Category Archives: Madison Square Garden
I had a conversation with a long-time season ticket holder who went to his first game last night vs. the Nets since the trade and he brought up a great point on the Garden crowd. I’m not a season ticket holder and I’ve been lucky enough to have attended 7-8 games this season, but the spectacle that is put on has been a source for debate.
Obviously, it’s entertainment and with the money being shelled out for tickets, organizations feel the need to turn your experience from a game into an event. But, do we really need guys in orange shirts patrolling the aisles chanting “defense?” And, guys walking up to you mid-possession asking if you want your photo taken?
Bill Simmons has written on the select few crowds that know how to truly have an influence on the game, with the Spurs and Blazers crowds being the best at it in his opinion. But, in the 90′s, the Garden crowd did the same, they (as my friend puts it) “knew when to pick the team up, and knew when to put the other team down.”
The Knicks organization spent an entire decade trying to bring back fans that were sick of losing with all of the “fan experience” antics, but do we still need it?
I think the fans are into the game now because we’re respectable again, not because they are getting t-shirts fired at them.
What are everyone’s thoughts on the fan experience that MSG attempts to provide?
Personally, I feel they are alienating the fans they want to keep, and luring in the fans they don’t want to have.
(Hat tip to Dan Silver)
I was given this link by my friend over at Knicks Blogger. It’s a post on Bleacher Report pontificating about how NY’s rep as basketball town USA is over-hyped because, well, everything is in
NY.
“…New York’s self-given moniker of “the Mecca of the basketball” has far more to do with the city’s real-life No. 1 rank in the world in both media and marketing. After all, all four major television networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) are headquartered in the city. Seven of the eight top global advertising agencies call Madison Avenue home…
It should come as no surprise to you there’s a massive LeBron James-to-New York campaign, even though James never, not once, publicly said he wanted to play in New York.
The story, I’m sure, originated in New York, where the Knicks have a hand in the local media. The Knicks are owned by Cablevision, who also owns Newsday (11th-highest circulation in the country), Madison Square Garden and its television network, as well as News 12 and Rainbow Media.
New York City is living off a reputation it built in the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s….”
First of all, the Garden is actually referred to as “The Mecca,” not New York. And who markets the Garden for the Knicks? Every NBA player who calls it “The Mecca of Basketball.” It’s a phrase completely overblown, but it rolls off the tongue like when Jordan used to say, “the game of basketball” countless times. Lebron does it every time he holds a press conference.
No one can argue that the rest of the country has probably surpassed NYC in terms of talent and I’ve spoke several times about the NYC point guard myth, but the idea that NY is overhyped as a basketball town is over the top. One of the main reasons for Lebron to come to NY would be to wake up this town from doldrums of losing. But people are still out there playing and none of them care about “hype.” We love the game.
NYC isn’t the “Mecca” of basketball. People in Baltimore, Indiana or Chicago or Seattle will tell you it never was.
But none can say the Garden isn’t the “Mecca” and thanks to countless players, from high school to the NBA, it continues to be marketed year after year.
That’s right, the Knicks are 
10-9 at home after yesterday’s win and their record should actually be a few games better if not for a loss to the lowly T-Wolves and a Jordan-esque performance by the incomparable Jarrett Jack.
But being over .500 at home is significant, and if the last two games were any indication, the Knicks may be building something with Danilo Gallinari happily playing to the crowd. It’s called “buzz.”
The team now has 9 able bodies, which is so incredibly important to the success of any team. Fortunately, they were able to get better without making a single move thanks to the addition of their prized rookie.
They have the bodies and they have the buzz at home, let’s see if it can continue tomorrow.
Marc Berman of the NY Post gives a blog update from the NBA’s pre-draft camp in Orlando. Among the topics he discusses his Michael Jordan’s take on the Knicks, the future of the Knicks coaching staff, and the first signs of a relaxed MSG media policy. There is also some words from old friend Larry Brown, now the coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. You could also read his entire column about MJ and the Knicks here.
Its nice to see MJ saying nice things about Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh, but wasn’t it Jeff Van Gundy that called him a “con man” that smiled in your face while he ripped your heart out? As far as the media policy, this is the first I have heard of things being better with respect to accessibility. Its a positive sign because I think part of the turnaround is the team embracing their stakeholders. Improved access will help all of us better understand whats going on and leave less for interpretation. In my opinion, speculation leads to trouble in this city. Then you get the kind of atmosphere you have had at MSG for nearly ten years. I am also glad to see Larry Brown doing well. Although I think he did a bad job with the team two years ago, he was in an impossible situation. I am sure he will wind up on his feet.
Drew Cieszynski has done what many of us only dream of. The 26-year-old from Milwaukee has caught a
game in every arena in the NBA and on January 11th made his way to Madison Square Garden.
Ciezynski notes his experience of the game verses the Lakers on his blog:
“This is what I was waiting for…
What happened on this day in New York was what I was in search of during my tour.
I’m not going to get into my interactions with the Knicks media/public relations dept, but rather just say thank you to my cousin Jennifer and James Polsky for getting me great seats for the game.
The game that fell into my lap for the Knicks was versus the Lakers on Christmas eve eve. A Sunday afternoon game. Kobe Bryant missed his last game at Madison Square Garden due to suspension, so the stakes were raised for this particular competition.
Madison Square Garden, or ‘the Garden,’ or MSG is located in downtown Manhattan, just a few blocks from Times Square. Dave & I once again took the train from NJ Penn Station to Manhattan. Once we were off the train, we simply had to walk upstairs and we were there. Strangely enough, Circ de Soleil was performing the same day, giving you a sense for how big this arena actually. is.
There were many Lakers fans in attendance, including my boys who flew out from LA for the game. That’s an “L” for Lakers although I would be a Knicks fan today.”
This is pretty cool stuff and is on the very top of my bucket list. As far as your dealings with Knicks PR, we understand Drew, we really do.
