Amar'e Stoudemire.

When Amar’e Stoudemire took the stage after the screening of his new documentary, In The Moment, last Thursday night at Marquee, he genuinely seemed to appreciate the attention and applause that greeted him from the packed house of athletes, musicians, fashion designers and more than a few men in yarmulkes.

It was less than 24 hours after the New York Knicks had closed out their best regular season in 16 years (having captured the Atlantic Division crown and the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed), and a near-starting lineup, including Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert and Chris Copeland, had turned out to fete their oft-injured teammate—a rare bright spot in what has been yet another snake-bitten season for Mr. Stoudemire.

Not that he looked particularly unhealthy on this night. Mr. Stoudemire was red-carpet sharp in a fitted black sport coat, a camouflage bow tie and some sort of gold boutonnière—an ensemble he might have the chance to reprise in the coming weeks. (His latest setback, a knee debridement, has all but ensured that the six-time All Star will miss the team’s first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics.)

“Oh, we’re definitely going to get out of the first round,” Mr. Stoudemire said in a conversation with Stephen A. Smith following the film, which gives fans an intimate look at both his troubled family history—his father, Hazell, died when he was 12; his mother, Carrie, spent years in and out of prison; his older brother, Hazell Jr., was killed in a car wreck last year—and the former first-round pick’s journey from impoverished high school prodigy to Rookie of the Year to New York Knicks savior.

And lest fans forget—as many seem to have—that’s exactly what he was, signing with the organization in 2010 when other superstars, like LeBron James, snubbed the city’s bright lights for Miami’s sun-stroked beaches.

“I wanted to accept the challenge and revitalize a team that needed help,” Mr. Stoudemire recalled.

In his first season with the Knicks, the man known as “STAT” set a franchise mark with nine consecutive 30-point games while leading the team to its best start since the 1996-1997 season. He earned “M-V-P” chants from the Garden faithful. Vogue put him on its cover and called him a “basketball deity.” The New York Post wrote, “Carrie Stoudemire has given birth to New York’s basketball messiah.” (In the documentary, Ms. Stoudemire admits to having tried to abort her “billion-dollar baby.”)

Still, the high-flying forward was not immortal. Mr. Stoudemire matched a career high in minutes per game that first season, as then-Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni demanded too much of the team’s fragile new superstar—a player whose contract was literally uninsurable. (Coach D’Antoni has come under similar criticism this season for overtaxing Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who recently ruptured his Achilles tendon.)

By the time the Knicks shipped nearly half their roster to Denver in exchange for Carmelo Anthony, the team was relevant again, but the minutes had added up. Injuries returned, and the spotlight instantly shifted from Amar’e to Melo.

Last May, when Mr. Stoudemire injured himself for the second straight postseason, the goodwill was all but gone. ESPN New York columnist Ian O’Connor wrote of Mr. Stoudemire, “He should be thanked for the pre-Melo memories, and sent on his way.” And in the months that followed, the Knicks reportedly shopped him to every team in the league, making him “available for free.”

The business of sports can of course be heartless, but such treatment seemed especially cold. This, after all, was the man who signed with the Knicks when no one else would, who once again validated New York as a destination for star players after so many failed arrivals, who gave his heart and soul—and yes, his knees—to a city so that its team could thrive.

And thrive it has ... even without him. Carmelo Anthony is playing MVP-caliber basketball, and the Knicks are poised for their first legitimate playoff run since 2000. But Mr. Stoudemire is not bitter. He continues to train hard. When healthy, he has embraced a role off the bench (his style of play and Melo’s were never meant to mesh). And unlike the city whose team he saved, he remains grateful—because he remembers what those lean years growing up were like.

“The thanks is always there,” he said. “Even if you’re in hard times, as I am now with the injury, I still give thanks. And it helps. What food is to the body, prayer is to the soul.”

And as a Knicks fan who remembers those lean years of Isiah Thomas and Stephon Marbury, the Transom says: amen.

The secret directive comes after Mr. Anthony was suspended for getting in a fight with Celtic Kevin Garnett after the Boston player allegedly insulted Mr. Anthony's wife during a January 7 game at the Garden.

