Game Thread: Knicks at Nets: 4-13-07

by Seth on Apr 13, 2007 6:13 PM EDT in Game Threads Comment 9 comments

Yo. The Knicks go across the tunnel this evening to take on the New Jersey Nets. Anyone who's read anything I've written knows that the Nets are hands down my least favorite team in the league. Their proximity to my home makes me despite them even more, as they are an ugly, uncharismatic team with a flimsy fanbase, and always have been. Here's what I said in at Your NYK in February:

People often ask me why I'm not a Nets fan. The tickets are cheaper, Continental is closer to my house, the team is better, etc. I always say that I can't just become a Nets fan. My love for the Knicks has been ingrained somewhere in my DNA, and I just can't shake it. This isn't the same for everbody, though. See, in the 90s, there were probably 6 Nets fans on earth (and 3 of them were on the roster). Abruptly, the Nets and Knicks switched places on the basketball food chain, with the Knicks putting in their first losing season in a while in 01/02, the same year the Nets went to their first NBA finals in a long time. The Knicks haven't had a winning season since, and the opposite for the Nets. Thus, in this new millenium, we've seen a crop of Nets fans arise like weeds. It's a strange breed. The Net fan probably used to be a Knick fan, but gave up on the team when they started losing. His favorite player is either Jason Kidd or Vince Carter (or even Kenyon Martin). He watches games only when they play the Knicks. He thinks Walt Frazier is annoying. He is every reason why I hate the New Jersey Nets. (For all the real Nets fans out there, with your Antoine Wright jerseys and your season tickets, bless your twisted little hearts. Keep truckin'.)

So yeah. I have no problem with a diehard fan of any team. It's just these spotty, read-the-boxscore fans who can't even touch our passion for the Knicks, even as they struggle, that get to me.

On that note, I'd like to see the Knicks completely maim and torture the Nets this evening. Given our injury situation and their playoff position push, it's not likely, but it would be a magical win.

Anyway, this is a game thread, so post any comments about grapefruits, juicy fruit, Froot Loops, and Fruit of the Loom as the night goes on. I'm gonna try my best to be around for the thread and some game notes, but I can't guarantee it. I'll be back later to recap. Go Knicks. Peace. By the way, Rest in Peace, Yinka.

0 recs | Comment 9 comments |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

ARRRGGHHH

Congratulations on becoming my new place to vent my anger...enjoy.

KOBE BRYANT GOES 7-26 FROM THE FIELD AND SCORES 17 POINTS AND GETS THE GODDAMN ESPN HEADLINE. HOW ABOUT SHOWING SOME RESPECT TO MARCUS CAMBY FOR BLOCKING 23 SHOTS IN 3 GAMES? OR JASON KIDD FOR GETTING 12 TRIPLE-DOUBLES?

BILL WALTON'S SEASON AWARDS ARE A JOKE!! LEANDRO BARBOSA FOR SIXTH MAN AND MOST IMPROVED?! NO WAY!! WHAT ABOUT DERON WILLIAMS? AL JEFFERSON? TYSON CHANDLER? AND HOW ABOUT HIS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR SELECTIONS...I'M FINE WITH BRANDON ROY FIRST, BUT JORGE GARBAJOSA THIRD??!! WHAT ABOUT RUDY GAY??!! YOU'RE RIDICULOUS, WALTON. OH, AND THEN THERE'S THE FACT THAT HE'S GOT SHAQ AS THE CENTER ON THE ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM. PSSH. YAO MING'S STATS ARE BETTER AND HIS TEAM IS BETTER, AND HE'S PLAYED MORE GAMES. DIE!!

ahh..thanks for that. i feel so much better.

NBA Glue - Stickin' the pieces together so you don't have to.

by NBA Glue on Apr 14, 2007 5:36 AM EDT reply actions

dont worry nba glue

kobe will only be the headline for three more games. there will be no reason to talk about him when hes sitting at home during the playoffs.

barbosa is a good selection for sixth man but kind of a reach for most improved, that should go to kevin martin in sacremento. im pretty sure i had no idea who that dude was before this year.

and another side note, with my apologies to mr. met, i was brought up to believe that any team that ends with "ETS" is 2nd class in new york (mets, jets, nets).

the nets could win 100 championships and the knicks would still be the team in new york.

Ewing with the step...YES! and the foul!

by Anthony Masons Haircut on Apr 14, 2007 8:22 AM EDT up reply actions

Amen.

Although I don't care that much about the Mets and Jets.

I actually took a few game notes from this game and I'll have them up in a bit.

