Dear Mr. Stoudemire,

Last night's act of frustration was an unacceptable display of selfishness. The punching of a glass object in the locker room would normally be a stupid thing to do, in and of itself, but what I do not understand is why you saved all that passion and fury for the defenseless fire extinguisher case?

Where was this passion when you were half-assedly double-teaming Lebron in the 4th quarter with you HANDS DOWN? I have never seen such a listless display of defense in my life, and I've lived more years than you, sir. Where was this fury when you were going up against the likes of Udonis Haslem and Chris Bosh? I would describe your on-court behavior as timid and deferential, although apparently you were the opposite in the locker room.

I think the Knicks should review your contract for a behavioral opt-out clause, to rid themselves of your ridiculous $100 million deal that seems now more of a burden than a benefit. I would be hard-pressed to find another player making $20 million per year that disappears as much as you do on the court. The fact that a no-named kid from Harvard could come in mid-season and DOMINATE the team, lifting morale instantly, is ridiculous. That should be YOUR JOB, Amar'e. You are the one that should be motivating this team, this is YOUR team.

Last year we saw the fire and passion. This year, maybe partly due to injuries, although I am not ready to give you a pass due to these injuries, the Knicks seem to be winning in spite of you, not because of you. It looks like 4 guys playing defense and Amar'e floating around, sometimes reaching his arms up for a rebound... God forbid you ever actually jumped to retrieve one.

The Suns could not win with Mike D'Antoni and you for the same reason - NO DEFENSE. You want to bring intensity on one side of the floor, then go have a seat for the rest of the playoffs. This is big-boy time, just look at the team that has handed you 2 straight double-digit losses. I hate the Heat, but at least they ALL try hard, even the awkward-bodied Mike Miller.

It is a tremendous disservice to the rest of your teammates to display such apathy on the court and then an intense passion off the court. You should be ashamed, Amar'e.

Sincerely,

A lifelong Knicks fan who deserves more