The New York Post’s Peter Vescey is never as smart or as good looking as he is when he’s echoing the sentiments of CSTB —in this case, that ex-MSG kingpin Dave Checketts has a pretty selective memory when it comes to blaming others for the ruination of the New York Knicks.
(having presided over the destruction of basketball, hockey, and boxing at MSG, Dave is now lending his talents to a new MLS franchise with the league’s most dubious moniker — which is saying something)
After so many years of being muted, it was hysterical to hear Dave Checketts’ vocal chords again harpooning at full throttle.
You don’t suppose Thursday’s “untimely” radio rant on WFAN may have faintly overlapped the former Garden emperor cashing his final Cablevision stock option or paycheck?
I mean, isn’t it a little late to be savaging the Knicks’ acquisition of Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway?
Isn’t it somewhat insincere for the guy responsible for weighing down the franchise with innumerable long-term guarantees (back-impaired Larry Johnson, the beginning of the end), to reprimand Isiah Thomas for collecting lengthy lemons?
Whose brainstorm was it to package Patrick Ewing to the Sonics? Whose bright idea was it to exchange their fading franchise player for a scrap heap of enduring salaries (Glen Rice, Luc Longley, Travis Knight, etc.) when the correct move would have been to retain him another season and escape his $14 million after the 2000-01 season in order to sniff a semblance of fresh cap flexibility?
Who promised Allan Houston a $99 million contract shortly before being deleted by James Dolan, a promise that handpicked heir Scott Layden felt compelled to honor?
Naturally, nobody questioned any or all of Checketts’ self-serving stances, but simply repeated them as if gospel. Why let the truth get in the way of an opportunity to debase Dolan? Those drinking the Kool-Aid being dispensed by the Mormon Tabernacle Liar seem eager to accept his implicit premise that, upon his departure, the Knicks were in splendid salary-cap shape and were still competing for championships.
In fact, while supporting Layden, Checketts craftily noted that his Knicks reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1999-2000, his first year as GM.
Yeah, except for one minor discrepancy: Ernie Grunfeld, expelled past the midway point the previous season, had assembled those players, as well as most of those who lost in the ’94 and ’99 Finals to the Rockets and Spurs.
The Knicks haven’t stopped slumping since, initially under Checketts and Layden, then Scott by himself and these days, Thomas.
In the meantime, Grunfeld has refurbished two dilapidated clubs ” the Bucks and Wizards ” into playoff contestants.