Posting and Toasting: Unabashed Knicks fanaticism with the occasional poop joke.

by Seth on Apr 14, 2007 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions

The -ets

The Nets are definitely second class in this city, and will be, at least until the Brooklyn Nets arrive. Then, for once, it might be an even fight. But probably not, even if they land LeBron. The Nets will always lag, because they lack the history. What was there before Kidd & Thorn? Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson? Petrovic was probably the greatest player in their franchise (except for Dr. J) before Kidd. The Nets have a legacy and fan following equal to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Mets, though not as popular as the Yankees at this point in time, differently have had their moments. Thanks to '69, they had a history. So in the 80's (specifically immediately after '86), when the Yankees were sucking for the next decade, the Mets really ran the town, posting higher attendence numbers, getting the headlines more, and selling more jerseys. That changed in the mid-90's, thanks to the bad time for the Mets (Saberhagen, Coleman, etc.) and the resurgence of the Yankees, leading up to the end of the 90's dominance. The Yankees may have more fans and popularity still to this day, but with the Mets getting closer to a World Series, it is neck and neck (note that the lead article in today's Daily News sport section was the Mets game, followed by the Yankees game on the second page; at the same time, the back cover was the Yankees, so it's pretty even coverage.

The Jets and Giants are a similar story. Though the Giant are probably considered the primary franchise, the Jets can steal headlines and front pages when they are good (as they did at the end of last season, when the newspaper finally realized they are the better team in NY); in terms of fans, the Giants dominate Jersey and the Jets dominate Long Island, with NYC probably split evenly in terms of number of fans.

Demographic breakdowns of sports fans is a fun topic. I can't believe that there isn't like a Census survey of sports fans for these purposes....

by stopmikelupica on Apr 14, 2007 2:13 PM EDT reply actions

I agree

Though I know a few exceptions, I find it interesting that Met fans seem to be Jet fans and Yankee fans tend to be Giants fans. I'm not sure why that is.

I think the Giants/Jets fan bases are pretty even. The Jets just get the second-class tag because they play at Giants Stadium.

At least we can all agree that the Nets as a franchise and as a fan base pale in comparison to that of the Knicks. With as much love the City gives to the Yanks/Mets/Rangers/Giants/Jets...I still think it's a basketball town. That's the one team that the whole of NYC (or at least the non-douchebag bandwagon jumpers) can basically agree upon.

And to answer your question "What was there before Kidd and Thorn?": Dennis Hopson.

Ewing with the step...YES! and the foul!

by Anthony Masons Haircut on Apr 14, 2007 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions

As a Yankees/Jets fan

People tend to be Yankees/Giants and Mets/Jets because before the Meadowlands were built, the Giants played home games at Yankee Stadium and the Jets played games at Shea. Of course, I picked my teams because of formative experiences I had as a 4 year old at Yankees and Jets games, and have cursed whoever bought those fucking Jets tickets for 4 year old me during many a 4-12 season.
Nets fans, on the other hand, are just dicks. I'm afraid that we'll lose a crapload of fans when they move to Brooklyn, but the douchebags that switch over aren't real fans anyway.

The Son of Dippin.

by Barnesgasm on Apr 14, 2007 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Barnes is my brother...

Another rare Yankee/Jets fan! Agree with what you said, and add that another factor yet is geography. The Jets fanbase is on Long Island; this is because they played in Shea for a long time, like Barnes said, plus they practice at Hofstra (and will continue to, until the new stadium is built I believe). So the local LI newspapers cover the Jets more (I believe).

Long Island also tends to be closer to Shea, so those people tend to root for the Mets more.

Upstaters tend to root for the Yankees (closer stadium) plus the Giants (again, like Barnes said: Because they used to play in the Bronx). Jerseyites root for the Giants more (they practice out there, so the Giants are way bigger in NJ than the Jets) and the Yankees (because Queens is too far from Jersey, I guess).

So where do NYCers fall? All over the place. Suprisingly, I know a few Queens heads that root for the Yankee/Jets combo. I was raised in Manhattan, but I also root for the Yankee/Jets combo.

It's because they both sucked when I was first becoming a sports fan, and the Giants and Mets had both just won championships, so I wanted to root for a team that hadn't won yet. I'm no bandwagon hopper, I guess....

by stopmikelupica on Apr 14, 2007 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions

As my handle gives away

I am a Met fan. I also am a Giants fan. You find find some of this mix in the 25-34 demographic because these were the teams that where big when we were kids. LT, Doc and Straw was as big as at got as stars in this town when I got into sports at age 8/9 or so.

by DoctorK16 on Apr 15, 2007 1:56 AM EDT up reply actions