But what could the tapes have yielded? Well, The Observer has obtained the exclusive tapes. Carmelo Anthony: just like us!

Here are some snippets:

• "Yo, did you know that A.J. Daulerio and Cat Marnell are a thing? How did I miss that? What's A.J.'s gonna do next.... I mean, where do you go after you quit Gawker, right?"
• "I'm not sure about this season of Girls. I saw the first episode on the screener and I mean, did it seem kinda sitcom-y to you? But I think I like the new Marnie. She's vulnerable, y'know. The real question is why do they hang out with Shoshanna? I mean. She uses emojis. Emojis! Who puts up with that shit?"
• "I wonder what Lena's gonna wear at the Globes. Gotta hand it to her. Girl can work a red carpet."
• "How much do you think I could get for a memoir/dating advice book? Lena got 3.7 mil. That's baller money."
• "Who do you think is gonna take the Times buyout? The clock is ticking..."
• "I'm think I'm just gonna stick to Twitter fights. That's the future, man. Twitter's for talking shit. The court's for killin' it. And you can't get suspended for that, right? As long as Margaret Sullivan doesn't get involved."
• "Why don't we have any of those hand-brined pickles from Brooklyn at the Garden. The Nets get all the perks, man."
• "Maybe I'm late on this, but did you see that Modern Seinfeld Twitter feed?"

Patrick Ewing circa 1985. (Photo: Getty)

After over a decade playing and coaching in other cities, Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing might have a shot to return to New York, the home where he spent fifteen seasons building his Hall of Fame career with the Knicks. However, the speculation surrounding Mr. Ewing doesn't involve his old team, it is centered on the Knicks' new outerborough rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, who are in the midst of a sudden makeover of their coaching staff and could have newfound room for Mr. Ewing on their bench.

Yesterday afternoon, the Nets abruptly announced the firing of head coach Avery Johnson, mere weeks after he was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month. Mr. Johnson's surprise departure came after a dismal stretch that saw the Nets essentially obliterate a promising start to their first season in Brooklyn by getting just three wins and ten losses during the first few weeks of December. In the wake of Mr. Johnson's exit, assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo was named interim head coach, but in a press conference about Mr. Johnson's firing Nets general manager Billy King acknowledged the team could pursue other options.

"PJ will be the interim coach at this time. Will we look other places? We may, but at this time, PJ's our interim head coach," Mr. King said. "The remaining staff will stay with him and we'll go forward from there."

Mr. Ewing's name is among those that have surfaced as a top contender to replace Mr. Johnson. After his playing career Mr. Ewing served as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets and for the Orlando Magic. In Orlando, he worked under coach Stan Van Gundy and was seen as a key part of the team's 2009 trip to the NBA Finals and instrumental in helping groom the team's star big man Dwight Howard. Mr. Ewing has been out of a job since the Magic fired Mr. Van Gundy back in May. He owns a house in New Jersey and has expressed interest in coaching in the city he called home for over a decade.

Not only does Mr. Ewing have a strong fan base in New York, but his skill set as a specialist for coaching big men would seem well-suited to a Nets team where defense has been one of the main weaknesses. According to the Brooklyn Game, which analyzed the possibility the Nets could give Mr. Ewing a coaching job, his background as a former star and his lack of an existing "system" might prevent him from clashing with the team's star point guard, Deron Williams, who has earned a reputation as a "coach-killer" over the years that fueled rumors he may have played a role in Mr. Johnson's demise.

Mr. Ewing could also potentially join the Nets as an assistant coach. Another name that has been floated for the head coaching job is Mr. Ewing's old boss, Mr. Van Gundy. Though he worked with Mr. Van Gundy in the past, the ex-Orlando coach is reportedly not interested in the job and Mr. Ewing has focused his job search efforts on hunting for a head coaching gig after his years as an assistant.

Signing one of the biggest Knicks icons would certainly help the Nets in the budding rivalry between the two teams. It also might be satisfying to Mr. Ewing who reportedly felt snubbed when the Knicks offered him a D-League coaching job earlier this year. However, the reports of bad blood between Mr. Ewing and the Knicks may be exaggerated. He has attended multiple Knicks games this season including at least two this month.

