"We have amended the rules of the game to allow David [Ortiz] to use any performance enhancer he can find, as baseball is pretty boring when he's not hitting home runs," said Selig, who added that Ortiz could be suspended for 50 games under the new policy if drug tests show he is not taking any previously banned substances. "What David is doing right now is wrong, and this season could damage his reputation forever. The game of baseball needs him to do the responsible thing and superhumanly whack balls over the fence whenever possible."
The good folks over at The Onionremind us just how difficult it has been rooting for the Knickerbockers since Scott Layden traded away Patrick Ewing for Glenn Rice, Luke Longley, Travis Knight, Vernon Maxwell and the rights to about five other players eight long years ago.
How bad has it been? Two words: Clarence Witherspoon.
Two more: Isiah Thomas.
When you go through two organizational nadirs within an eight-year period, you're either 1.) in book publishing or 2.) a fan of the Knicks. During Isiah's reign of terror, I edited books for a living. I'd rather not dwell on this dark period of my life. Suffice it to say, I had a lot of conversations with friends that, more or less, went like this.
Still, the Hirsute One has a point: "It's not your fault." Once a Knicks fan can shrug off responsibility for the Layden-Isiah years, they're practically home free. The rest is simply about managing expectations.
Although the team has gotten off to a solid start, let's not get ahead of ourselves. They're in a middle of a long--and long-overdue--rebuilding phase. These things take time, no matter who's calling the shots. I have all the faith in the world in Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni, but even they can't magically deliver the Garden faithful a 50-win season. At least not right away. As dispiriting as Sunday night's loss to the Dallas Mavs was-- and as elusive as a Tuesday night road victory over the defending champs will prove to be-- we still need to keep in mind that the Knicks, currently second in the Atlantic Division, have already exceeded expectations. Granted, those expectations were about as high as Bush's approval rating, but this team does have a promising future-- with or without LeBron. The same can't be said for our current lame-duck president or, say, the American automobile industry.
So, as the inconsistent play continues, don't fret. Track Wilson Chandler's continued development. Celebrate Marbury's benching. Count the days until Malik Rose is no longer allowed to put on a Knicks uniform. Pray Gallinari gets some burn this year. Enjoy David Lee before it's too late. Hope for Junior's return. Put up with Nate Robinson's erratic play because his hard court histrionics are kind of fun to watch and, well, simply because he's not Howard Eisely.
This current incarnation of the Knicks is, by no means, the team of the future. But at least they ain't the Knicks of the past eight years.
Classic. 