board meetings or perhaps politics. I always found it very amusing that the media attacks athletes with a vigor never seen when examining, say, government officials. Why is that? Oh, yeah, politicians have real power. They can make your life really uncomfortable. Unlike, say, an NBA player.

KFOW

Is that what you want? A pack of reporters who just take whatever the team dishes out? Regurgiates the rhetoric? Doesn't demand that the city's lone NBA franchise raise their standards not only on the court, but off of it?

YES that's what we want.

Aren't you the least bit alarmed that a guy who grew up a Knicks fan just like you, and dreamed of one day covering the team finally realized this dream only to find it didn't come close to living up to the expectation? And it didn't, especially after traveling the NBA for a year and seeing how it's done elsewhere.

NO alarm. Shut up and do your job.

The Knics rock you should read my blog too.

Wow, things just got pretty heated. Interesting post in that it showed another side of the Observer story (and exposed a huge misquote that nearly made me lose some respect for this blog). I hope we can leave it at that and start a new thread soon, that really focuses on Knicks basketball.

In the interests of distracting from the topic at hand, I submit the following (in honor of Reggie Miller who thinks the Knicks are a big joke):

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/fire_isiah_chant_breaks_out_during

Alan, I like your blog, personally and you seem cool but you guys (generally speaking) sounded like a bunch of spoiled brats in that article, moreso Isola.
NY media is worse on their home team than any other sports beat I've ever seen in the country. Your professional goal is to find some dirt that can create a distraction and be the first to expose it, but distractions are harmful to the team, to the point where even Phil Jackson said it was a deterrent to him coaching this team when Isiah courted him...

So which came first the chicken or the egg...

If NY media wasn't trying to sensationalize everything and make it negative, Dolan might not have instituted his media policy, which of course makes y'all write even more trash and influence perception about the team, so it goes in circles, but the bottom line is y'all create and invent distractions and that's harmful to the team. Dolan is trying to protect the team.

Why all the anti-Alan, anti-Knick beat coverage responses? The Yankees, Giants, Jets, Islanders, and Mets all reside in the same city, all have heavy press coverage, ALL win more frequently than the Knicks (over the past four years) and they don't mistreat the beat reporters.

Alan's point is that his job is fun, its a good gig, but why can't the reporters be treated with dignity and respect?

And by the way, all the Dolan supporters, doesn't it bother you that the Knicks have won an average of 29 games over the past four years? That they are the laughing stock of the league? That they can be counted on to overachieve? That they have the highest payroll in the business and the highest ticket prices?

Your anger is misplaced. Its not the reporters. Its Dolan, Isiah and Knick management.

If the reporters all went away, and all you got were AP stories giving you the score and who rebounded, the team would still be in the lower echelon of the league.

I have no objections to the Observer story. It shows that the Dolan led MSG simply does not understand how to operate a consumer friendly business. The fans should be priority number one. MSG should enhance the fans experience not stifle it.

Alan,

I think a lot of the backlash you get is from fans who are sick of the media as a whole and it trickles to you, even though you don't deserve it. Nowadays, it's not just good enough to have an opnion but you HAVE TO BE LOUD WITH IT. Guys like Skip Bayless, Steven A Smith, Chris Russo have made careers over having LOUD FREAKING OPINIONS. Also, I hate it when people in the media forget that they were a fan and just "root for a good story". Huh? Wasn't being a fan the reason you got into the industry? There are other reasons for fan-media dis-connect. Media often complains about poor seating location which ticks off the average fan who does not understand that you guys need good seats to tell me thing I wouldnt get in the 400 level. I remember you answering that question in a mailbag and all of a sudden, it made sense. Finally, we get on the media when they blindly defend each other and don't admit to any wrongs with their professions. The OK St. coach tirade was an example of this. 90% of the fans thought we was right on in ripping that reporter, while 95% of the media thought was out of line (and since the media has to be louder then everyone else...)