Though he may have repaired his relationship to the Knicks, there are some signs that Mr. Ewing is also cozying up to Nets management. Mr. Ewing was seen in the Nets' locker room after a game against the Celtics. Another interesting sign came on Twitter from Mr. Ewing's son, Patrick Ewing Jr., who has re-tweeted multiple messages saying his father should join the team (including one from this reporter, who, full disclosure, is a fan of both the Nets and Mr. Ewing).

After the Nets' loss to the Golden State Warriors December 7, the Observer asked Mr. Johnson whether he would consider having Mr. Ewing join his coaching staff and the ex-coach revealed Mr. Ewing had recently seen Mr. King.

"Patrick is a great guy, I think he and Billy were at a fundraiser the other night for a lady that works with the NBA," said Mr. Johnson.

Despite Mr. Johnson's praise for Mr. Ewing, he characterized the coaching staff as "pretty set" and said the team hadn't discussed bringing the Knicks legend on board.

"You know, that's something we haven't talked about," Mr. Johnson said. "You know, our coaching staff is pretty set right now, but we definitely respect what Patrick did as a player and, you know, I think he's had a pretty good run as a coach with his work in Houston and in Orlando."

After we asked Mr. Johnson about Mr. Ewing, we were angrily chastised by a Nets executive who accused us of asking a question "that no one gives a shit about." Now, three weeks and seven losses later, the team's coaching staff is anything but "set" and perhaps the Nets backoffice is indeed starting to give a shit about Mr. Ewing.

Last season's New York Knicks sensation is this season's New York Knicks departure: Jeremy Lin is gone, off to the Houston Rockets. Jeremy Lin says he would have preferred New York, why New York Knicks owner and president James Dolan says he's feeling hurt and betrayed by the move. Whose side should Knicks fans take? 

The dispute came down to a matter of money: The Knicks didn't want to pay Jeremy Lin the offer handed to him by the Houston Rockets; they felt that he was untested, and not worth his asking price. But is this true? After all, Jeremy Lin brought a whole bunch of fans to basketball and the Knicks who weren't there before, which is besides the fact that his emergence as a global sensation basically solved one of the most bitter cable carrier fee disputes in recent history. Shareholders in Madison Square Garden Entertainment stock certainly don't buy the Knicks' line; the stock has taken a hit since Lin's departure became imminent (and continues to go down through today).

Now, we're hearing from Jeremy Lin and James Dolan, as each air out their own side of the story.

[READ MORE: The Jeremy Lin Effect on $MSG Stock: Jimmy, We're Going Down]

Sports Illustrated's Pablo Torre got an exclusive interview with Lin. Highlights:

Why Lin Left:

"...My main goal in free agency was to go to a team that had plans for me and wanted me. I wanted to have fun playing basketball. ... Now I'm definitely relieved."

The Moment Lin Knew He Might Leave:

"[Former Knicks point guard Raymond] Felton's signing was the first time when I thought, 'Oh, wow, I might not be a Knick,'" Lin said.

Why Houston?

"The Rockets kept saying how sorry they were that that they'd cut him, and how much of a mistake it was," [Jeremy Lin's agent Jim Tanner] said. "They almost said it too many times. They kept acknowledging it."

Why It's Not About The Money:

The notion that Lin has always cared about money above all else, in particular, eats away at him, especially as he sleeps in his childhood home. "If I really wanted to, I could have triple-digit endorsements," Lin pointed out, but he does not. Instead, and in large part because Lin wanted to concentrate on basketball, he declined to cash in on the Linsanity gold-rush -- namely, the mountain of business opportunities in Asia -- and picked only three companies: Volvo, Steiner Sports and Nike.

What James Dolan Told Lin:

"I have plans for you in the future," Lin recalled the owner saying. "This is a long-term investment. Don't rush back."

Lin on Playing in New York City:

"I love the New York fans to death," Lin said. "That's the biggest reason why I wanted to return to New York. The way they embraced me, the way they supported us this past season, was better than anything I've ever seen or experienced. I'll go to my grave saying that. What New York did for me was unbelievable. I wanted to play in front of those fans for the rest of my career."

