I'm On Strike

I've had it with basketball. It's not the sport. It's not the diluted talent pool and extracurricular arena antics. I like to rant about those things, but in the end I'm a basketball fan and I'm willing to look past the faults of the David Stern NBA for the enjoyment the actual on court action brings me. I'm on strike for another reason altogether.

It's no surprise that I'm a Knick fan. I've written my fair share of editorials about the Knicks here at East versus West. Since the end of the Ewing era, the Knicks have spiralled downward every single year, until they have reached the current low point in the history of the franchise. Yes. This is THE LOWEST POINT IN THE HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK KNICKS. Think about it. They were the 2nd worst team in the NBA last year with the highest salary by far. The players mutineed against their coach and their owner and GM did nothing to remedy the problem. The owner has backed his useless and criminally negligent general manager to the point that he's untouchable. The same guy that ran the CBA into the ground is now running one of the proudest franchises in the American sports pantheon to the same sad end.

Now it appears as though the GM and owner are essentially siding with spoiled and overrated bling boys like Marbury and Francis over their nomadic coach. I'm not saying that Larry Brown did a good job last year, but he ranks well below Isiah, Marbury, and a handful of other people on the ladder of blame. If the guys listened to Brown and did what he asked of them, they'd have been better. Brown has a winning track record, even if he's like the runaway bride of the NBA. There was a time when players were subordinate to their coach. They were payed to play, and the coach was payed to coach. Now the players pout and act like little bitches if they don't get what they want. "Starbury" and Stevie "Franchise" are the poster children for this phenomenon. I hate both of them.

Now, the Knicks are reportedly buying out Brown to the tune of $40 million and presumably looking at Isiah in the coaching chair next season. Didn't this have to happen eventually? Isn't it what all the New York reporters have been asking Zeke about since he walked in the door? The new coach and his players deserve each other. Isiah traded what may turn out to be the #1 pick in the draft for Eddy Curry. Let's see him live up to that when he has to coach the bloated and streaky Curry. If he had taken over the team sooner, we may have seen him get the door that much sooner too. It's inevitable. He's going to fail miserably as coach, as he's failed miserably as GM, and as he's failed miserably in every aspect of life except playing point guard. If Dolan had a sack, he's have fired Isiah and brought in Kiki Vandeweghe to clean up this mess with a sensible 5 year plan.

So, I'm on strike. As good as the NBA playoffs have been on some nights, I'm not going to follow them, except to check the scores. Since my main beef is with the Knicks, I'm going to boycott them next season. I won't watch a single game. I will campaign for the firing of Isiah Thomas and the sale of the team. Until those two things happen, I am anti-Knick. Rather, I'm a Knick fan on strike. If you love something, you have to speak the truth about it. I support the franchise, just not the bums who own, operate, and play for it. I want my franchise back. Perhaps Gilbert Arenas can express my feelings best. Check the picture for my message to James Dolan, Isiah Thomas, and Stephon Marbury.

-Mr. East