Anyways, what the Knicks do to you guys AND the fans is disgraceful. I read your blog because you still have the look and sound of a fan instead of one of those "I look for a story" media people.

Keep up the good work...

PERSONALLY I LIKE ALAN'S BLOG...I THINK OUT OF ALL THE BLOGS I READ HIS IS THE MOST TRUE TO THE NY KNICK FAN!

you actually feel that he cares about the knicks and what happens to them.when i read isola's blog i feel he is just using the knicks as a stepping stone to bigger gigs..i.e. NBA TV...breaking stories to get attention.i have never felt that about alan.

Alan balances the facts and his own personal views about as well as expected.

BUT KNICK FANS YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THE KNICKS HAVE NOT BEEN A MODEL FRANCHISE.

we have not won a playoff game in like forever and we have been an embarrassment to the NBA.

I AM A HUGE KNICK FAN AND HAVE FOLLOWED THIS TEAM SINCE I WAS A CHILD...1994 seems like a million years ago.

I AM BEHIND THIS TEAM AND WANT THEM TO SUCEED BUT I AM NOT BLIND TO THE CHAOS THAT SURROUNDS THIS TEAM.

I THINK THAT THE WRITERS AND THE NY KNICK MANAGEMENT ARE BOTH TO BLAME FOR THE CONTENTIOUS RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED.I THINK THIS WOULD CHANGE IF THE KNICKS WERE WINNING...THEY SAY WINNING SOLVES ALL ILLS.

DON"T HATE ON ALAN...OUT OF THE FOUR PAPERS HE IS THE BEST WE GOT.WITHOUT HIM ALL I WOULD HEAR IS THAT THE KNICK'S SUCK..HE TRIES TO BE POSITIVE WHICH IS BETTER THAN WHAT THE OTHER BEAT WRITERS IN NYC ARE OFFERING.

try working for Al Yankzeera, it might be worse.

but kudos to you, Alan. It's writers like you that keep me reading about the Knicks.

Since Alan is the best of the worst he attracts mostly even minded fans to his blog. Alan had value during the offseason because he could report how different guys were doing in practice and in Summer leagues.

I come to this blog because I enjoy the give and take with other fans. Even if we respectfully disagree I believe pretty much everyone here is a true knick fan. We all want a team to be proud of. Forget management, I want a team on the floorthat competes and wins.

Some here still think this can be that team, others dont. We will know soon enough. No more building. The building is built. Its in the middle of an earthquake right now. I want it to be still standing after the season.

@Nate

Man, you really come across as ungrateful.
Where else are you going to get the insights that we get here (You got Renaldo on speed dial?).

Alan writes for a NEWSpaper, New York NEWSday.

Regrettably, the Dolan administration provides NEWS on a regular basis. Personally I wish that weren't the case; I would rather focus on basketball. I am sick of Dolan's buffoonery.
It is naive to think the off court circus doesn't have any effect upon the team.

