By The Editors 2/21/12 7:30pm

Opening Shot

The Knicks are Lin-ning! (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Nix on the Knicks Puns, Please

With a couple of heavy-handed losses and a recent Saturday Night Live sketch addressing the inherent racism in jokes about a certain Chinese (and Taiwanese)-American basketball player, we had hoped that the month of terrible Jeremy Lin puns were over. Yet the New York Post started out the week stronger than ever, with a cover exclaiming “Lin-phomania!” The sexual Lin-nuendo of a headline was an even more troubling evolution of Linsanity, given his Tebow-esque devotion to Christianity. We almost wish that the Knicks point guard loses even more games, so his rise to fame isn’t the Lin-ch pin for more horrific puns. (Oh god, we can’t help it, either! Someone make it stop!) Read More

By Daniel D'Addario 2/21/12 11:47am

Celebrity Sightings

3 Photos

Beyoncé and child.

Beyonce and Jay-Z Check Out Lin–and Their Nets

Brooklyn Nets (née New Jersey Nets) investor Jay-Z and his wife Beyoncé have kept a relatively low public profile since the birth of their daughter Blue Ivy Carter, independently releasing songs and photos and singing at Carnegie Hall. Perhaps it’s only a low profile by celebrity-couple standards, but they didn’t go to the Grammys!

Last night, though, Mr. Z and Ms. é made an appearance at Madison Square Garden to see the Nets defeat Jeremy Lin’s Knicks. Forensic analysis of photos shot at the game indicates that Beyonce wore potential parquet-destroying heels, and that the best and worst part of being a civilian sitting courtside is getting to sit next to a celebrity but having to pretend to text so as to play it cool. Read More

By Foster Kamer 2/17/12 3:26pm

THE NIXED KNICKS

jeremy lin fighting over ball knicks

Breaking: New York City’s MSG Shortage Ends, Time-Warner Cable Agreement Reached

The New York Times‘ New York Knicks reporter Howard Beck just Tweeted out: “Knicks and Jeremy Lin will be coming back to Time Warner cable customers soon. Agreement reached.” Times TV sports columnist Rich Sandovir notes: “Seven week impase resolved, with input from Gov. Cuomo and AG Schneiderman.”

We’ve reached out to representatives from Time Warner-Cable and MSG Network; we’ll update if they return with quote. The Times story, now up, notes Governor Andrew Cuomo’s involvement in the dispute: Read More

By Foster Kamer 2/16/12 5:30pm

THE NIXED KNICKS

jeremy lin fighting over ball knicks

Time-Warner Cable and MSG Brass Back to Negotiating Table Over Blackout Dispute

The dispute over licensing fees between Time-Warner Cable and Madison Square Garden Entertainment—which owns the New York Knicks and MSG TV—has blacked out the majority of Knicks coverage for New Yorkers since the beginning of 2012. In January, talks had completely stalled out.

The Observer has now learned that MSG Entertainment chairman James Dolan and Time-Warner Cable chairman Glenn A. Britt finally returned to the negotiating table earlier this week. Read More

By Foster Kamer 2/16/12 2:17pm

THE NIXED KNICKS

jeremy lin sad tired upset

The Cold, Hard Numbers: Time-Warner Cable and MSG Network’s Knicks Outage

Here’s the thing about New York City and Linsanity: We can feel it. We know it’s there. But we can’t see it. Since the beginning of the year, subscribers of Time-Warner Cable—New York City’s largest cable provider—have been blacked out of watching a majority of the New York Knicks games. The reason? A licensing fee dispute between TWC and Madison Square Garden Entertainment, the company that owns the Knicks and the channel they’re on, The MSG Network. Read More

By Foster Kamer 2/13/12 3:59pm

LINSANITY

jeremy-lin-nasty-ass-behind-the-line-swag-for-days-son- STOCK

Results: This is What Jeremy Lin and Linsanity Has Done to the Stock Market

Jeremy Lin’s rocketing stardom is a game-changer, in more than a few ways. For one thing, the Knicks are winning and the Garden’s regularly packed, nowadays. For another, besides breaking records as the first Harvard grad since the 50s to play in the NBA, and only the fourth Asian-American to play in the league, he might be one of the few NBA players who can claim to have made a significant impact on financial markets. Read More