Knicks-Nuggets preview: Expect lots of ‘Charles Oakley’ chants, ham-fisted MSG response

Oh, the Knicks are playing Friday night at MSG? Who is the opponent? Who cares? (It’s the Nuggets). The real action will be in the stands, as Archduke James Dolan’s minions attempt to control a crowd of Knicks fans still incensed over the arrest of Charles Oakley.

MSG security got a tiny taste of what it can expect during Thursday night’s Rangers-Predators game.

A reader captured the scene for Deadspin:

It started in the 2nd period and the guy started a “Char-Les Oak-Ley!” chant. Then in the in 3rd, the same guy started a “Fr-ee Oak-ley!” chant. Security just comes up to him and tells him he’s gone. The guy says I was just chanting and did nothing wrong. That back and forth is what you’re seeing in the video. It was completely unprovoked and the guy did nothing wrong. Security started to gather at both ends of the section, but once they saw cameras out and people saying that he did nothing wrong, they left.

Keep in mind, this was hockey — the sport whose fans rush to turn every screencap of a player bleeding into a “HOCKEY PLAYERS ARE SO TOUGH; LEBRON’S A BITCH” meme. New Yorkers love Oak; it’s just that simple.

And it’s not as if MSG is going to back down anytime soon, if yesterday’s tweet from the PR department is any indication:

It’s gonna be a hot time in midtown tonight.