You guys need to stop whining and do your jobs. We are here to read about the Knicks and do not want to hear about how the reporters are treated by MSG. I never have woke up and said to myself let me grab the newspaper so I can read what Hahn, Isola or Berman had to say about the Knicks. Everytime I pick up one of the articles the only thing that concerns me is Knick basketball but these days I'm getting some writers sideways opinion on the subject matter. We have 5 newspapers implying that Isiah will get booed tonight so what happens? He gets booed. If you don't think that's unfair to the team you suppose to be covering then I say you are a blind lemming being used by the system Alan. I notice that you guys all print the same exact stories at the same exact date which leads me to belive you guys are trying to fuel the negativity. You writers are wolves in sheep clothing just waiting on the first sign of blood and even if you don't see blood you still will try to squeeze a stone to get a drop. No one wants feel good stories on a daily basis just like no one wants negaitive stories on a daily basis we just want balance and it seems to me like the NY media refuses to give us that with NY basketball. Or at least while it's a black man in charge of the state of affairs at the Garden because I think most of you think you are smarter then he is which might be true but you don't know more about basketball then him. When there is blood in the water the sharks will gather and that's what happening here. Go ahead say I'm pulling the race card and the only thing you guys are going on are the results after every losing season he accumulates. I'll believe that when the sun freezes over and the moon becomes a flaming star. Nobody ever brings up the injustice Larry Brown did to the team that one fateful year that has us at this point. No one points the finger at the "best coach in basketball" who is suppose to still be guiding our players through their careers. This man robbed a city and a team of having a fair chance at winning games while providing the oppostion with better players (Tyrus Thomas) and all we get is speculation on if he was throwing the year in the toilet. Isiah is trying his hardest to put a winning product on the floor and all I hear is babies in the background crying. Just report on the team farily and stop with the freaking backdoor agendas. Donnie Walsh is coming, Chris Mullin is up for the job, The fans need to boo, Nate is a little punk, David lee is a living god and needs all the minutes. If you guys don't think you are helping create an atmosphere of confusion and dissaray you guys are the ones who are truly delsuional and should be sent to Florida to write ala Trevor Ariza.

Alan,

I read that Observer story and was a bit surprised at your quotes, having read your blog since just before summer League. I knew from reading what you posted here that you had a passion and enthusiasm for the Knicks that most NYC beat writers don't share.

But if i had not read this blog and read only the Observer piece, I would have drawn the conclusion that Alan Hahn was just another Knicks beat writer that hated his job.

Context is everything.

Having said that, I can't imagine a missing context that would make Frank Isola sound like anything less than a bitter prima donna who should have retired from the Knicks beat the day Van Gundy announced his retirement. Dude's got a chip on his shoulder, and there's no way that chip doesn't taint his reporting on the team.

NYK could go on a 15-game win streak, and I get the feeling Isola would write about their success only grudgingly, because he didn't get more than a sandwich while sitting in his courtside press seat.

Poor baby.

Seems to me there is a difference of opinon to how much "access" to players the Media and the Knick organization each think they need. Other than info on injuries, matchups, pre and post-mortem evaluation of the game and analysis of Individual /team strengths and weaknesses during a season, how much access do you really need to do your job?. If you are writing a book, then you would need more in depth analysis of the players and management for entertainment value, but it seems like the Media here continues to deteriorate into gossip, innuendo and matters not related to the game.

The faces change but the method remains the same. This garbage reporting was the same when the Knicks were winning in the 90's. A reporter makes his name and money on the relationships he builds within a team, an organization, and around the League. Those relationships will deliver more in-depth stories that spark interest in the casual fan. Your Editor knows that die-hard Knick fans are going to read the paper no matter what. Profits are made by drawing in the casual fan. Four scenarios can generate that type of Casual fan interest; 1. Winning 2. A Charismatic Superstar, 3. Conflict. The Fourth, Superstars winning with conflict is the best scenario (See: Shaq and Kobe) The current Knick model, or losing with conflict and no Superstars will only hold attention for a brief period, so it is imperative that the conflict is ratcheted up a couple of notches before the casual fan loses interest. Now that Ewing is gone, Isiah is the only Marquee player in the Garden these days. The Sexual Harassement trial was like Heaven; I guarantee that mention will be make at least once every two weeks in every Paper for the rest of the year. You should also have a regular feature called "What the latest washed-up former NBA player thinks of the Knicks", we seem to get one of those every week.
(I can't wait for Tim Hardaway's take).

