[h1]The Knicks are a model franchise ... for this week at least[/h1]
BY FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Sunday, September 28th 2008, 11:55 AM
Daily News photo illustration
The way things are going in the Big Apple lately, Jim Dolan's Knicks seem downright boring.
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When Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was suspended for skipping practice last Monday his absence conjured up memories of Latrell Sprewell, who oncemissed the first week of Knicks training camp because he was driving cross country following a civil trial for, you guessed it, reckless driving.
One day after Burress broke team rules, the Mets broke from conventional wisdom when they signed their general manager, Omar Minaya, to a contract extensionwhile the team was free falling for the second straight year.
The timing of the deal reminded me of when Don Chaney received the first of his two contract extensions with the Knicks fresh off a six-game losing streak.The more Chaney lost, the more security he received.
And then we had Yankees manager Joe Girardi lying to the media about something trivial like Mariano Rivera's sore right shoulder. Who will ever forgetthe Knicks insisting that Larry Brown was in good health moments before he was wheeled out of a locker room in Cleveland on a stretcher?
Brown spent the night in the hospital and never coached another game for the Knicks. Let's hope Rivera fares better.
These days the Knicks are downright boring compared to the rest of New York's sports teams. That is unless you get all worked up worrying about whetherStephon Marbury will make his $21 million while playing for the Knicks, Spurs or Bologna.
I'm afraid to admit this but James Dolan's basketball team appears to have lost its controversial edge. For six years, the Knicks were the team thatput the "fun" in dysfunctional. Now? They are too darn normal.
This is what happens when you replace a drama queen - Isiah Thomas - with your favorite uncle, Donnie Walsh.
For the past few weeks the Knicks have been running voluntary workouts at their training facility in Westchester. They are one big happy family. Meanwhile,at Rutgers the Scarlet Knights QB Mike Teel punched a teammate during the closing seconds of a loss to Navy. I kinda miss Nate Robinson chasing after JeromeJames with a broom, which actually happened three years ago.
Not even their coach is under the gun. That title belongs to the Jets' Eric Mangini, a control freak out of Jeff Van Gundy mold but without the wins toback it up. Man-genius? Puh-leeze. I don't know if Mike D'Antoni can win without Steve Nash but he says "ya'll" a lot and he doesn'tact as if his system is rocket science.
For pure genius, look no further than Dolan. He finally figured out the best way to institute his media policy; he bought an entire newspaper.
