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fishmike
Posts: 53903
Alba Posts: 1
Joined: 7/19/2002
Member: #298 USA
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Ive been a fan since 92.. totally by accident. At the time I was 19. I was playing Street Fighter II in a local arcade and the Knicks were on the TV. I probably could have named 8 or10 BB players at the time... Magic, Ewing, McHale, Kareem, Jordan, Bird, Barkley... maybe a couple others. So while I'm waiting my turns to fight I'm watching the Knicks and Bulls. Well, lets just say until then I thought BB was a finesse sport. I knew about Jordan, but never actually watched him play and he didnt let down. Guy was awesome, unstoppable. But the Knicks didnt back down. In fact they hit him. A lot. Some guy named McDaniel fouled out in about 10 minutes but made every count (and hurt). I was instantly hooked. This was my team. Being a Giant fan I grew up appreciating hard nosed play, defense and toughness. I thought there's no way this team can lose. They did... but it didnt matter. I knew we would get this guy eventually.
That season ended with the Knicks knocking off the defending Pistons at their own game before falling to the Bulls in 7 games. The obsession began.
At the end of the following summer I was diagnosed with cancer... Hodgkin's lymphoma. It was fairly advanced but still treatable. I started chemo right away. By the next fall things were pretty rough. The cancer was responding well to the chemo, but it was taking a toll on me physically. I was too weak to work and my weight dropped into the 130s (I'm 6'4). My treatments had to be slowed down because the stuff that cures you is the stuff that kills you. Its a fine ratio. Being an athlete and watching all the vitality stripped from my body was demoralizing and tough to deal with. That winter one thing kept me going.. the Knicks.
Some of my favorite guys were not back. I loved Gerald Wilkins, Mark Jackson and Xavier McDaniel, but they still had Ewing, Starks, Oak, Mason, and yes... I liked the rookie Greg Anthony. They had a hell of a year. I will never forget sitting on the couch, wasting away and watching the Knicks. I wouldnt even take pain meds until the games were over, because I didnt want to be dopey while watching. My stomach and chest only hurt when they lost.
The Knicks lost to the Bulls in 6 games in the ECF (Charles Smith non-dunk) but it was a great run, and on those nights inspired me. It was just enough distraction off of myself to keep me sane dealing with what I was dealing with.
I got a lot of help from friends and famliy that helped me get through that, but maybe none helped more than Marv, Clyde and our boys in orange and blue. Since then I have an undying love for this team. Its ingrained in me and runs deep. The Layden era hurt me... it really did. Isiah gave me some promise. He was a member of the bad boys. If anyone can bring in tough players that understand team it was him... after all, he played on one of the greatest. Nobody thought much of Salley, Rodman, Lambeir, Mahorn but that group was ferocious. I was excited. Needless to say my excitement has been extinguised and my dismay great.
I just want to move on... what kills me the most is having to root for this guy to suceed because he runs my belove team.
"winning is more fun... then fun is fun" -Thibs
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