The only story line now is Fire Isiah; you really don't want that to happen because it will guarantee Zero interest until they hire the next coach/GM next summer. Watching these excruciating wins and losses for 6 months just to secure an 8th seed in the Playoffs is just not going to cut it for the casual fan. Dolan is untouchable, we are all stuck with him. Here's a tip...NO ONE wants to read more about the team owner than the Team. Look at it this way, you could be one of the two beat reporters in San Antonio, a Team which wins all the time with a Superstar devioid of Charisma and the only story line is what the Point Guard's wife is wearing (the cure for insomnia). It really sucks to be you.

i support you alan. the knicks management is a disgrace. keep being faithful to the reason you got into this business....reporting. if the knicks are interfering with your ability to tell the story to the best of your abilities, then it is your obligation to your profession to expose why you are unable to tell the stories the fans want and deserve.

if only the lightweight white house reporters, who fell silently into line as our goverment fed them lies, had had the nerve to stand up and expose the truth about our goverments manipulation of the facts, then perhaps tens of thousands of innocent lives could have been spared, and untold hundreds of billions of dollars of our treasure saved.

i hope you continue to shed light on what a paranoid and fascistic state the garden has become. DOLAN IS A PIG! POWER TO THE FOURTH ESTATE!

@sec11rowH

You're on the money.

To say Dolan is a pig, is an insult to pigs.

It would be interesting to hear beat writers from other cities react to the Observer story

David - I think it's a bit of a stretch to infer that those unhappy with media coverage of the Knicks are 'Dolan supporters.'

I think Dolan's a complete moron who would be sleeping on a heating grate outside MSG if his old man hadn't given him a plum gig inside MSG - but I still think Frank Isola has an axe to grind and that he'll never be fair to the team because he's got issues with management.

Press coverage is supposed to be about the team. I agree with all of those who point out that the media helps create the conditions the team has to operate under. That's not to say that there are not fundamental problems with the team - but for the reporters like Isola to claim no involvement with the relentless negativity surrounding this team is not only disingenuous, it's downright dishonest. He feeds that negativity, and by his own admission he stokes it every opportunity he gets.

Don, you are right, that was a bit of a stretch.

However, I just think Knick fans should have less patience at this point for the entire enterprise. I loved when they hired Isiah. I was willing to give him 2-3 years to rebuild and show progress.

But we are in the fourth year, and the team has the same holes -- no defense, lousy passing, inconsistent play -- as it had three years ago.

So the anger that is sometimes displayed against the SPORTSWRITERS rather than KNICK MANAGEMENT, just baffles me. Let's agree that it doesn't matter what the writers write, what matters is how the team plays and progresses. If they hang in there tonight and fight to the end and then beat a bad Bucks team tomorrow night, then perhaps we have progress.

I complain about beat writers when they write bad articles. I know I've shown my displeasure with Berger and other's before. But I keep it topic specific. I don't have a problem with criticizing the Knicks or a losing team. TheKnicks gave the extra ammo in the off season.

But there is no other better sports writer I could turn to if Alan wasn't here. If there was, I'd tell you all.

I give Alan a hard time about his dream job but I understand. Especially the family thing. As an Air Force guy I love my job but complain all the time. I think Alan being candid with us and repsonding to us is icing on the cake for what is truthful, insightful Knicks coverage.

The post here flip flop daily in this blog. And I have have been swayed by many posters opinions. But Alan is the man and respectful of some crazy ass bloggers. He is a class act dude and sportswriter.

Beat Boston baby!!!

cry me a river hahn! You guys sound like a bunch of babies acting like you have such a tough life, I pay 40 bucks to go sit in the upper deck of knicks games and after the games I write about the keys to the game. Almost a page article after each game. And I am a fulltime teacher. You get to sit courtside and watch every knicks game, and have to write about the games, what a tough life.

Knicks are gonna lose by 25 at least.

23-8, 2 minutes left in the first, uh-oh....the ship definitely be sinking....

23-8, 2 minutes left in the first, uh-oh....the ship definitely be sinking....

Amazing how poorly the Knicks are playing and they're not losing by 20. Just a matter of time. This team will not win on the road against any team.

