Game Day

My message to Knicks fans: Embrace the angst and apprehension. Soak up the suffering and suspense. It's a gift. Pressure is privilege.

My message to Knicks fans: Embrace the angst and apprehension. Soak up the suffering and suspense. It's a gift. Pressure is privilege.

This morning, as we are now just hours away from the start of Game 1 of the Knicks-Pistons series, I won't be long-winded (for a change) or spout out a bunch of nerdy numbers. No, for this newsletter, which has become a bit of an annual tradition, I’ll keep it simple.

After all, we've dissected the details and parsed the potential particulars.

Now comes the fun part.

There's nothing quite like playoff basketball—the jitters leading up to a series opener, the anxiety and anxiousness one experiences watching their favorite team play a pressure-packed contest, in which every single possession in the fourth quarter feels like life or death for die-hard fans on both sides.

So, how’s that “fun,” you might ask?

Well, that's the purpose of this post: to remind everybody to embrace the angst and apprehension, to soak up the suffering and suspense.

Knicks fans who remained loyal to this franchise during the dark days know all too well that postseason appearances aren't guaranteed.

Pressure is a privilege.

So, for folks who kept tuning into Clyde and Breen every other night despite suffering through the two decades of abject awfulness, make sure you enjoy today!

There’s been some squabbling and dissension among the fanbase this season, but now’s the time when everybody’s pulling in the same direction. There’s nothing quite like a Knicks playoff run to get all of NYC fired up. From dyed-in-the-wool fans since birth to casuals on the corner, the city is covered in orange and blue when the Knicks are sprinting in the spring.

And although there have been plenty of bumps in the road this season, this ‘Bockers squad, led by The Captain, has the talent to make some serious noise.

It begins this evening inside the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Giddy Up.