You see sports as a metaphor for life and vice versa. Lessons from each can inform the other. I see it that way too and that’s why I love when you interject pieces of your life into your writing. If that’s a sick mind, then I have one too! I think it’s to be celebrated - exes may not agree and that’s why they’re exes I guess!
Loved your story Jonathan and I am really impressed with your courage. It’s not easy to get out of a long term relationship, particularly while you were living together. But you proved to many that taking the hard step is often the right step long term.
And I can relate to how this story compares to the Knicks. It took courage to fire Thibs because he was so successful that it is a big risk because the team could go backwards. But Knicks management realized that Thibs would never fully embrace the changes in today’s game and would always fall back to his tried and true. So to reach the Promised Land, the Knicks had to take the tough step.
Is Brown the right guy to replace Thibs? Only time will tell. But sometimes you have to take that tough step to get to the Egg McMuffin.
Thank you DBN. My guess is that the Knicks are going to have a very successful regular season and that much like Thibs, the verdict on Brown will be rendered next April, May, and hopefully, June.
Like you, I also owned prime real estate on Thibs island and love the man..he is everything this knicks team needed when he was hired, and still am a bit bummed he was let go, saying thay this does seem like the right decision and for as much as some of us wanted that sexy hire(Wright/Hurley/Kerr), Mike Brown always seemed like maybe the most qualified and maybe best man for the job right now. I am very happy with how the offseason has gone and will be even happier IF we can add one more vet Ben Simmons does intrigue me alot as a 9th/10th spot you can do ALOT worse. If we can get Borrego for NOLA thks would make the Mike Brksn hire for me go from a B+ to an A, but even if its not Borrego I would expect the Knkcks to hire two qualified "coordinators"...side note thank you KFS(Jon/Jermey/Andrew) for last night's live stream, even with major life events in the way you guys still found time to provide expert analysis and information during a hectic time in your personal lives.
Jon, I'm very happy you got out of that previous relationship.
I do sense that breathe of fresh air that you guys mentioned on the emergency podcast yesterday. It just seems like there's a lot more possibilities, in general, and a lot less arbitrary limitations. We'll also have less debates that are based on Thibs-isms. I am excited, and this is why I was never panicked about the search. If you can "fall back" on a guy like Mike Brown, you're going to be okay.
Thibs would legitimately be an excellent subject of a play. All of his great traits are also his worst traits. Its a fascinating character study.
this is spot on. Felt like all the discussions about issues with this teams playing style, approach, etc. always came back to Thibs and what he was and was not willing to try. At some if everything keeps coming back to one person than maybe the move is to find a new person - any person. At the end of the day I don't believe Mike Brown was the first choice, but at this point he is THE choice and I have to trust the front office.
Also, Thibs was/is the ultimate floor raiser - which is a huge compliment. He just wasn't/isn't the guy to bust through that championship ceiling.
I will always love Thibs, and I was rooting for him. I do think he evolved and after 23-24, I thought he might break through and get all the way. Alas, I think the roster turnover of the modern NBA is too tough for him to handle. It takes him too long to trust guys.
I feel seen, and I’ve unexpectedly gone through some surprise therapy. What an intro! It makes me think of those multiverse scenarios where you ask "What if?" like in the Marvel show, and in the end, you end up choosing the Robert Frost conclusion:
I have to admit that this has all turned out a lot smoother than I imagined. Between the FA this FO has had and the hiring of Brown, it seems like they got through the optics nightmare just fine in the end.
There's some sugarcoating going on - Brown's not who they prioritized (even if he may turn out to be the right breath of fresh air), the "Brown will have autonomy" vs "...and all these other assistants are likely coming back" is a bit eyebrow-raising (and what seemed to turn Jenkins off) and going after Borrego to add to bench with the same approach that failed with Kidd and others seems foolish - BUT this team got better from a roster perspective and Brown is a good coach. At the end of the day, that's a positive conclusion to a very strange, and often very concerning, month.
I have a fast food fetish. I'm not proud of it, but I am proud that it is mostly under control and only occasionally indulged. But that is why I can say that there is no fast food breakfast item as non-awful as the Egg McMuffin, and I've tried most of them.
