Rant #351: Hope Knicks Eternal

I am a big Yankees fan, which means I pretty much always root for a winner, or at least a team that will compete (for the past 15 years or so, but not during my childhood, when they were terrible).

I am a big Knicks fan, which means I pretty much always root for a loser, or at least a team that will not compete (for the past 10 years or so, but not during my childhood, when they were great).

I took my son and his friend to a preseason open practice at Madison Square Garden yesterday. What it amounted to was a pep rally for a team that nobody really knows.

I believe there are 11 new faces on this team this year, led by All-Star Amare Stoudemire. The rest of the team--16 players currently, which will have to be pared down by four before the season begins--are a mixed bag of draft choices, holdovers, a few players obtained in trades, and players looking to hang on.

This practice, which was open to the public, was a decent effort to bring the Knicks directly to their fans. Tickets were free, but you had to have tickets to get in. About 6,500 tickets were given out, and most of those having tickets actually attended.

We saw various drills, a couple of back and forth scrimmages, and we witnessed pretty much what the team does in a controlled environment without fans in attendance.

It was interesting and boring at the same time. How many times can you see players doing the same drills over and over?

What's more, the low moment of this two-and-a-half-hour showcase was when one of the hosts, former Knick Allan Houston, who is now a team executive, said that fans don't realize how hard it is to be a player, to paraphrase him. No, but do players know how hard it is to be a fan of this moribund franchise? Or better yet, do players know what it is to work a 9-to-5 job? I mean, c'mon, no matter how hard it is to be a player, they can take consolation in the paychecks they get.

My bit of advice: Allan, please don't talk down to the crowd.

Anyway, since I am a hopeless fan of this team, my son and I will be going to three games this season--including opening night on October 30--so you will read more about this team in future rants.

Thank goodness I have the Yankees to root for.

But hope springs eternal, so maybe the Knicks have something to bring to fans this season. Maybe they can endear themselves to these frustrated fans by actually bringing a winning, competing team to New York.

We have suffered long enough. Let the season begin!

(Note: I will not be adding a new rant to this site tomorrow, as I have a funeral to attend. Check back on Wednesday, when a new rant will be in place.)