NFT: Isola: Dolan getting in Phil's way

take with grain o' salts

can't organize a one game boycott to send a message to that jackass.

Knicks may never get a ring as long as Dolan is around. He is a compulsive meddler. And, he generally makes things worse.

What an arrogant piece of sh*t.

I know that Williams was fired, but I bet Dolan had plans for him to land in some other position. Dolan's got loyalty to some folks, but what a putz.

But you throw that out the window when you haven't won anything in 15 years.

Not surprising.

Dolan might be the worst owner in sports. The only one who compares in the NBA is Donald Sterling, but even the Clips are winning nowadays.

not a good sign at all. We all know Isola wants to report negatively at all times, but this is still concerning.

.

Else before I care. With stuff like this isola is basically in boy who cried wolf territory

Quote:

To say that �minor friction,� as one Garden source called it, can be classified as Jackson�s honeymoon with Dolan being over may be stretching it a bit.

Let's be realistic here (and I hate Dolan as much as anyone) - any owner handing over the reigns is going to still have some feelings about people being dismissed, as long as it's only 'minor friction' and not 'prevented' or otherwise changed, I don't think it's a big deal.

I have a hard time believing which essential staff members would go was not discussed and agreed to prior to Phil signing on the dotted line. And in any case, as mentioned theres always going to be a little of this when a new boss comes in.

Soaked dolan for
Millions. ..like stat
Was injured most the time.
Why he brought him in and
What he does makes no sense.

he has been beating the same drum ever since he was not allowed to ask a question at the press conference...

THis is the same guy that reported the deal was off because Mills met with Jackson by himself and it was an utter disaster and that Dolan was pulling out of the deal because he would rather have Mllls...

he always writes in the negative..when Herring or Ainnazone(however you spell it) report it i will get worried...when its Isola yeah in one ear out the other...

Isola has ZERO credibility with me...this is the same guy that keeps saying getting Phil Jackson was a mistake and its never going to work...he has an agenda and he is going to stick to it..

to this story by friend who covers the Knicks is moving to Cali and no longer will. He told me on more than one occasion that Isola is actually a nice guy but more importantly, visiting writers can't believe how strict/strange the garden rules are regarding talking to players. Mid-interview a PR person will say "ok Carmelo has to go" etc even while the player is mid answer.

Dolan is an asshole. Always was, always will be.

In comment 11633904 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

to this story by friend who covers the Knicks is moving to Cali and no longer will. He told me on more than one occasion that Isola is actually a nice guy but more importantly, visiting writers can't believe how strict/strange the garden rules are regarding talking to players. Mid-interview a PR person will say "ok Carmelo has to go" etc even while the player is mid answer.

Can't be!! Isola is just an asshole! How dare he bash the Garden and Dolan!

isola crap. Thats why its hard to take it seriously. Is it possible this is true, of course it is, but just because Isola really really really wants it to be true doesnt make it true.

whether Isola has legit reasons for having the axe to grind, but its called professionalism. Why people ever feel the need to defend isola is beyond me. Journalist are supposed to report facts and not work in there own agenda.

I know people that have worked closely with the Garden and they say it's nothing like people know. Dolan and "his people" try to control everything.

that part of it is 100% legit. No made up BS. I forget the player, might have been JR Smith... one of them was talking about another sport with the writers just BSing, nothing that could look bad and the PR lady interjected something like "this isn't an appropriate topic" and the guy from (I think the Pacers) told my friend that he's seen players have hour long talks with writers about wrestling, boxing, movies etc but the Knicks PR people are like bulldogs. Isola absolutely has an ax to grind. But some of this stuff is totally, totally legit in the way the writers are treated. I've known my friend since 1990. The one person he said treated him like shit was Wallace Matthews lol

Isola clearly has an axe to grind, nobody can deny that, but this isn't like your typical situation. Between not letting important people talk, you yourself never talking and controlling what every coach and player says all the time, it's not a good working atmosphere. I pray Phil is able to change the whole culture over there, but it aint gonna be easy.

and thats what Phil is here to do and it seems like its already starting with him talking to the media today...when was the last time a GM talked to the media after a move?

There is no question the Knicks have been dysfunctional and i am not going to argue whether Isola is a nice guy or not i am sure he is a nice guy but when he writes he writes with an agenda thats why i take his stuff with a grain of salt...

Now if another beat writer like Herring picks up the story than i will say Isola was right but for right now i am taking with a grain of salt...

I was on my way to work and Greenburgh took it overboard and basically said Kerr should not coach the Knicks because it is already starting to crumble based on this story and that Phil Jackson is going to leave soon anyway...

and leave the poor Knicks alone

In comment 11633981 Kyle said:

Quote:

and leave the poor Knicks alone

You are Satan.