Meanwhile, Knicks owner James L. Dolan unofficially aired out his side of things via sourcing to the New York Daily News:

The decision was both financial and emotional since Garden chairman James Dolan was upset over Lin restructuring his deal with Houston last week to include a third year salary of $14.9 million. Dolan, according to sources, felt he was deceived by the 23-year-old Lin.

That's it. No interviews, no media statements, nothing else from James Dolan other than the fact that he felt "deceived." James Dolan's relationship with Knicks fans is already tense: There was that nasty streak of letting Isaiah Thomas run the team that didn't work out, which is to say nothing of contracts like those handed to Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, and so on. He's had an embattled relationship with the sports press, at one point all but completely denying them access to the team. And ticket prices—which have only steadily risen over the years despite the team's lack of serious playoff appearances over the last decade—recently took another hike as box seating was placed lower in The Garden, effectively alienating the socioeconomic majority of fans who even could see the team play even further.

Even as the press files away columns on the matter—like the usually even-handed New York Times ("Dolan Breaks Faith With Knicks Fans Again")—the true test of public opinion will be how Knicks fans react to Lin when he comes back to the Garden to play against the team in Houston next year. He could be booed, or—as was the case with Hideki Matsui, who the Yankees declined to resign after the championship season for which he was awarded 2009 World Series MVP—be embraced.

Either way: Besides the fact that the public financial interest (and thus, faith in him) isn't exactly surging these days, it's pretty clear James Dolan's name will not be worn by fans any time soon.

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

Let's flash back quickly to February, when Jeremy Lin started making notable appearances on the court for the Knicks:

For a few days, the stock experienced slow, steady gains. And then, as Lin started performing, the rest of the world —(and the markets) took notice:

$MSG stock began to experience spikes and swells, and continued to rally. Despite Lin's injury in March that took him off the court for the rest of the season, there was little speculation that he'd be traded. In May, after the Knicks were ousted from the playoffs, talk of Lin's contract began with a dispute over the nature of his free agency, and whether or not the Knicks could exceed the salary cap in attempting to resign him. In recent weeks, it was made clear that Lin would be talking to other teams. And in recent days, it was made clear that Lin was taking some of these talks seriously.

But at the end of June, the question of how much the Knicks could pay Lin was resolved in their favor. For a moment, things looked up.

And then...

"Lin Withdraws From U.S. Select Team, Citing Free-Agent Status" - New York Times, July 3, 2012

"Knicks Get Kidd and Make Plans to Keep Lin" - New York Times, July 5, 2012

Lin stayed out of the Olympics to deal with his contract negotiation (and not run the risk of injuring himself further, so he could still court offers). Lin also signed a term sheet with Houston that the Knicks would have to begrudgingly match.

Which is when this happened:

Retuers reports:

"I think the gain in MSG shares earlier in the year as well as the Jason Kidd incident/potential Lin loss that hit the shares yesterday and today has already efficiently been reflected in the stock movement," said Miller Tabak analyst David Joyce.

What's perceived by many to be the legendary mismanagement of the New York Knicks by ownership (and is generally reflected in their winning percentage from the last few seasons) proved a decent map to see where this was headed: Regardless of Lin's ability as a player, he is a global fan phenomenon—for nerds, for Christians, for Asian-Americans—especially in New York City. Lin piqued the interest of those who had no interest in basketball prior to his rise. Lin was essentially responsible for ending one of the most bitter cable carrier disputes in recent history.

And yet: An investment in a consistent, larger fanbase, let alone the potential for Lin's play on the court to elevate the team notwithstanding (which, to an extent, was arguably proven) didn't prove enough for the brass at The Garden to resign Lin. Whether or not it was a good play or not has yet to be seen; given the track record at hand for the team, however, the very least that could be said about the move was that it's not unexpected. Not necessarily because Jeremy Lin wants to make as much money as he possibly can so much as that the Knicks seem to do whatever will further alienate fans and spectators as a matter of course.

