I have, since I can remember, despised the New York Knicks. Irrationally so. A week or so ago, Whit texted me to ask, "I know how you felt about the Knicks in the 1990s. How do you feel about them these days?"
To which I responded, "Certainly less intensely".
Still, not a Knick fan, though this group of players is hard to hate. But I can't help but be moved by this scene from the city after Jalen Brunson and his buddies brought the title back to New York:
A multicultural throng singing a black artist's song celebrating a group of (mostly) black dudes on the eve of our tinpot despot's birthday. That'll get you in the feels a bit.
I neither liked or disliked the Knicks but I love basketball. It’s beautiful when everyone buys in to the team concept. This was that kind of team. I was definitely rooting for them by the end the this run.
ReplyDeleteyour boy did a 42-mile gravel ride today. ran into mr kq's childhood friend. had some beers. it was a good day.
ReplyDeleteRob hated a few teams in his youth (age 18-25, not super youthful):
ReplyDelete- Yankees
- UNC hoops
- Auburn football
- U of R
- Knicks
- other teams as assigned
Things change. Not the Yanks, so much. But these Knicks, unlike New York fans (I say this as a Mets fan), are as likable as Mark says. Kudos.
still hate ‘em all. small-minded hobgoblin, me.
ReplyDeletealso hate:
ReplyDeletereal madrid
la galaxy (no idea why)
a certain local huskies opponent (very clear why)
I believe that the Knicks' improbable, pixie-dusted title owes a small debt to Victor Wembenyama, not because of his performance in championship series, but previous series.
ReplyDeleteI'm generally loath to go down the 'what if', parallel universe path, but hear me out. In Game 1 against OKC, if Wemby had not made 35-footer at end of first OT period to force second OT, Thunder likely close out Game 1 and win. OKC won Game 2 handily. Up 2-0, unlikely that Spurs win four of next five. Thunder may have closed out series in five games.
Thunder are an entirely different matchup for Knicks. Experienced, tough, defensive nuisance. Knicks have not beaten OKC in more than three years, while they beat Spurs four of five regular season this year and did likewise in Finals. Now, maybe Brunson and Towns and Co. duplicate magical, feel-good run against OKC, but that wouldn't have been the way to bet. So, thanks, Wemby.
The clip in this post is pretty great, I must say
ReplyDeleteCowboys, Eagles, Giants
ReplyDeletePhillies, Braves, Yankees
Celtics
Flyers (and anything else from Philly)
Notre Dame football
Duke hoops
France rugby
These days the Dodgers and Clemson make the list. In years past, JMU, the Patriots, Penguins, Michigan football, and Norfolk Catholic high school football did, but things change.
In other news, Virginia Democrats can't get their shit together and pass a budget. A large part of the impasse is the Virginia Senate's debate over whether to deliver on the $1B+ in tax breaks promised to data center businesses.
ReplyDeleteSenate Finance and Appropriations Chair Louise Lucas called Scott and Spanberger “Amazon Don and Data Center Diva” on X last week, adding that they were making a “monumental mistake” in pushing for continued tax breaks. On June 6, Lucas tweeted, “Why would anyone want to spend $1.6 billion … subsidizing Big Tech companies when that money could go to public education, health care or tax relief for our constituents?”
Trumpish nicknaming aside, what's being ignored is the principle of economic development wherein you vie for businesses to relocate to and stay in your state with incentives. You may not like the deal you struck with these businesses, but publicly welching on a key deal you made likely sets back ED efforts for many years. It's bad business, and I'm not much for that. Stay tuned.
Is “ED efforts” a Viagra reference?
ReplyDeletealways
ReplyDeleteWhat is incredibly stupid is that in VA, data centers get an exemption to the Sales & Use tax. That has spurred the development of that has increased economic activity and tax revenue significantly. Other states have followed suit. If they change the law, the development will move instantaneously AND that will cause citizens power rates to skyrocket given that there will be no additional data centers usage to pay for the infrastructure that Dominion Power has already started.
ReplyDeleteblue sharks! cabo verde beat spain, 0-0!
ReplyDeleteI was expecting that match to go the way of Germany-Curacao.
ReplyDeleteVirginia's power utilities will raise our rates in any case. I just goosed my tenants rent 20%, at least in part to cover last winter's power bills that were higher than giraffe pussy. They didn't tell me HVAC wasn't working and tried to heat a significant part of a 2,600 square foot house with space heaters!
Gonna work up my list of teams I hate (hated) because this is fun to see the different allegiances but I have to go play tennis in 90+ degree heat and absurd humidity.
ReplyDeleteGiraffe pussy! Not like Nashville pussy. You goosed your tenants?
ReplyDelete