I live in NYC & the reason I made this blog is because so called NBA experts like "Bomani Jones" and "Michael Wilbon" speak on our beloved sport, especially the Knicks, with a real bitterness in their mouths. They can't discuss an N.Y. team without mentioning the media, the "spotlight", etc. NYC is the biggest city in the world when it comes to the stage of public opinion. It has crushed many a talent from Randy "the big unit" Johnson to Glen Rice. The constant bashing of their play, the amount they are getting paid, where they ate, who they were with , it's an ongoing drilling. However, it works the other way too. In NYC, your arrival can be so full of pomp and circumstance one can't help but wonder if royalty has arrived!
Jeremy Lin is the best example of the flip-flop of the media and bias towards NYC. For one, we know his story and if you don't then check here where Sports Illustrated made Lin their cover boy. However, let's look at the response Lin's sudden appearance has created. There is a question of whether the Knicks are better without Carmelo Anthony, was Antoni's (no D in his coaching, no D in his name) system really just a point guard away from success this whole time and other headlines. Some are valid , others are just nonsense.
The biggest story that sticks out for me is this one. Michael WIlbon, he of ESPN/ABC fame and the grandstanding show on ESPN "Pardon The Interruption", claimed that Lin's success was more a creation of the "New York media". On a pregame of a national television Knick game vs the Lakers , Wilbon was reminding viewers other NBA players have come out of nowhere, “but in New York it’s back page, front page" as Bob Raissman of the Daily News points out in his excellent article regarding Lin's impact on NYC's cable wars with MSG honchos. However, after the first half Wilbon put on his bib and enjoyed a healthy serving of humble pie as Lin had an amazing game, finishing with 38 pts 7 assists and scored more than Kobe Bryant while getting the win. I did not see anyone from the media setting any picks.
This is a battle between the media yelling "LOOK, LOOK" in excitement about Lin's excellent play and the inevitable "SEE, SEE" & the playground taunts of "I told you so's" when Lin and the Knicks finally do lose a game. I ask all my readers to please keep this in mind as THIS is the true agenda of the NYC media & thus whitewashing all that Lin has created in our basketball loving city. The main reason to condemn the NYC media is the "love you now, hate you later" song and dance that is always a loss away. However, Lin's success has nothing to do with the media in NYC.
For now, just look at the pic accompanying this post and ask yourself when was the last time the Garden rocked like this for the Knicks.
May be a story there, huh?
For honest and up-to-date feedback on NYC media , I highly recommend you all follow Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News on twitter & as always, this blog for the true measure of what our Knicks are about.
Follow me on twitter @NycNbaBlog
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