Or as New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro:

If the Knicks themselves asked you to look at [Jeremy Lin's numbers, comparable to his inflated asking price], you might wonder where the catch was. The Tappan Zee Bridge couldn’t span that credibility gap. And somewhere in the murky waters below rests the Knicks’ benefit of the doubt. Even if they happen to be right.

It looks like that credibility gap might extend to the fleeting glory of a high-tide share price as well.

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

If you thought the Linsanity merchandising gravy chain had slowed down, think again.

Former correctional officer, narrative genius, luxury car hobbyist, and "Stay Schemin" poet Rick Ross—who, as it happens, is performing in New York this Tuesday night—Tweeted an Instagram'd picture a few moments ago, detailing the recent shopping excursion he took a colleague on:

The fruits borne by this trip? They are, technically, herbs:

Yes, Jeremy Lin now has a marijuana strain named after him, one that appears to be sold in an undisclosed (but fairly reputable-looking, judging by the handiwork on the label) marijuana dispensary. Wonder if he's going to file for trademark infringement?

Either way, the Jeremy Lin/Linsanity gravy train continues to ride strong, if not, now, slightly hungrier for something to eat, possibly covered in actual gravy. Or some movie popcorn. Either/or.

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

In all actuality, the increase doesn't look so bad on paper compared to the one New York Rangers fans are going to get hit with. Either way, not fun. Via the Knicks Zone blog, the press release issued from MSG:

For the 2012-13 season, Knicks season ticket prices will increase an average of 4.9%, and Rangers will increase an average of 9.5%. Price increases are primarily focused on upper bowl seats, reflecting the new amenities and improved sightlines in the upper bowl.

Much of the focus of the increased ticket pricing is related to said upper bowl seating:

When fans return to The Garden for the 2012-13 seasons, the seating configuration in the upper bowl of the Arena will be completely transformed. The upper bowl will offer larger, more comfortable seating and significantly improved sightlines as the incline for the upper bowl will increase 17 degrees, moving fans seven to 10 feet, or nearly three rows, closer to the action. Season ticket holders will be relocated to new seats accordingly.

Jeremy Lin isn't, for what it's worth, absolutely guaranteed to be with the New York Knicks next season. Jeremy Lin, in the second year of a two-year deal (that didn't start with the Knicks). Chances are—if he's chasing the money, at least—he'll end up in New York. But, as Brian Cronin at Knickerblogger explains, it's not a lock:

Both Fields and Lin are technically restricted free agents. However, due to the so-called “Gilbert Arenas provision,” other teams are limited in what they can offer Fields and Lin. They can only offer them up to the full mid-level. In the case of Fields, they Knicks would be able to match any offer and not have to touch their own mid-level exception (since they have Early Bird Rights on Fields). With Lin, though, they’d have to dip into their mid-level exception.

Odds are that the Knicks won't have a problem selling to season ticket holders, even with the increase. Anybody in those seats (or anybody with them, rather) just saw their team become one of the most exciting and watched sports franchises in the world. Still: If anything makes one conscious of just how worthy an investment is—maybe, in this case—it's the price one pays to keep their cash in the game. Literally.

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

The news broke that Hideki Matsui—the George Harrison of the Yankees, the quiet, stoic performer, and the 2009 World Series MVP—wouldn't play for New York the following season. The Yankees told Mr. Matsui's agent that he wasn't a priority, so Matsui took a one-year, $6.5 M. contract with the Anaheim Angels.

The same team who gave Carl "Ass Injury" Pavano a $40 M. contract (for which he earned $17,646 per pitch, having thrown in only 26 Yankees games) not four years before let Matsui go, just one month after he was named the MVP of the World Series he'd helped the team win. Even now, when I speak with fellow Yankees fans about this travesty, they just shake their heads and shrug, as if to say: Yeah, we know. What're you gonna do?*

It was a classic, symptomatic moment of Steinbrenner syndrome, a disease characterized by short attention span, poor memory and fits of ecstasy followed by angry outbursts. It affects nine out of 10 New York sports fans (and 10 out of 10 New York sports editors). Its only treatment is frequent, intense doses of winning.