By the way, great job out of Marv Albert rippng the Knicks and Isiah every chance he gets. I can't blame him at all and would do the exact same thingif I was in his shoes. Thanks a lot, Dolan, for getting rid of this great announcer.

37-18, middle of the second. way to show up guys. bad coaching, no chemistry, horrendous shooting. whoa....it's gonna get ugly in this blog tonight.

and yes, thank you marv, for completely and deservedly sticking it to dolan and thomas and star-jerk.

Alan you're awesome and none of my criticism was targeted towards you. you're a beat write and you gotta give us the real deal. holla back

halftime. i am officially over eddie curry. soft as cotton.

my new theory is to let thomas lead this team to a top 3 pick, let him make the selection, then fire that bitch's sorry ass.

FIRST OF ZEKE NEEDS TO GO ALONG WITH CURRY AN CRAWFORD U CAN ADD Q N NATE IN THERE ALSO.ZEKE HAD DONE NOTHING TO COMPLIMENT MARBURYZ SKILLZ MARBURY AINT THE PROB IS THE COACH AN G.M.ANY1 THAT DOESN'T KNOW THIS BY NOW IS STUPID HAS NO CLUE ABOUT BASKETBALL AN SHOULD STOP FOLLOWING BASKETBALL.I HATE TO SEE THE KNICKS GETTING DONE THEY DOWN BY 35.DAMM THEY S-UCK.ZEKE CURRY GRAWFORD Q N NATE GOT TO GOOOO..............ITZ SAD I GOTTA SEE THIS....

Knicks are gonna set some records after this game.

HE KNOWS TALENT BUT DON'T PLAY TALENT.CHANDLER NO BURN 11 MINZ 4TH NO BURN FIREE ZEKE NOWWWWWWWWW.PLEASE.DAMM THAT WILL BE THE BEST NEWS EVA..THEN TRADE CURRY FOR ANY1 THAT CAN REBOUND AN BLOCK SHOTZ.CRAWFORD GOT SKILLZ BUT HAS NO IDEA HOW TO USE THEM TRADE HIM ALSO.Q WITH NATE TRADE THEM ALSO...I WONNA BE THE G.M OF THE KNICKS SO BAD I'LL DO IT FOR FREE.ANY1 THAT THINKS MARBURY IS THE PROB IS STUPID.HOW YOUR NOT GONNA LET YOUR BEST PLAYER PLAY HIS STYLE HIS STYLE WILL WORK WITH THE RITE PIECES LIKE IN THE SUNS....ZEKE BE GONE.DOLAN IS ANOTHER FOOL.I THINK DOLAN IS GETTING MONEY FROM ZEKE AN ANUCHA.IT WA SHIS PLAN SO HE CAN GET HIS FATHERS MONEY IT SOUNDS KRAZY BUT CAN BE TRUE....ITZ A SHAMEEEE....JUST FIRE ZEKE.PLEASEEEE...PLAYERS DON'T LIKE HIM ANYMORE....

So maybe we should stop blaming the media for this mess, and just remember that they are just trying to accurately portray what dysfunctional organization this is.

It is time for change. It is time for new management. It is time to cut loose Isiah and Marbury and work it unloading Curry. Perhaps we can then get a top three pick and begin rebuilding the right way.

MY LINE UP.LEE ZACH CHANDLER BALKMAN MARBURY.....THEY WILL WIN MORE GAMES WITH THAT LINEUP...I KNOW THIS....

37 POINTS WITH UNDER 4 MINUTES LEFT IN THE 3RD...I AM APART OF THE BLIND FAITHFUL KNICK LOVERS WHO WATCH AND HOPE AND TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH WITH EVERY OPENING TIP. THESE GUYS DIDN'T COMPETE, PEOPLE LIKE TO SAY THEY SUCK BUT THEY DON'T MEAN IT AS FAR AS THE SKILL LEVEL , BECAUSE THESE GUYS HAVE SKILL BUT WHAT THEY LACK IS VERY DISTURBING.