Which it likely is.

Before this story came out, it was a talking point on ESPN radio a few days ago that Phil wanted the authority to have final say over medical staff recommendations on playing time limits and injury management. Not even the Giants give Reese or TC that kind of power.

Your credibility is shot.

I'll wait for someone trustworthy to report this.

1. Donnie Walsh is about as close to Isiah as Dolan.
2. Walsh hired Isiah with the Pacers, didn't want to fire him in Indiana. And was the one who recommended Isiah to Dolan as GM along with Stern.
3. Walsh remained close with Isiah during his tenure with the Knicks. Walsh said they would bounce ideas off each other.
4. Walsh said he wanted Isiah to stay with the scouting department when was hired. He sent Isiah to Europe to scout Gallinari and it was based on that scouting report he made his draft decision.


Isola is so removed from the organization, he no longer use quotes if you notice his articles.

Ron Harper told the post he expects an interview with Phil Jackson for either head coach or at least part of the organization...maybe as an assistant on kerr's staff if he is hired...

Harper said whatever Phil wants him to do he will do...

is the fucking worst. Get a new job, we get it, you don't like the way the Knicks treat the media. And that's fine, you have perfectly good reason not to like it. But with his resume, he would have no problem getting another job, but refuses to do so.

In comment 11634057 MookGiants said:

Quote:

is the fucking worst. Get a new job, we get it, you don't like the way the Knicks treat the media. And that's fine, you have perfectly good reason not to like it. But with his resume, he would have no problem getting another job, but refuses to do so.

As much as i hate him why would he? he sells newspapers, gets hits on his articles and gets tv spots when he writes articles like this...he is getting paid to troll why would he quit? and dailynews will never fire him because Knicks fans still fall for his shit...

Look at ESPN Radio right now they are taking his word as gospel, Look at Twitter everyone is cursing off Dolan and telling Phil to quit all based on his article...you know how much money he just made just off of one article?

Cracks me up. Wahhh Isola is so mean, what a troll. You try so hard to believe that this crap isn't true when the majority of the time, it is. I'm just hoping that this is all by design with Phil in an attempt to clean some of this crap up.

being negative and having an agenda...

that the problem goes so far deeper than you ever thought. You are such a diehard fan that you convince yourself that most of this isn't true. It is. Dolan is a cancer.

I don't really see this as a big deal. Jax wants to clean house, the owner may want to keep some of the loyal people - that kind of thing happens all the time in the business world, and they should be able to sort it out.

But we can't count on Isola to turn it into an international incident.

I wonder who Isola's source is? Probably part of why Jax wants to clean house...to get the rats out of the building

is a terrible owner and his media policy is a joke...

hate to sound cruel but Ron Harper's stutter while talking to the NY media every day? No chance.

can, of course

no love for James Dolan, but this is such BS. Of course there are going to be disagreements between Dolan & Phil. It is how it is handled in the end that matters. I do not believe for 1 second that this kind of stuff was not discussed before Phil was hired. I believe Dolan gave phil some terms, like keep Mills on staff and do what we can to re-sign Carmelo Anthony, but that he will cede control of basketball decisions.

I don't believe that the terms of what Phil does and does not have control over were not made completely clear prior to Phil accepting the job.

This report screams bitterness. When Isola makes statements like "the more plausible reason" it is pure speculation and that is not reporting. he may as well be blogging. The way The Knicks treat Isola is bad, but the way he reacts is just as pathetic.

getting in the Knicks' way.


Go write for another team. You have an agenda jerkoff.

to love Isola. You guys are great.

before a deal was done i am sure they went over every single scenario and what Jackson wanted to do...It is well documented in the article in the NYTIMES..

you're nailing this thread.

There's a group of Knick fans on this board who'd rather take their frustration out on Isola instead of the root cause of the problem. The organization stinks from the top. Sure, Isola is over the top snarky, but he's absolutely right when he rips the front office.

I don't get why Isola is hated? Wouldn't you want the organization taken to task? I do. They're a joke.

It is entirely possibly to hate both Dolan AND Isola, you know.

Most of the guys that hate Isola are diehard Knicks fans and most of these fans hate to see negative things about their team. They want to think things aren't as bad as they are. The problem is that they are probably worse.

when they deserve it or you actually have a source for it then thats fine but when its every single week and every time he is on the radio it just gets tiresome...

being negative is not a bad thing calling out Dolan for something is not a bad thing...doing it every single article makes it seem like he has an agenda and thats why people hate him...

