FanHouse Msg

From where I sit, the NHL's legal battle with Madison Square Garden over online marketing rights seems to have been going on forever. But while the dispute is simple -- MSG and the Rangers want to maintain control over online businesses that the league believes the member clubs have ceded to its collective control -- the legal details are pretty esoteric. To keep it simple, here's Skip Oliva of the Voluntary Trade Council:

Madison Square Garden, owner of the New York Rangers, sued the National Hockey League last year, claiming league rules regarding joint website marketing violated the Sherman Act. It's a strange argument. The NHL is, by definition, a form of "collusion" among the 30 member clubs. MSG's argument is that this collusion is legal when it likes the outcome of the league's decision-making process, but it's illegal if it doesn't. In other words, anytime a sports franchise is on the losing side of a league vote, it should be allowed to reverse the outcome under the antitrust laws.

Thanks to Skip for putting the legal dispute into terms everybody can understand. But the next thing everybody has to understand is that the NHL has filed a counterclaim against MSG alleging breach of contract and is asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to allow the league to proceed with internal disciplinary proceedings against MSG. That's an action that could result in termination of MSG's franchise rights to the Rangers. To read the complaint, which includes a letter to Cablevision Systems Chairman James Dolan describing potential disciplinary proceedings and possible outcomes, click here.

Now, does this really mean that the NHL is on the brink of taking the Rangers away from the Dolan family?

James Dolan spent something like $180 million on the Isiah Thomas abomination. The Knicks spent more money on payroll this season than any other team ... and still ended up among the six worst squads in the league. So it's good to see some of Dolan's hard-earned dollars going to a worthy cause. From the New York Post, via SbB.

Anucha Browne Sanders isn't letting the $11 million she won in her sexual harassment case against Isiah Thomas burn a hole in her pocket. At last week's Arthur Ashe SportsBall, a fund-raiser for urban youth programs, Sanders "was bidding on everything in the silent auction," according to a witness. "She had her name down under every item," said the onlooker, including "an Oprah Winfrey experience, a Roger Federer tennis racket and a Barack Obama basketball.

Oprah experience, or Jerome James? Federer memorabilia, or Jared Jeffries? Tough call. Hell, Anucha could buy $500,000 of Hot Pockets and still spend more wisely than Isiah did. And we're talking Hot Pockets.

Several outlets -- including, um, TNT's Kenny Smith -- are reporting that TNT's Kenny Smith will interview for the almost-vacant general manager role with the New York Knicks. The GM will report to Donnie Walsh; Billy King and Rick Sund have been the other names floated for the gig. Glen Grunwald has the job this morning, and Walsh has said he'll keep Grunwald's crew in town through the June draft.

The Jet, of course, has front office experience ... which means he'll fit nicely with prospective Knicks coach Mark Jackson, who has zero bench experience. But any personnel decisions he makes will pale in import to the void his move to Madison Square Garden will leave in TNT's Thursday night (and in the playoffs, more frequent) studio.

So how about some replacement ideas?

• Chris Webber. Webb got mixed reviews for his work last night, with Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer opposed and Awful Announcing's Brian Powell in favor. He has the attitude and chops to hang with Charles Barkley, but remains a bit lacking in the analysis category (which would not be unique to the left side of Ernie Johnson's chair).
  
• Sam Cassell. Sam's getting into coaching once he playing career ends, so this is probably a non-starter. But can you imagine??? Heads would explode with a weekly dose of Barkley and Cassell.
  
• Anyone but Magic. Everyone loves Magic Johnson ... but can anyone stand him on Inside the NBA? Didn't think so.

(Here's one blogger's attempt on boiling down the Jeff Van Gundy situation for you.) Yesterday during ABC's epic Suns-Spurs battle, the Knicks' coaching vacancy -- for which color analyst #1 Mark Jackson is a top candidate -- came up on the air. JVG (color analyst #2) was asked about his interest by play-by-play man (and Knicks broadcaster) Mike Breen. JVG called himself a "superdelegate" and insisted Jackson, his partner who was sitting less than five feet away at the time, was the right candidate for the job and should be hired.

So is JVG interested or not? During Friday's press call on Isiah Thomas's reassignment, new boss Donnie Walsh mentioned he'd be interested in finding out JVG's interest level in returning to Madison Square Garden. JVG's weekend interview with the New York Post's Marc Berman provides a hint of an answer in discussing unresolved tension between himself and Knicks owner James Dolan over JVG's previous hasty exit.

"I made a decision that was right for me and what I thought was right for the Knicks at the time. If that overshadows my service to the Knicks in his mind, I'd be disappointed."

I'm not clear as to why Van Gundy would be concerned with Dolan's feelings on the subject were Van Gundy not interested in spending that earned "service to the Knicks" in order to get back into the franchise. JVG doesn't strike me as someone who needs to feel loved by everyone he's crossed paths with.

Jackson remains a prohibitive favorite -- Phil Jackson would have to abandon the Lakers or M. Jackson would have to seriously blow his meetings with Walsh, I think, to derail Mark's path to the bench. That's not going to happen, so the rest of this might as well be idle chatter. But it bears remembering that JVG holds a bit of interest in this job, and possibly others.