The day after the Yankees won the 2009 World Series, I remember the first conversation I heard on the matter: "Yeah, next season's gonna be great." For Steinbrenner sufferers, victory, while unmistakably rewarding, is also brief. In New York, you're only as substantial as your last championship, even a few weeks later.

Consider two recent case studies of the pattern: the Giants won the Super Bowl not three years ago, in 2008. Former Giants player Tiki Barber essentially called for Coughlin to be fired in 2010. In November 2011, the New York Daily News wondered if Coughlin wasn't done.

The Knicks have made two playoff appearances in the past 10 years. For other American cities, this would be acceptable. For New Yorkers, it simply isn't enough.

Right now, thankfully, the illness is in remission, thanks to the cocktail of the Giants improbable Super Bowl (20-1 odds at the season's beginning) and the even more unlikely emergence of Jeremy Lin as an on-court sensation. But as with any chronic disease, there is always the danger of relapse.

A few months ago, journalist, author and Kean University sports history professor Terry Golway was listening to Giants fans chime in on a sports talk radio program. They were demanding New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin be given the ax.

"What is it about New York sports fans," Mr. Golway laughed, "that they would demand a guy like Coughlin, who's obviously been pretty successful even before last January, get fired? What is it about them?! There were no losing seasons involved, but, you know, they missed the playoffs three years in a row and that's a cause to fire a coach?"

Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher, he noted, "made the playoffs a few times, made the Super Bowl, but obviously the expectations in New York are different."

Another example can be found in quarterback Mark Sanchez. "At this point in Eli Manning's career, it looked like he was going to be a bust," Mr. Golway continued. "Sanchez lead his team to the AFC championship his first two years. Joe Namath didn't. Eli Manning didn't. Peyton Manning didn't."

And it's not just civilians who are affected by the malady: even fellow Jets players ripped Mark Sanchez to the New York Daily News.

Despite what the rest of America might think (that we've always been like this), Mr. Golway is quick to point out that in a historical context, the pervasiveness of this mentality is a fairly new concept. He cited the classic New York sports fan as a Brooklyn Dodgers supporter, whose mantra—"wait 'til next year"—is maybe one nowadays only adopted by Mets followers like himself.

"I hate to say it, because it sounds like such a cliché, but New York has been corrupted by George Steinbrenner. It's that simple. This mentality is very much part of what Steinbrenner brought to the Yankees in the '70s. And now," he sighed, "it has infiltrated all of New York sports."

(Exacerbating the symptoms, of course, is the multitudinous nature of New York City—there are simply more distractions. What is there to do in Buffalo besides watch the Bills or the Sabers, and eat wings?)

While it is primarily the fans who come down with Steinbrenner syndrome, its true victims may be the athletes.

In December, Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler decamped for New York City, leaving behind both Dallas and the 2011 NBA championship team he just played on with it. It's not an obvious career move: Leaving a championship team in a thriving market that's slightly more forgiving than our own, for a team with two marquee stars vying for attention in the most vicious media climate in the country.

"I was happy for Ty," explained Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who was careful to note that New York City is a "great sports town," before going on to explain just how it's a "unique market." (This last might as well have been a euphemism for "shitstorm gauntlet.")

As he sees it, New York is has become "the center of the universe for headline and backpage porn. There is absolutely nothing that happens in the New York City media that is ever subtle."

The resulting journalistic output can be kindly characterized as bipolar: Either hyperbolic plaudits or overexaggerated rage at what a failure of a human being one is.

In other words, explained Mr. Cuban, "when you are at the top of your game in the sports world, you get the love. When you are not, you can't walk the streets without hearing about what a bum you are." While athletes might not get literally heckled in the streets—since they are too busy being chaffered between bottle service outings—Mr. Cuban's point stands: their constituency is far more inescapable here than elsewhere.

Besides, he argued, as opposed to the past—where bigger markets in larger cities meant more significant coverage—the proliferation of digital media and the speed with which it travels makes a players' national (let alone international) star potential a far less regionally oriented concept than it's traditionally been in the past.

"That's not to take away anything from the Big Apple. It's an amazing city for everyone and anyone," he added, before finishing, "except maybe the 110 pro athletes that compete for their teams."

