Living for the City

I am really liking the full blown rivalry developing between the Nets and the Knicks. And I ain’t talking on the court. As far as wins and loses, the Nets have clearly dominated the NY team the past five-six years after the Knicks brushed aside the punk Nets pretty much throughout the entirety of the Ewing era.

But with the Nets heading to the Planet in the next few years, the battle is well joined at the franchise level. I mean, what are die hard Knicks fans thinking when there are Nets gracing building sides in Manhattan, sporting slogans like “The Hottest Show in Town ... Just 15 Minutes Off Broadway” ? NYC is a Knicks town, aint it?

And how bout Jersey fans? The irony of having a billboard claiming that the best basketball in NYC is across the river on the Jersey side (the greatest feeling a person from NJ could ever experience) as part of an advertising campaign predicated on the team’s pending move to New York (the way things always go for people in NJ). Abe, are you happy, sad or mad?

Though I have pulled for several Knicks teams over the years, I certainly have never been counted as a fan. But I am sorta rooting for this year’s team. I think most of these guys have a ton to prove, and they were totally humiliated last year. Larry Brown was the wrong guy for this mad mismatch of talent. Because there is actually some serious talent on that team, and it sure is hard to imagine the team being worse.

I hope things like this NJ mess get Steph riled up! The Nets will remain a better team this year, but this rivalry is only going to grow. As a fan, I am quite pleased.

In other news, Dwight Howard is crazy, and the Blazers break out some home-grown to win back local fans.