New York Knicks: Past The Point Of Disappointment
By Eric Snyder
Agitated and Outraged
In the midst of a less than stellar season, Knicks owner James Dolan and Knicks legend Charles Oakley found a way to make things even worse in New York. The Knicks mishandling of the Oakley situation illuminated the shortcomings of a failed owner.
By now, countless stories have been written about the ridiculous feud between Dolan and Oakley. The feud didn’t have to be ridiculous and it didn’t have to be public. However, since an out of touch owner clashed with an out-of-control former star, things quickly became ugly and public.
Dolan puts more thought into his cookie-cutter blues band than he ever has considered the public image of his Knicks. To Oakley’s credit, he has been the same bad mood bully his entire career. When the two men clashed, it was the Knicks who lost, again.
The resulting interviews given by both men only made things worse for the organization and for the fans. Yet, the angst between the two became a melodrama describing the never-ending plight of the Knicks.
Both Oakley and Dolan smothered any hope that may have begun with Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose. Oakley may be a flawed messenger but he nonetheless represents the anger of every Knick fan in the world.
On a positive note, the PR debacle at MSG distracted the world from the continued disappointment found on the basketball court below.