If Alan Hahn or Chris Herring wrote this article the tune of this thread would be completely different...

The Problem with Isola is he goes overboard and does it over and over again...

You can dislike both of them entirely. Isola has made it clear he does what he does to essentially troll for clicks.

And where is this list of things Isola has gotten right over the years? Wasn't Isola the one saying Phil to NY wouldn't happen, when the deal happened over the course of several months right under his nose?

In comment 11634193 kmed said:

Quote:

Most of the guys that hate Isola are diehard Knicks fans and most of these fans hate to see negative things about their team. They want to think things aren't as bad as they are. The problem is that they are probably worse.

Nobody said it is bad to be negative...

The Problem with Isola is he goes way over the top with it and does every single article...he writes with an agenda and thats why most Knicks fans hate him...

If he writes a negative article and its backed up with facts and sources then absolutely its a good article and worth a read...

Again if Hahn or Herring wrote this article it would be a different tune on this thread..you want to know why? because they do not have an agenda...

Tina Cervasio and Chris Herring both didnt get to ask a question at the Phil press conference did they bitch for 2 or 3 weeks about it? no...Isola doesnt get to ask a question and he is still bitching about it...

In comment 11634193 kmed said:

Quote:

Most of the guys that hate Isola are diehard Knicks fans and most of these fans hate to see negative things about their team. They want to think things aren't as bad as they are. The problem is that they are probably worse.

How come Isola is the only one who continuously has these type of articles? Why are the other beat writers able to act in a professional way 99% of the time while he acts like an unprofessional douche 99% of the time?

No one denies that there is a problem at MSG with the way they handle the media, but he's also the only one who goes on and on and on and on about it

Because he's the only one everyone despises. Doesn't that tell you something? He certainly isn't the only one who criticizes the team.

the source says saying the honeymoon is over is stretching it...yet Isola says this:

Dolan�s interest in keeping certain employees could be something as innocent as wanting to remain loyal to workers with whom he has grown close. The more plausible theory is that Dolan doesn�t want to fully cede control of the team and that certain employees who serve as pseudo organizational spies are too valuable to lose.

Perfect example of him changing the story into a negative and writing toward is agenda...

Isola will be right and Jackson will resign today and then Dolan rehires Isiah to be president and head coach...

with whether you think Dolan is an asshole. It has to do with the fact that the media can spin the direction of fan opinion (as seen in this thread and heard on the radio) and they do so fequently because of personal agendas. What does it serve Isola to seek out problems other than to have people talk about it and also fuck with the team? This is a writer who whined for days after being told he couldn't ask a question.

It's actually funny how many fans just fall right in line when it comes to these writers. As though they are completely honest and have no bend to their stories. All these guys do is bend the fans to their BS talking points.

the organization is the worst run in sports? They deserve being ridiculed every chance they get. The bottom line is, there's enough evidence that the organization is run poorly, so why does it bother anyone when Isola calls them out.

Like kmed said, it appears that the Isola bashers want to believe things aren't as bad as they are, which is why you blame Isola for being negative. Sure, he's over the top, but, why does that matter?

its that we do not believe Isola...

Like i said if Hahn or Herring wrote this article i would be pissed as hell and believe it in a second..

You honestly don't see how his act severely undermines his credibility as a beat writer?

that a writer who's had an agenda for years, was wrong about Phil coming here, and then got embarrassed at the presser would come out firing with some overreacting BS article intending to create controversy? And why fans of the Knicks - no matter how bad their owner is - would actually think Isola writing this type of shit is good for anything or anyone is beyond me. It does absolutely nothing but cause trouble for the team.

it's hard to believe what that person writes. And the Daily News loves having shit stirrers for writers too, Ralph isn't Isola but he loves to stir the pot over nothing sometimes.

even look like Ron Harper has coached at all since a 3 year stint as an assistant with the Pistons 05-07. Phil Jackson or not he's not the next HC of the Knicks.

They've been terrible for 15 years. If Frank Isola whines hard enough about not being allowed to ask questions in a presser, that's somehow going to change things?

If enough back pages with cute head lines and JD and the straight shot jokes are printed, that's going to make a billionaire with an ever-expanding net worth sell the team?

We've established they're poorly run. Everybody gets that. And we're at the point where if Carmelo Anthony trips on a shoelace, Dolan gets 40% of the blame. That doesn't make Isola any less of a self important clown. The media policy stinks, but every writer deals with it, and some even responsibly report news and get things right.

.

Frank Isola ‏@FisolaNYDN 3m

Phil says Carmelo talked to him about taking a pay cut to help the club. Hopes that he "is true to his word."