That's another thing: New York City's sports fans have anywhere from four to seven professional sports teams to choose from, an enabling fact for Steinbrenner sufferers, who tend to lose interest as the wins dwindle.

Dr. Jay P. Granat, a sports psychotherapist who's worked with professional athletes in the New York City area, argues that it depends on the player. He doesn't dispute, though, that the psychological makeup of individual players factors into New York City's draw more intensely than other places they might find work.

"They're demanding here, there's no question about that," Dr. Granat said. "How much a player is dependent on fan approval has a lot to do with how well they function in this environment."

In his experience, the majority of professional athletes' decisions regarding where to play generally revolve more around numbers and simply having a job than the anthropological makeup of a locale. There are, however, exceptions, of which he cited Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony as an example: "He wanted to play here, and he made it public, no bones about it." Granted, Melo's from Brooklyn, so he may have built up a childhood immunity to the affliction.

But Jeremy Lin, a West Coaster, may not be. Already, he has seen a brief outbreak. After weeks of clean bills of health, Lin failed to deliver a win against the Miami Heat, widely considered the best team in basketball. "LINEPT!" screamed the back cover of the New York Post, the day after. Steinbrenner again.

The fact is, New York City is a fair-weather town. Lin has a one-year contract with the New York Knicks. If he continues to be a sensation, he'll soon have plenty of options deciding where to play. But will Lin flee the hot zone, and find a home free of that malady of the spoiled sports fan?

fkamer@observer.com

[*The answer: Attempt to sign Carl Pavano again in 2011 for $10 M. Pavano learned his lesson, and declined the Yankees' offer. ]

If you are a sentient human being, you have no doubt heard by now that tonight the New York Knicks are playing against the Miami Heat tonight, in Miami. This is basically a euphemism for "LeBron James and Jeremy Lin: The Title Fight."

It's exciting because LeBron James is a polarizing figure who people love to hate, or love to love because of all the people who hate him, and because Jeremy Lin is the most exciting thing to happen to the NBA since Ron Artest got beer all over him. Also, seeing as how LeBron James turned down both the New York Knicks and the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets to go to Miami, fans of Tri-State Area basketball have quite a bit invested with this. Figuratively speaking.

But for those who truly want to take something away from this evening, and the entire Jeremy Lin craze, which will reach a new level of fever pitch tonight?

Option A:

• BOVADA: Miami Heat -9.5.
• BOOKMAKER: Miami Heat -10.5.
• TOPBET: Miami Heat -9.

 
Basically everyone thinks Jeremy Lin and Co. are going to be used to mop the floor of American Airlines Arena , by somewhere from nine to eleven points. If you want to "short" the Miami Heat, well, mortgage your house, put it on the Knicks, and hope Jeremy Lin gets passed the ball enough so that they don't lose by 11 points or more.*

Option B: Buy some ridiculous Jeremy Lin gear on Etsy and vaccum seal it.*

Option C: Watch this game instead. Way more exciting, and Jeremy Lin isn't going to leave either team in a year for California after he gets sick of stupid New York Post headlines about him.

[*This is not actual investment advice.]

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

The only speech that really meant anything was Mayor Bloomberg’s, simply because, well, he can actually implement things or at least advocate for them in a powerful way. So it was heartening to hear him propose merit pay increases for unusually effective teachers. He may or may not get that done this year, but at least it’s part of the conversation moving forward.

As for his would-be successors, embattled City Comptroller John Liu offered further evidence of his cluelessness as he indulged in his own version of a state-of-the-city speech. Mr. Liu said he’ll ask Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin about how he might get a good headline in the New York Post. Mr. Lin probably is too polite to tell Mr. Liu that all he needs to do is identify his fund-raising bundlers.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer also trotted out quasi-mayoral speeches, neither of which did anything to raise expectations. They and other would-be candidates, including Public Advocate Bill de Blasio (who has been mercifully silent on the state of the city), have yet to show that they are capable of true citywide leadership.

Ms. Quinn asserted that New York is “not a big city” but a “patchwork of small towns.” That’s exactly wrong. When politicians think of New York as a series of niche groups, they inevitably confuse pandering with leadership.

And we’ve had enough of that, thank you.