Jon, I can somewhat sympathize with your strange relationship as a young man. Early in my teaching career, when I was making $8 thousand dollars a year, I needed summer work. One of my students' father ran a summer camp & I became the Head Counselor of a live-in camp. During that time I started a relationship with the nurse there, which continued after the summer. She had a tendency to write me notes in the third person, critical of my housekeeping (we didn't live together, although she was at my apartment enough to be classified as such!) & taking on a personality that was far different than what I had bought into. We experienced what could have been a life changing experience (before it wasn't), but had weathered that storm. But after 6 months, it ended because I failed to invite her to my family's Thanksgiving dinner. (To this day, not sure why I didn't, but I think it was I was afraid one of her multiple personalities could show up! lol!). It took me another 6 months to come to the realization of how fucked up that relationship was & why I had stayed in it! But, when we're young & immature, it's easy to believe that something could be forever instead of never! So I feel your pain! lol
As far as Brown, I've been vocal that he wasn't my first choice, but your points in this article make me believe that he could grow on me. I've long been critical of Thibs lack of inbounds plays & adjustments of personnel, so hearing that Brown is a coach that believes in practice & is open for change if it is necessary, makes me embrace his hiring more than before. Those two words, "leadership & collaboration" are the foundation of a coach creating an environment conducive to a winning situation! Hopefully, he will be able to put in place the pieces of his coaching staff that will assist him in his plan to win the Knicks a championship. I'm curious as to how many of the former Thibs assistants will be kept (Looks like Brunson is a no brainer!), or will Dolan/Leon give him free reign to bring in who he wants.
As far as the roster he's inheriting, I still believe they need to make a major move to fix the chemistry (KAT!)! I'm still a proponent of bringing LBJ in for KAT if that trade would ever come to fruition. LBJ has a relationship with Brown & would give us the best chance to win that elusive championship. i think the odds of that happening are slim, but I doubt LBJ looks at the Ayton signing & thinks, "We've just won the West!". It's more likely, he looks at the West & thinks it's a lost cause for the Lakers, making him push to leave. LGK!
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 I love me some Macri....Well played brother 😁. It's interesting, I think as a fan base we are so used to Thibs and he has molded our fan base. This notion of bringing in Ben Simmons, or this notion that we need another wing, while we have 2 young players who can fill that role, is a perfect case in point. Our automatic thought is: Thibs won't play him so 🤷🏾♂️...But if we had normalcy in our lives, we would just assume that either either McCullar or Dadiet can fill the 9-10 man/big wing role - like every other team in the league that gives young players a sniff on the court! I am so ready for NORMALCY (but not an egg mcmuffin).
Thanks for sharing your story Bill! I think we all have relationships like this. I've had a few (ones where I stayed far longer than I should have) but none as bad as this.
I'd give Brown a chance. The man is universally regarded as a good coach. Even if no one thinks of him as a great coach - yet - the Knicks may not need him to be that, depending in part on who they hire to work with him.
Not holding my breath at this point for LeBron, but who knows
Any McGriddle is far superior to an EggMcMuffin. I have no idea why I got the latter that day. Could have very well been because I only had a few bucks in my pocket and the EMM was cheaper.
A little self indulgent Johnathan, but nonetheless egg McMuffins, ex-girlfriend's, is Mike Brown really the answer? Who knows? We can justify everything that the Knick organization did, but I still think that this was a poor execution of a plan. Of course I will be rooting for MIKE Brown to succeed because what else are Knick Fans supposed to do. I'm skeptical at best and I may eat a bagel today in your honor instead of an egg McMuffin.
So you’re equating your ex to Thibs, and your wife to Mike Brown? Regardless, you are entitled to another Egg McMuffin. I enjoyed your piece today, on so many fronts!
Thanks Mike! And no because I had a few more dalliances between my law school gf and my wife. Hopefully the Knicks don't need to and Brown is the one who leads them to the promised land!
I was in one once, where the person was a drunk, and hit me on several occasions, and that was when they were nice lol. Those few tomes were scary, but omg yeah controlling narcissistic people are no fun to be with.
Geez Jezz, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope its a distant memory now. And the crazy thing is that the whole time I felt like an awful person for being unhappy.
Oh that's a decade ago. At the time, I told myself it was my fault for getting hit, because I wasn't being patient enough with the Blackout Drunk lol. It was my mid 20s. Long before I cobbled together self esteem.
Only Macri can pull together Mike Brown qualifications, Thibs being fired, an egg McMuffin and a crazy Russian ex
I'm still trying to figure out if my sick mind is a gift or a curse, but people seem to enjoy it well enough, so I'll just go with it.
You see sports as a metaphor for life and vice versa. Lessons from each can inform the other. I see it that way too and that’s why I love when you interject pieces of your life into your writing. If that’s a sick mind, then I have one too! I think it’s to be celebrated - exes may not agree and that’s why they’re exes I guess!
Glad you enjoyed Peter! And I completely agree.
The second footnote is priceless, Jon
So is the first footnote
Loved your story Jonathan and I am really impressed with your courage. It’s not easy to get out of a long term relationship, particularly while you were living together. But you proved to many that taking the hard step is often the right step long term.