In comment 11634200 Ten Ton Hammer said:

Quote:

And where is this list of things Isola has gotten right over the years?

That list would be endless...... he's called every move they've made over the past 10 years a disaster and 99% of the time he has been correct. Not saying that you can't take this he says with a grain of salt, but things have been horrible in Knick land for a long time; until they do something to deserve credit, why give them credit?

Not about giving the knicks credit... It's about almost outwardly hoping they fuck up and trying his best to keep the tone around the team in a negative light.

In comment 11634355 Steve in Greenwich said:

Quote:

In comment 11634200 Ten Ton Hammer said: Quote: And where is this list of things Isola has gotten right over the years? That list would be endless...... he's called every move they've made over the past 10 years a disaster and 99% of the time he has been correct. Not saying that you can't take this he says with a grain of salt, but things have been horrible in Knick land for a long time; until they do something to deserve credit, why give them credit?

You can say he's been right 99% of the time, but where's the proof? It's easy to dump on every move the organization makes because past moves haven't worked out, but what's the alternative? Do nothing and keep being terrible? Should they not have hired Phil?

i am not going to copy and paste everything but everything is via Twitter:

First he said the coaching search is not going to be done quickly and is looking for a coach that is a leader and said there will be some triangle involved in the new offense...

Said he will talk to Kerr within the next month but has other cnadidates as well who he will not mention..

Talked to Kerr about ayear ago about coming with him to seattle, last time they talked was January when Kerr talked to him about Coaching philosophies...

Said Dolan has stayed "true to his word" when talking about taking a step back and letting Phil run everything

Said he wants and needs Melo to take a pay cut to help build this team cites Tim Duncan and Miami big 3

Said Head coach will determine staff but he will have veto power..maybe a shot at Herb a little bit?

No time table on coaching search just wants someone for summer league team...

said he will not coach, Jeannie tried to talk him into coaching rather being the front office guy but he said no...

Hiring front office guy not a priority right now, did hire Clarence Gaines Jr...

he said if Melo is here then great and the Knicks move forward, If melo leaves great and the Knicks move forward..all about moving forward..

Chris Herring ‏@HerringWSJ 1m
I get that he has the track record of meddling too much, but that would be his right. And Phil would still be completely over the bball side
Expand Reply Retweet Favorite More

Chris Herring ‏@HerringWSJ 1m
If Phil came in saying he wanted bball autonomy, Dolan could give him that & still have questions about making other changes. He's the owner
Expand Reply Retweet Favorite More

Chris Herring ‏@HerringWSJ 2m
... the medical staff, or over PR stuff, I'd still think Dolan was keeping his word. Really debatable as to whether those are bball issues.

Phil isnt going to bring Melo back if he's only willing to stay for max money, good. Now that could change if they actually believe he's going to leave, but if he wants the absolute max sign and trade him

would be one of my worst case scenarios.

In comment 11634377 MookGiants said:

Quote:

Phil isnt going to bring Melo back if he's only willing to stay for max money, good. Now that could change if they actually believe he's going to leave, but if he wants the absolute max sign and trade him

Jackson made it a point to say he needs melo to take less and if he leaves then he leaves and Knicks move on....made it sound like he is not going to be forced to keep someone...

Also Melo saying to him in the exit interview he will take less is a good sign..

like Jackson putting the pressure on Melo. "Hey man, you are about winning a title right? You want to win? Take a paycut like others have done".

@StevePopper 56s
Phil Zen on Melo: "If it's in the cards man are we fortunate. If it's not in the cards, man are we fortunate and we're going forward anyway.

of him staying with the Knicks. The one big advantage the Knicks have is that they can offer him an extra year and more money. If he's willing to take less, what advantage do the Knicks have over the Rockets and Bulls?

It's a good thing because it seems like they arent going to do what they shouldn't, and thats offer him the full max.

that the Knicks will run the triangle...he said something like he is surprised so many coaches are interested even though the triangle will be involved...

Mook the Knicks advantage is the 5 years...thats their advantage...

Melo either comes back for less than the max,or he's not coming back. Message to inmates: your days of running the asylum are OVER.

he was referring to what Melo told him personnaly which was he would take a pay cut to help build this team and Phil said "i hope he stays true to that"

It's much more than a basketball offense to Phil. It is the embodiment of everything he preaches.

over the weekend said the salary cap will be raised by about 5 million. What impact will that have on the Bulls or Rockets need for a sign and trade?

the knicks can still offer the extra year which would allow them to start him off at less money but still make more then other teams can offer. Also the bulls and rockets cant offer the full max either without a S&T so they arent great examples.

