U.S.A.
Everyone Else
Health
Science
Business
Technology
Sports
Video Games
Entertainment
Future
NEWS > SPORTS > KNICKS LIKELY TO FIELD A TEAM FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS AT LEAST
KNICKS LIKELY TO FIELD A TEAM FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS AT LEAST
September 6 2009
New York, NY – There are few sports teams in the world as venerated and successful as the New York Knickerbockers. One of the founding members of the Basketball Association of America, which would eventually help to form the NBA, there are few 
teams in sports that have the kind of panache and level of contribution to their sport than the Knicks. Despite that things have been tough in recent years with losing season after losing season making them the joke of the league.
It is with that experience over the last few years that a kind of schizophrenia has set in amongst the management and players for the team. Centered in the media capital of the world the scrutiny on the team has been unrelenting which has served to further undermine their confidence. Despite that, the Knicks have a resilience that few other teams have and they are vowing to field new teams for the next few years to come. Already locked in to the 2009-2010 season team owners have said that they plan on fielding new teams for a few years after that obligation, putting at ease the minds of millions of basketball fans.
“We have contracts with a number of players and personnel and we want to honor that. We of course also have a contract with the Gardens and the league and we plan on making good on that. Most importantly we have a contract with the fans and the city of New York and we want to honor that fully,” said General Manager Donnie Walsh. “Look, we realize that things have been tough for the last few years and we can’t promise that things will suddenly be better. We will try, I can promise that, but I can’t make any guarantees as to the on-court product. What I can guarantee is that there will be team in Madison Square Garden next year and for at least a few years afterwards.”
Walsh confirmed that he and his staff were continuing to make phone calls, process paperwork, and answer emails just as they have for the last few years. Players will continue to show up for practice and the team will present a full team for all home and away games.
“It may come as a surprise to many but the Knicks are the most valuable team in the league and that will go a long way to sustaining their existence. Much like the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL, the Knicks have been successful from a business perspective largely because of the city they are located in. That means that the on-court product is really a secondary concern,” said Scrape TV Sports analyst Mark Marvins. “In a lot of ways the effort and money required to field a 
competitive team can actually be a burden and that has no doubt had an effect on the product. If you’re in a city like Milwaukee or Salt Lake City the only thing you have is success and the effort to field competitive teams has to be significant, which just isn’t the case with the Knicks whocan make money whether they win or not.”
NBA watchers expect minimal improvement next season which is likely not to make its way into the following year even if the team still plays.
“The reality is the team will need to continue to play in order for them to keep making money so that will likely continue for a few more years. If they are somehow able to figure out how to keep the Gardens full and merchandise selling without actually 
having a team they will undoubtedly grab that opportunity but for now they will have to play it straight,” continued Marvins. “With the possible exception of the Lakers and the Yankees, the most fiscally successfully sports teams tend to be the last successful. Look at the Redskins, the Cowboys, or the Leafs. The list just goes on and on and it makes sense in a lot of ways. They also continue to field teams just like the Knicks and at least for the foreseeable future that will likely continue.”
Team officials have directed their players to shoot the ball in the general direction of the net and attempt to stop the opposing team from scoring.
Alexi Orton, Sports Correspondent
NEWS > SPORTS > KNICKS LIKELY TO FIELD A TEAM FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS AT LEAST
|
Scrape Store