THEY LACK...

INTELLIGENCE, WILL, COMPETITIVENESS, UNITY, THE LOVE FOR THE GAME, AN APPRECIATION OF KNICK HISTORY, SPIRIT, DRIVE, DESIRE, NEED FOR SUCCESS, RESPECT FOR THE GAME AND THEIR COMPETITORS.

THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US FANS ANYMORE, SO WE HAVE TO MAKE A STAND NOW.

TURN OFF THE TV, STOP BUYING TICKETS. I am not asking this out of hatred but out of love for our team, they need a wake up call and we can't keep watching and paying for this type of effort.

They have to earn our love. I put so much into this game and to see this type of effort was more than shocking, more than disturbing, it was devestating! I would ask for a buyout of all these contracts but unfortunately that is too unrealistic, we are stuck with these guys so the best thing right now is to fire Isiah and start over in the management department and the coaching staff must be revamped, Steph is such a cancer, I thought he was going to be more aggressive but instead of keeping his GOING FORWARD promise he went back to his meandering on the perimeter offense. Eddy Curry is another cancer, these 2 guys must be bought out and they can go where ever.

A 50 POINT BLOWOUT IS UNEXCEPTABLE. It reveals the character of a team, to come out with this effort in a BIG GAME after all the talk by Q-RICH (he needs to shut up).

Today, hope was killed, not by the Celtics but by the knick effort.

I BLAME THIS ON THE PLAYERS, MORE THAN ISIAH BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE ON THE COURT.

Alan, what is it with your undying love for the Icelanders? Those fishsticks got fried tonight for sure! Go Rangers, now there is a classy organization!

Nice game Knicks.

Nate Robinson's shot at the end gave Isiah another extension.

I really hope Dolan is happy tonight.

… Crawford = streaky shooter, no defense, butter soft ...
… Marbury = great talent, clinically retarded, effort fluxuates daytoday …
… Curry = fat, lazy slob, who refuses to run or jump with any sense of urgency …
… David Lee = tries hard, jumps high for a white guy, has no skill at all …
… Balkman = a black david lee …
… Nate Robinson = undersized NFL cornerback, playing point guard …
… Zach Robinson = fat, ashy, pothead ballhog, with ugly lefty shot …
… Jared Jeffries = LOL …
… Fred Jones = uh-uh …
… Malik Rose = see Fred Jones …
… Isiah Thomas = Wendy’s is now hiring …

I really thought the Knicks effort was non-existent. The team quit. Isiah cant play for the players. The players quit and it showed and looked as if they were defeated. All the starters looked perplexed and had no clue on what they were doing on the court. If Zeke gets fired the Knicks WILL concede the season. Where's the captain of the team. Q didn't do anything with trying to get in a players face. Steph is selfish and is a real cancer to this team. He was giggling with a towel on his head while they were witnessing there worst defeat in team history. As a Knicks fan, seeing what happened in Boston is nauseating.

i'm starting to feel nostalgic for the larry brown days.

Garden faithful, the next time the Knicks play at the Garden please chant FIRE ISAIH for the whole game. Even if they're beating Milwakee. Chant it straight through. PLEASE!!! Maybe then Dolan will pull his head out his ASS. And Q shut the f@#$ up!

Jeffreys was the only truly active player tonight and he should start...............Balkman is not always a good one on one defender, but he is a good team defender because he helps and will block shots.

We need a change in the starting lineup ASAP!!!

Overall, they just kept missing shots tonight........

Rose sucks......

Q Rich needs to shut his mouth before games.....

Keep Isiah so we can get a chance for the number 1 pick in the draft. Fire him after he makes the pick in the draft.

Alan,
Is there any way Isiah can go back to being team president and leave coaching to Dave Hanners?

This team needs a change starting with Isiah and Marbs gone!