And I can relate to how this story compares to the Knicks. It took courage to fire Thibs because he was so successful that it is a big risk because the team could go backwards. But Knicks management realized that Thibs would never fully embrace the changes in today’s game and would always fall back to his tried and true. So to reach the Promised Land, the Knicks had to take the tough step.
Is Brown the right guy to replace Thibs? Only time will tell. But sometimes you have to take that tough step to get to the Egg McMuffin.
Thank you DBN. My guess is that the Knicks are going to have a very successful regular season and that much like Thibs, the verdict on Brown will be rendered next April, May, and hopefully, June.
Amen
Like you, I also owned prime real estate on Thibs island and love the man..he is everything this knicks team needed when he was hired, and still am a bit bummed he was let go, saying thay this does seem like the right decision and for as much as some of us wanted that sexy hire(Wright/Hurley/Kerr), Mike Brown always seemed like maybe the most qualified and maybe best man for the job right now. I am very happy with how the offseason has gone and will be even happier IF we can add one more vet Ben Simmons does intrigue me alot as a 9th/10th spot you can do ALOT worse. If we can get Borrego for NOLA thks would make the Mike Brksn hire for me go from a B+ to an A, but even if its not Borrego I would expect the Knkcks to hire two qualified "coordinators"...side note thank you KFS(Jon/Jermey/Andrew) for last night's live stream, even with major life events in the way you guys still found time to provide expert analysis and information during a hectic time in your personal lives.
Absolutely our pleasure Robbie. I'm also in complete agreement with you on Simmons (fine as a 9th/10th man) and getting the right associate HC(s)
Jon, I'm very happy you got out of that previous relationship.
I do sense that breathe of fresh air that you guys mentioned on the emergency podcast yesterday. It just seems like there's a lot more possibilities, in general, and a lot less arbitrary limitations. We'll also have less debates that are based on Thibs-isms. I am excited, and this is why I was never panicked about the search. If you can "fall back" on a guy like Mike Brown, you're going to be okay.
Thibs would legitimately be an excellent subject of a play. All of his great traits are also his worst traits. Its a fascinating character study.
me and you both! And IDK about a play, but I'd certainly read a good biography of Thibs
this is spot on. Felt like all the discussions about issues with this teams playing style, approach, etc. always came back to Thibs and what he was and was not willing to try. At some if everything keeps coming back to one person than maybe the move is to find a new person - any person. At the end of the day I don't believe Mike Brown was the first choice, but at this point he is THE choice and I have to trust the front office.
Also, Thibs was/is the ultimate floor raiser - which is a huge compliment. He just wasn't/isn't the guy to bust through that championship ceiling.
I will always love Thibs, and I was rooting for him. I do think he evolved and after 23-24, I thought he might break through and get all the way. Alas, I think the roster turnover of the modern NBA is too tough for him to handle. It takes him too long to trust guys.
I feel seen, and I’ve unexpectedly gone through some surprise therapy. What an intro! It makes me think of those multiverse scenarios where you ask "What if?" like in the Marvel show, and in the end, you end up choosing the Robert Frost conclusion:
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Any basketball blog where Robert Frost is quoted is a damned good blog to me! Nice job Ganesh!
This is the time of the year when Knicks fans rejoice in happiness, a feeling that will turn to abject angst by December. Enjoy the good times
I have to admit that this has all turned out a lot smoother than I imagined. Between the FA this FO has had and the hiring of Brown, it seems like they got through the optics nightmare just fine in the end.
There's some sugarcoating going on - Brown's not who they prioritized (even if he may turn out to be the right breath of fresh air), the "Brown will have autonomy" vs "...and all these other assistants are likely coming back" is a bit eyebrow-raising (and what seemed to turn Jenkins off) and going after Borrego to add to bench with the same approach that failed with Kidd and others seems foolish - BUT this team got better from a roster perspective and Brown is a good coach. At the end of the day, that's a positive conclusion to a very strange, and often very concerning, month.
Boy I was prepared to obliterate the egg McMuffin as an american institution but the last line saved me the need.
I have a fast food fetish. I'm not proud of it, but I am proud that it is mostly under control and only occasionally indulged. But that is why I can say that there is no fast food breakfast item as non-awful as the Egg McMuffin, and I've tried most of them.
After all this I'm wondering about the man who sleeps at the gym. He needs another team.
