Fox Sports commentator Jonas Knox really had his New York hate hat on when he co-signed a random social media post calling the New York Knicks, the ‘Dallas Cowboys’ of the NBA.
His argument was flawed, even if both franchises are similar in that they are among the most lucrative franchises in sports history — and when perceived as championship contenders — dominate the conversation and people either love them or hate them. They also both have meddling owners who have done more damage than good over the past two decades.
Jonas said: “Somebody made a comparison on social media last night and I think it’s brilliant. They’re calling the Knicks the ‘Dallas Cowboys’ of the NBA. That’s a pretty good comp because they haven’t won a damn thing in a long a** time.”
Well, he’s totally right about that, but there’s plenty of other teams in the NBA and NFL who have never won a thing in the history of their franchises. So, long championship droughts don’t necessarily put these teams in their own category.
“The way they were talking yesterday, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson were getting their jerseys retired and raised to the rafters after that game. They haven’t won in a LONG A** TIME. They haven’t won it all since 1973, yet the way that they were celebrated, and the way everybody talked about them, and ‘OH MY GOD, WHAT A GREAT TEAM AND A GREAT STORY!’… It’s like, dude, what are we doing here?
Are Knicks fans not allowed to celebrate a team that they can feel prideful about? A couple of those Carmelo Anthony teams went to the playoffs, but those experiences were marred by undisciplined guys who did things like party with Rihanna the night before playoff games and cost the team and the fans.
The fan base was never all in. Not like when Patrick Ewing had them as perennial contenders for a decade and the heart of the team was one with the city.
That’s what happened when Jalen Brunson came to the Garden. A former Big East legend familiar with the lights out on Broadway. As well as the grit of the people, as his Dad Rick (Knicks assistant coach) played here after crafting his basketball acumen under the leadership of Temple’s legendary coach John Chaney. He’s 14th on Temple’s all-time scoring list.
Knicks fans have felt ignored by ownership for years. They’ve continuously called for owner James Dolan to sell the team, as the franchise and culture plummeted, and the Knicks became laughingstocks of the NBA. A destination that no superstar wanted to embrace. Meanwhile, the lack of hoops success ripped a part of the soul from the city.
So the recent success is a huge reason to cheer again. Yes! A great team and a great story Jonas.
“The last time the Knicks were playing relevant basketball, Jeff Van Gundy was hugging on somebody’s ankles. They were celebrated by everybody like this is the most historic run in the history of the National Basketball Association. The way it’s being talked about by Knicks fans who are disguised as members of the media; ‘WHAT AN INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEY! OH, MY GOD, WHAT A STORY THE NEW YORK KNICKS ARE! TO FIGHT THROUGH ALL THE ADVERSITY AND ALL THE INJURIES!’… Great, but they’re going home and haven’t won anything in a long time, so to be compared to the Dallas Cowboys I think is a fair one. The only thing is Dallas has actually done something in the last thirty years, and the Knicks haven’t done anything in the last fifty.”
The overall argument is flawed. Dallas has been Super Bowl contenders since Tony Romo was quarterback. They’ve not only had the talent and team to win the Super Bowl more than once in the past decade, but they also have a quarterback who is among the highest paid and was second in the MVP voting last season.
Every day on these sports talk shows, Dallas Cowboys fans who don’t even disguise themselves as members of the media, talk about the Cowboys and the tradition and how this is the year they will get over the hump. It’s nonstop. Every season. They have great regular seasons, beating up on NFC East competition, and then flop in the playoffs. Then we go into the offseason and the quarterback negotiations and Jerry Jones doing his usual PR show.
The Knicks have been virtually nonexistent since LeBron said “No Thank You” before starting a mini-dynasty in Miami. There are no expectations. There’s been no preseason predictions of the Knicks winning an NBA Championship. The franchise hasn’t had any Top 5 players as the face.
The failed expectations of the Cowboys and the rut the Knicks have been in aren’t comparable. There were no expectations with this Knicks team led by the Nova Boys.
Fan delusion is another area where Dallas Cowboys fans have New York Knicks fans beat. Knicks fans have not disputed that their franchise has been lacking and have been reduced to cheering for first-round playoff wins.
Entering these playoffs, without their second-best player in Julius Randle, most fans knew that any chance of a miracle playoff run was gone.
But when Brunson puts on one of the greatest playoffs shows in history, as the team continued to lose key players and still show the fight New York fans are accustomed to and appreciate, then that makes this a huge win for New York basketball.
So, Jonas had it half right, but for the wrong reasons.
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