I have been a life long knick fan and to see what went on tonight was disgusting.. the reason why i grew up loving the knicks was the teams of the 90s and their desire to win on both sides of the court. that today is nowhere to be found today. The team, I don't know if i can even call it that, had no effort no dedication just there to get a paycheck and leave. That's a disgrace. Not to say it was everyone because the young guys looked like they were at least trying to play but the starters just awful and yes it starts with steph whose suppose to be the leader. i don't know if you caught KG's interview at the end of the game but he even said steph has changed from when he knew him in minnesota because you can't just quit. Know With Q -rich's comments the guy is competitive he looked like he wanted to play just didn't get much help. Z-Bo looked like he was just throwing up shots just to get numbers. Curry looked like he didn't care although he didn't really get much of a chance to go to the basket because they were doubling down. jamal just plain disappeared on the court i can't even remember a play that he was involved in even though he "played". things have to change and it has to come from top to bottom. It will take time because of all the bad contracts we have but eventually we need to rid ourselves of them and start getting young maybe get a young dominant player through the draft. we need positive attitudes and guys who don't give up. What we have know are guys who simply don't care and have lost the love of the game which from my perspective is crazy I mean their getting paid to play basketball. Just disgraceful

this isn't good for my health.

I still don’t get the assumption that all the writers want to trash the team. What kind of positive stories SHOULD they be writing about tonight’s game? The entire premise of this attack on the media is misguided.

Yes, there is hostility, the article makes that clear. But the conspiracy theorists refuse to acknowledge that some writers could, objectively, look around and say, essentially, the team is crap and management is doing a crap job. But we’re to believe that anybody who criticizes one of the worst teams in the league has an “agenda.” It’s absurd.

Alan is exactly right. A lot of the guys who attack the beat writers really are looking to get their “news” from cheerleaders and PR guys. So go to the team’s web sight. Some of us want a dose of reality with our news.

I’ve also been fascinated by the venom and hostility leveled at the blog hosts since I started reading these blogs. First it was Berman and Isola. But now that it’s hit here, I’ve been thinking more about it. I suddenly feel like Jack Bauer when he slaps his forehead every season and says, “How could I have been so stupid.” Because it’s really very simple.

I can’t speak to why these guys are so threatened, and take it so personally. A shrink would need to do that. But . . .

But why do they attack these writers with this kind of hostility and venom? Essentially there are two reasons:

1. Because they can. The anonymity of the internet allows little people to pretend to be big people. It allows guys to talk tough in ways they never would elsewhere in their lives. I’m not much of a gambler, but I’d bet the farm that none of these guys would have the balls to say ANY of this to Alan face-to-face. (Think about all the mean-spirited attacks, and these are the guys calling others “haters.”)

2. And because it’s not the news the want. They want good news. Anti wants every win to be a good win. Sorry, fella . . .the real world don’t work that way.

I want reporters to represent me. To ask the hard questions I’d ask if I could be there. Because that’s the only way I’m going to find out what’s REALLY going on. What’s clear, however, is that Dolan doesn’t want me to know the truth as much as George Bush doesn’t want me to know the truth.

The Observer article revealed things I didn’t know about the hostility between MSG and the writers. Despite all that, the conspiracy theories still boil down to killing the messenger.

Whatever happened to that guy most of us hated who kept ripping Marbury, Curry, Randolph and Isiah?

Looks like he was awfully right about how bad these guys, this coach and this team really are.

Awfully right.

It's a good thing I have a hard-on for destroying the entire Knicks organization, otherwise I never would have been able to convince everyone that the Knicks played poorly tonight.

Anybody can see that this team is a well-oiled machine. Why do I insist on printing lies about their ineptitude?

What's all this about me reminding people of Willis Reed? Who's that? Was he booing me the other night? Because if he was, that's just ignorant. The fans never booed me when I shot 0-600 in Portland.

