The Knicks Appreciate Their Fans?

Kim and I went to Madison Square Garden last night to watch the Celtics take on, and beat, the Knicks. I can only begin to tell you what an unbelievable night this was. Please understand that this entire experience is simply inexplicable, but I will try to do my best.

Kim and I started the night by getting a quick bite and having a couple drinks before heading over to MSG. When we arrived and made our way over to the escalators, someone who appeared to work at MSG said to us, "Hey, grab a soda on your way. They're free." Kim and I, feeling somewhat suspicious, grabbed a free 20 oz. bottle of soda apiece after someone who was taking sodas out of the cases they were delivered in restated the earlier gentleman's offer.

Kim and I continued up, up, and away to the top of the Garden. When we got there, another vendor promptly offered us popcorn, Cracker Jacks, Twizzlers, etc., saying again the concessions were free. Kim and I passed and went to our seats.

Only when we entered the arena's interior did we hear something we could not believe. Yesterday night, the final Knicks' home game of the season, was "Fan Appreciation Night." All concessions were free, all night! We could get pizza, hot dogs, pretzels, nachos, candy, soda, water, ice cream bars, etc., all for free, all night long. It was a complete surprise to us and I struggled to comprehend this apparent reality for much of the night. I don't think it helped that, by the end of the game, vendors were trying to get rid of their merchandise by walking through the crowd and throwing free ice cream bars, boxes of popcorn, and other items to whomever wanted the items. It was really something.

As for the game, that was really..."something,"...too. The night started with "Uncle Junior" of the HBO-hit Sopranos singing the National Anthem:

After that, New York Knicks' star David Lee addressed the entire MSG audience to thank them for their support over the season. I wish I had been filming it because it turned out to be more of an apology speech; he said something about, "Sorry the season hasn't been more like what we'd hoped for, but I promise we'll continue working hard so that we might improve our situation in the future." I couldn't believe I was there to witness such a public apology.

But that was not all, folks. The Celtics were introduced to a fairly warm reception (due to the large presence of Celts fans), Isaiah Thomas was more enthusiastically boohed, and then the Knicks were introduced. I have to tell I was very surprised by what I saw next. The Knicks, following their individual introductions, literally took their outermost shirts off and, as the public announcer said, gave the shirts off their back to families that were selected to receive them at halfcourt:

I'm not sure what that was supposed to accomplish, of course, but they did it. I don't know, but Kim and I thought it was so weird.

Anyways, it all continued along. There was the opening tip, the "Juggling Pianist," the "Knicks' City Dancers," and the game. "The Boston Three Party" did not play, but it was still a fun atmosphere, a Celtics' win, and a fun place to spend a Monday night. Overall, the game was outdone by all the strange events, sights, and sounds, but I'd go back again to see whatever it was I saw last night. I don't know what to say about it,...but I doubt I'll soon forget it. Oh, speaking of forgetting, I nearly failed to mention that during a TV-timeout, the Knicks honored a NYC school teacher who found and resuscitated a student in the public school where the teacher worked. Sounds like a feel good story, right? The student was near-death because he'd been stabbed repeatedly by another student with a pair of scissors. Now you understand why I think it's so weird they publicly recognized this at half-court of a Knicks game. The guy deserves the applause, to be sure, but is that the time or place to remind 20,000 sports-enthusiasts of what's wrong with NYC's public schools?

Kris and Kirstin: thanks for the tickets. You guys should have seen it. Unbelievable.

Here are some more highlights:

What a Day!

My mom and her friend, Tony, came to visit yesterday. Kim and I met Eric, my older brother, at 10:30am at Penn Station. He was flying solo because, unfortunately, Jenn's been pretty sick lately and couldn't make it out. Mom and Tony arrived around 11:15am. Since they were leaving at 7pm, we had only a matter of hours to enjoy each other's company (we hadn't seen each other since Christmas) and see New York. With what little time we had available, however, we managed to do the following:
1.) Empire Diner for brunch.

Having met at a bustling Penn Station, we thought it best to start by settling down and getting a bite to eat. With that in mind, I'd read about the Empire Diner, a 1950's-style restaurant with a great menu, and we thought to walk to it (22nd St. and 10th Ave.). It was a beautiful day, a nice way to stretch our legs, and a cozy dining experience. The menu was everything we'd hoped for, we beat the rush (you'll note the line extends well out the door), and the food was pretty good. I enjoyed my French Toast (slices of bagget, dipped in Haggen Dazs vanilla, egg, and cinnamon) served with sliced almonds and bananas. I liked Kim's sizebale cheddar and bacon omelette served with "Empire chips," as well. The prices weren't "dirt-cheap," but also weren't considerably more; Kim's omelette was $12 and my dish was $10. I'd go back again, thought the service was great, and really enjoyed the company of friends and family.

2.) Rockefeller Center.
From the diner, we headed up to Rockefeller Center (5th Ave. to 7th Ave. btwn. 47th and 51st Streets). There was a bit of a hurry to make the subway, but that was all part of the fun.

We started by checking out the Plaze, replete with active ice skating rink, before heading up to the Observation Deck.


3.) "Top of the Rock" Observation Deck.
I've spoken about this on earlier blogs ("Top of the Rock" and "Central Park from the Top of the Rock"), but it was just as enjoyable this time. Eric pointed out the Statue of Liberty to Mom, there was the ever-confounding "Concrete Jungle," more Central Park, and time for Mom and Kim to enjoy the view and each other's company.




4.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Balcony Cafe.
After all the walking, trains, etc., Mom was ready for a glass of wine. So, we were off to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's cafe. We passed by St. Patrick's Cathedral, and were but a few of many tourists who witnessed the beginning of a wedding, and then continued to the Met.


5.) The "Temple of Dendur" Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Following the refreshments and snacks, we only a matter of hours before the train would be heading back out of town. We hurriedly visited the Temple of Dendur and then went back towards downtown Manhattan.



Kim and my Mom really seemed to enjoy themselves throughout.

6.) Appetizers and drinks at Mustang Sally's before heading back out of town.

Finally, we settled in for another cocktail and some appetizers. It was nice to come together, again, and enjoy good company and good food. This particular sports bar/restaurant has come to be one of our (Kim and I) favorites; it's very close to Madison Square Garden (located on 7th Ave. between 28th and 29th Sts.) , has classic pub food, and cold beer, all at decent prices.