Maybe as an assistant
Jon, I can somewhat sympathize with your strange relationship as a young man. Early in my teaching career, when I was making $8 thousand dollars a year, I needed summer work. One of my students' father ran a summer camp & I became the Head Counselor of a live-in camp. During that time I started a relationship with the nurse there, which continued after the summer. She had a tendency to write me notes in the third person, critical of my housekeeping (we didn't live together, although she was at my apartment enough to be classified as such!) & taking on a personality that was far different than what I had bought into. We experienced what could have been a life changing experience (before it wasn't), but had weathered that storm. But after 6 months, it ended because I failed to invite her to my family's Thanksgiving dinner. (To this day, not sure why I didn't, but I think it was I was afraid one of her multiple personalities could show up! lol!). It took me another 6 months to come to the realization of how fucked up that relationship was & why I had stayed in it! But, when we're young & immature, it's easy to believe that something could be forever instead of never! So I feel your pain! lol
As far as Brown, I've been vocal that he wasn't my first choice, but your points in this article make me believe that he could grow on me. I've long been critical of Thibs lack of inbounds plays & adjustments of personnel, so hearing that Brown is a coach that believes in practice & is open for change if it is necessary, makes me embrace his hiring more than before. Those two words, "leadership & collaboration" are the foundation of a coach creating an environment conducive to a winning situation! Hopefully, he will be able to put in place the pieces of his coaching staff that will assist him in his plan to win the Knicks a championship. I'm curious as to how many of the former Thibs assistants will be kept (Looks like Brunson is a no brainer!), or will Dolan/Leon give him free reign to bring in who he wants.
As far as the roster he's inheriting, I still believe they need to make a major move to fix the chemistry (KAT!)! I'm still a proponent of bringing LBJ in for KAT if that trade would ever come to fruition. LBJ has a relationship with Brown & would give us the best chance to win that elusive championship. i think the odds of that happening are slim, but I doubt LBJ looks at the Ayton signing & thinks, "We've just won the West!". It's more likely, he looks at the West & thinks it's a lost cause for the Lakers, making him push to leave. LGK!
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 I love me some Macri....Well played brother 😁. It's interesting, I think as a fan base we are so used to Thibs and he has molded our fan base. This notion of bringing in Ben Simmons, or this notion that we need another wing, while we have 2 young players who can fill that role, is a perfect case in point. Our automatic thought is: Thibs won't play him so 🤷🏾♂️...But if we had normalcy in our lives, we would just assume that either either McCullar or Dadiet can fill the 9-10 man/big wing role - like every other team in the league that gives young players a sniff on the court! I am so ready for NORMALCY (but not an egg mcmuffin).
Thank you sir! And even I'm ready for a change. Realizing that more and more.
Thanks for sharing your story Bill! I think we all have relationships like this. I've had a few (ones where I stayed far longer than I should have) but none as bad as this.
I'd give Brown a chance. The man is universally regarded as a good coach. Even if no one thinks of him as a great coach - yet - the Knicks may not need him to be that, depending in part on who they hire to work with him.
Not holding my breath at this point for LeBron, but who knows
Dude, you should try a sausage McGriddle with egg....
Any McGriddle is far superior to an EggMcMuffin. I have no idea why I got the latter that day. Could have very well been because I only had a few bucks in my pocket and the EMM was cheaper.
A little self indulgent Johnathan, but nonetheless egg McMuffins, ex-girlfriend's, is Mike Brown really the answer? Who knows? We can justify everything that the Knick organization did, but I still think that this was a poor execution of a plan. Of course I will be rooting for MIKE Brown to succeed because what else are Knick Fans supposed to do. I'm skeptical at best and I may eat a bagel today in your honor instead of an egg McMuffin.
If I knew what else we were supposed to do, I'd probably be doing it by now!
So you’re equating your ex to Thibs, and your wife to Mike Brown? Regardless, you are entitled to another Egg McMuffin. I enjoyed your piece today, on so many fronts!
Thanks Mike! And no because I had a few more dalliances between my law school gf and my wife. Hopefully the Knicks don't need to and Brown is the one who leads them to the promised land!
Great post. I like the hire. Now all we need is Ben Simmons :)
lol isn't he all that any NBA team needs?
Wow,sounds like you escaped a real, "See You Next Thursday", happy you found food liberation.
Twas not ideal
I was in one once, where the person was a drunk, and hit me on several occasions, and that was when they were nice lol. Those few tomes were scary, but omg yeah controlling narcissistic people are no fun to be with.
Geez Jezz, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope its a distant memory now. And the crazy thing is that the whole time I felt like an awful person for being unhappy.
Oh that's a decade ago. At the time, I told myself it was my fault for getting hit, because I wasn't being patient enough with the Blackout Drunk lol. It was my mid 20s. Long before I cobbled together self esteem.
Glad we both got their eventually
Очень хорошо
Happy to pull out the old translator for this one.