Alan, don't worry what some of the fans are saying. They entirely missed the point you were trying to make. I understand about working conditions and security personal following reporters in the Garden. It's embarrassing to be a Knicks fan. Any chance Charles Dolan finally wakes up and kicks his retarded paranoid son to the curb along with all the garbage headed by Steve Mills?

Hellooo? Is anybody there? Can you hear me?

If anybody out there is listening, I'm locked up in a dank, windowless dungeon at 4 Penn Plaza. I haven't been fed in 6 years, and have been living off of puddle water and the remnants of intelligent management, which were thrown in here around the same time I was.

As if that's not bad enough, I'm forced to rub lotion on my skin for hours at a time, days on end. When will they let me out of here?

Yes, there is hostility, the article makes that clear. But the conspiracy theorists refuse to acknowledge that some writers could, objectively, look around and say, essentially, the team is crap and management is doing a crap job. But we’re to believe that anybody who criticizes one of the worst teams in the league has an “agenda.” It’s absurd.

Trane, I respect your opinion, but read the end of that article with the extended Isola quote.

He pretty much admits that he rips the team because he feels like MSG doesn't treat him right. That screams of 'agenda,' dude.

It's petty and vindictive. And he cops to it. He should resign.

THE PLAYERS ARE SAYING WE NEED ANOTHER COACH F-UCK ZEKE OR AM I THE ONLY 1 WHOT HINKS THAT...ZEKE NEEDS TO GO AN LET MARBURY PLAY THIS GAME CUZ THEY CAN MAKE IT TO THE PLAYOFFZ WITH MARBURYS STYLE JUST NEED THE GUYS HE KICKS IT OUT TO HIT THERE SHUTZ.........ZEKE IS JELLY MARBURY HAS BETTER CAREER STATS THEN HIM.ALL JOKES ASIDE SO HE TOLD L.B TO TELL HIM LAYOFF NOW HE DOING THE SAME TO MARBURY THATZ Y HE CAREER STATS ARE GOING DOWN DOWN N DOWN JELOUSY...

Don ADO – I readily admit that Isola makes it complicated. But, in a sense, that’s just the point. It isn’t about a monolithic MSM . . . there’s Isola and Berman and Hahn etc. etc. etc. And each is a different case, with different reasons for writing what they write. In a weird way, Isola proves the point even though he’s a counter-example to it. Because his case is unique. The problem is, it’s gotten to the point that ANY criticism of the team is labeled bias, hatred, agenda. I’m not saying there isn’t sufficient cause for hostility between the two sides . . . of course there is. It’s also human nature for people to want their enemy to fail. But again, I tend to read Alan the most – and post here – because I don’t think he’s as thin-skinned as Dolan. I don’t believe – as the conspiracy theorists do – that he’s rooting for the team to fail. I think he’s just calling it the way he sees it. And what he sees, at the moment, is the laughing stock of the league.

Don ADO – I readily admit that Isola makes it complicated. But, in a sense, that’s just the point. It isn’t about a monolithic MSM . . . there’s Isola and Berman and Hahn etc. etc. etc. And each is a different case, with different reasons for writing what they write. In a weird way, Isola proves the point even though he’s a counter-example to it. Because his case is unique. The problem is, it’s gotten to the point that ANY criticism of the team is labeled bias, hatred, agenda. I’m not saying there isn’t sufficient cause for hostility between the two sides . . . of course there is. It’s also human nature for people to want their enemy to fail. But again, I tend to read Alan the most – and post here – because I don’t think he’s as thin-skinned as Dolan. I don’t believe – as the conspiracy theorists do – that he’s rooting for the team to fail. I think he’s just calling it the way he sees it. And what he sees, at the moment, is the laughing stock of the league.

Trane,

Good point. I know that Alan comes to the job with a lot more passion than Isola (apparently) does. This is why I come to this blog for Knicks news, and not the ones at the other NYC papers. I do not for a moment think that Alan is rooting for the te