The gall strikes you first, followed by the arrogance, followed by the sheer stupidity. When you read this email that James Dolan sent a fan, you really aren’t sure how to respond.
With fury — for the misplaced venom, and the misanthropic tone? With resignation — did you expect any less? With pity — for this one fan surely represents thousands, soured by 15 years of mostly lousy product, and yet so many still come back, hat (and credit card) in hand, for more?
What kind of businessman conducts business this way? A frustrated fan, the father of filmmaker Aaron Bierman, sent off an angry email to Dolan recently, describing himself as “a Knicks fan since 1952.”
The highlights of his screed include:
“The bottom line is that you merely continued to interfere with the franchise.”
“As a knicks [sic] fan for in excess of 60 years, I am utterly embarrassed by your dealings with the Knicks.”
“You have done a lot of utterly STUPID business things with the franchise.”
And, ultimately, he urges — begs may be the better description — Dolan to sell the team. All in all, it fairly represents what a large part of the Knicks’ fan base feels. Actually, it under-represents them; there is no libelous diversion here. Every single word can be printed in a family newspaper. The letter doesn’t get personal.
But Dolan’s typo-filled response sure does.
“You are a sad person. Why would anybody write such a hateful letter. I am.just guessing but ill bet your life is a mess and you are a hateful mess. What have you done that anyone would consider positive or nice. I am betting nothing. In fact ill bet you are negative force in everyone who comes in contact with you. You most likely have made your family miserable. Alcoholic maybe. I just celebrated my 21 year anniversary of sobriety. You should try it. Maybe it will help you become a person that folks would like to have around. In the mean while start rooting.for the Nets because the Knicks dont want you.”
There are so many ludicrous elements to this reply, it’s hard to know where to start, but this is as good a place as any: If anyone should know the dangers of bandying about a loose diagnosis of addiction, it’s someone who’s already in recovery.
A negative force? Why, because he’s silly enough to keep wanting a better team to root for — the same as the 19,812 who continually (and inexplicably) keep filling the Garden night after night to watch garbage basketball? Hateful? Why, because he seeks accountability from the man who signs the checks, the man who has overseen the most wretched stretch from one New York team since the Giants trudged through 17 straight playoff-free seasons?
And this gem: “Root for the Nets because the Knicks don’t want you.”
File this one away the next time you wonder about the old proverb, “A fool and his money are soon parted,” and make sure you always add the necessary kicker: “unless it’s inherited.”
We are chockablock with sporting scions around here, and sometimes when they open their mouths, you wonder if what comes out ever sounds as ridiculous to them as it does to everyone else. There is Jeff Wilpon, presiding over the Wal-Mets, one of the deep thinkers who run the team who thought it a good idea to send out a loyalty oath last spring when the team jumped to a 15-11 start — which turned out to be the exact high-water mark of the season.
There is Woody Johnson, billionaire, whose Jets played so far under the cap this year, they could almost have financed a 33rd NFL team with that hoarded cash, who actually had the nerve to say this last October, explaining away that reality: “When I grew up, I always had a reserve. You don’t spend your last dollar.” Which is, word-for-word, the exact way every Jets season-ticket holder should answer telemarketers asking if they’d care to renew tickets or PSLs.
But even Wilpon and Johnson, to the best of anyone’s knowledge, never actively encouraged their fans to switch to the Yankees and Giants. They aren’t that dumb because NOBODY should be that dumb. They aren’t that arrogant because NOBODY should be that arrogant. Good Lord: The Yankees, the one team who could act this way if they wanted to, practically beg their fans for forgiveness whenever they fail to win a World Series.
The Knicks don’t want you?
That’s the nicest thing they’ve ever done for you.