Via With Leather, the New York Post reports Knicks owner James Dolan will open up his wallet to thank his poor, abused fans by making all food and drink at Madison Square Garden free during the team's home finale. Good idea, and hey! the game's already a sell-out ...

... against the Boston Celtics. Which means the stands will filled with Boston Celtics fans. Boston leads the league in road attendance this season, with 98.5% capacity in visiting arenas when Kevin Garnett brings his boys. Just an example: Sacramento will sell out three games this season: Two (including tonight's match) against the Lakers and the December 26 game against Boston. Boston sold out freaking Sacramento before the season started (I couldn't get box-office tix in October); I think they may have purchased some tickets in NYC.

I don't mean to crap on an otherwise nice gesture, but ... this stuff isn't difficult to figure out. If you want to thank Knicks fans, you should make sure they are in the arena when you open up the nacho bar.

Via Deadspin, Portfolio magazine tallied up some estimates of just how much cash Isiah Thomas has lit on fire during his 4-year tenure in New York City. The total is staggering: $187 million, which includes a whopping $137 million in luxury taxes.

As noted in the comments to the Portfolio item, this might be a conservative estimate. The Knicks aren't getting under the tax next season, so there's at least one more season of paying double for Jerome James and Jared Jeffries. And a jury of his peers pinned the blame for the hostile workplace Madison Square Garden had become on Zeke -- and that blame came along with a $12 million bill for James Dolan.

You'd have to go back to Ted Stepien in Cleveland to find a franchise so destroyed by one man (and Stepien might not even beat Thomas).
Sorry, No Photos

New Knickerbockers chieftain Donnie Walsh has already made his first move in his quest to rehabilitate the completely wasted franchise. Neil Best of Newsday's Watchdog blog reports.

[T]he new, happier tone was set even before the news conference began with a time-tested way to butter up journalists: sandwiches and cookies!

Welcome home, Donnie.

This sort of minor detail might seem insignificant ... and it is, to the Knicks. But Walsh wants to rebuild the severed relationship with his town's press, and PR involves everything: the cleanliness of the bathrooms, the spread at a news conference, the friendliness of the doorman, the ease of access, the warmness of a handshake. If you put on a good enough show, you can stand up there and tell reporters you plan on kicking their dog and urinating in their chrysanthemum -- they'll still be sympathetic. (Well, maybe not.)

Besides, food and sex are the clearest paths to a man's heart. I'm glad Walsh chose the former. (And it's working! Lupica is happy. The Daily News is gushing. Newsday is gushing. The Sun is gushing. Peter F'ing Vescey is gushing!)

Today is officially the day that the New York Knicks can begin the long process of turning the disaster created by Isiah Thomas into a legitimate team, as Donnie Walsh was introduced as team President. Earlier today Will pretty much nailed the big question, which is will Isiah stay on as head coach? At least initially, Walsh is saying he's undecided, and is trying to go into this thing without any preconceived notions.

So to clarify, Isiah's atrocious roster decisions mean that the Knicks have zero cap flexibility for the next three years. That alone might be reason enough to replace him as coach, although I can't think of a better punishment than to force him to coach this lottery team for two or three more seasons, and then replace him once the team finally starts to turn the corner with some new players.

In the everlong war between New York beat writers and the Knicks organization, it is difficult to side with the basketball team. The New York Post's Marc Berman makes it a little easier.

Stephon Marbury and Flip Saunders spent several minutes in the back room of the locker room conversing. If Marbury is bought out, Detroit may beckon. Marbury loves Saunders and vice-versa.

Mr. Berman, this is Joe Dumars. Heard of him? Of course, he's not beyond making a bad decision or two. Darko Milicic. Nazr Mohammed. Even the best and brightest of this world are allowed a few mistakes.

But if you think for one second he will add Stephon Marbury to his team this summer, you have lost it. Either you're too wrapped up in Knicksland to keep perspective about the rest of the league, or the toxic gases MSG security pumps into the media buffet have finally taken a toll on your cerebellum. There has to be an excuse as to why you'd throw out something so utterly... silly.

A coach and a former player can like each other, sure. Maybe there's indication they would like to reunite. But at some point, common sense has to enter the equation. And I have buckets and buckets of common sense which says Joe Dumars will never "beckon" Starbury -- not for the vet minimum, not as a ball boy. It will not happen.

Is this it?! Can the era of shattered logic and manifest putrescence that is Isiah Thomas's reign over the New York Knicks finally be coming to a bloody end?

Via TrueHoop, ESPN's Chris Sheridan thinks so, offering some circumstantial evidence and extended theory to suggest Zeke will meet the guillotine sometime prior to Wednesday night's match. There is a strong disclaimer, of course.

Before we go any further, let's go back and emphasize the word might. Having covered Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan and his New York Knickerbockers up close and personal for as long as we have, which is more than a decade, we have learned one universal truth: If it involves Dolan and the Knicks, err on the side of caution and choose illogic over logic.

Indeed. Let it be said, in Sheridan's pre-emptive defense (should the axe fail to fall), there has not been this much buzz on Isiah's short-term future in at least a month, maybe two. The Iron Maiden is getting feverish!