In comment 11634412 NJGiantFan84 said:

Quote:

over the weekend said the salary cap will be raised by about 5 million. What impact will that have on the Bulls or Rockets need for a sign and trade?

Depends on what Melo is willing to take...Bulls would still need one with cap holds and their first round picks guaranteed salaries unless they get rid of Gibson...

Houston has a lot of salary to shed before they can even think about Melo...

Knicks aren't winning anything with Melo taking every last penny. So the outside chance they are good quickly without Melo makes more sense than giving him every last penny.

and im a huge melo fan. First off your bidding against yourself, i mean who is going to give him the full max? Is CHI or HOU going to give him the full max? I doubt it. As ive said from the get go, it should be around a 5/100 deal, its the max amount of money he could get from another team but with an extra year on the deal which keeps the cost down for us.

Jackson basically saying this will not be a one man team and that he will nto sacrifice resources to keep 1 guy...its basically his way or the highway he runs the team and no one else...

and if you dont like it leave..

I would have thought she wanted him back in Cali as much as possible.

I still think this story is Isola creating drama where there isn't any - an owner of a business hires a new president to run things, it's only natural there would be some back and forth over rank and file staff and other things. Nothing to see here, IMO

but it's just crazy to me that every time Dolan farts in Jackson's direction the media in this town will report it as impending doom. Do you guys honestly think that Pro Owners and their GMs see eye to eye on every single decision? Is it possible Dolan gave Jackson full autonomy but they have a mere difference of opinion but in the end, will come to a reasonable agreement? Maybe Dolan didn't envision that Jackson would want to fire some team exec and now that Jackson has alluded to this potential firing, Dolan voiced his displeasure and ends up pleading with Jackson to perhaps re-assign this guy? Not everything is black and white. Maybe there's nothing at all to this story--Jackson's comments from TODAY certainly don't belie my optimistic belief, or maybe there's SOME truth to it, but it's hardly something to get worked up over.

It's just pathetic to me that every time something rumbles in the Garden the Daily News is there to cry the sky is falling. No facts. No real analysis....just doom and gloom. Stir the pot some more there Frank...

for 15 years because of Frank Isola, not James Dolan. Thank for straightening that out guys. ;)

it's a free country, believe what you want, but some of you really need to stop taking every single thing you read from the media as gospel. It's a source of info...the media can be extremely useful and at times they can make the world a better place but some of you read a story and immediately go nuts. "This is a bad sign" ---really?

Don't believe everything you read.

have no clue whats really going on at the Garden. Keep living in your fantasy world. The guy has no idea how to run an organization and it goes so far beyond a few bad personnel decisions. Hopefully Phil changes everything about how they run the Knicks.

In comment 11634189 Greg from LI said:

Quote:

It is entirely possibly to hate both Dolan AND Isola, you know.

BINGFUCKINGGO

he says mean things about my shitty team. Wahhh.

you're being ridiculous again.

You continue to gloss over my take on Dolan and pigeon hole my opinion into a pro Dolan stance. Honestly it's gotten fucking annoying repeating myself. You know damn well I am not defending Dolan as much as I am ASKING FUCKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEDIA'S clearly SLANTED TAKE on The KNICKS.

Are you and Isola friends? Sure the fuck sounds like it.

at least I am not the one who said the dumbest thing ever on BBI. You took the mantle from Anak. Bravo.

Find me someone, anyone, on here who thinks Lil' Jimmy knows how to run a franchise.

but you've changed your stance a bit as the season wore on. I remember debates we've had before this season or even early in the season in regards to you defending Dolan and saying that he's not so bad. You have no clue how far past personnel decisions this goes. The whole culture of how they do business is effed. It's not just a bad trade here and there, it's everything about how they run their team. It's not a coincidence that they have been an embarrassment for so long.

Everything from media access to controlling EVERYTHING said, to mistreating employees, to agents running the show to people leaking info to writers, to players controlling everything and catering to players and everything in between. Isola has an agenda, but theres a reason he has it and he's taken a negative slant to every move the Knicks have made and yet he's been right 99% of the time. We can only pray that Phil Jackson has enough pull to completely overhaul how they do business at the Garden. If so, you will start to see some people write positive things.

There are lots better options than the Knicks.

that there isn't 1 person who posts regularly on these threads who doesn't realize what a fiasco and laughing stock the Knicks have been as an organization for the better part of the past 15 years. We all realize that Dolan is a meglomaniacal idiot cokehead who won the gene pool lottery by having a brilliant dad that basically invented cable tv. That having been said Isola is an idiot hack writer with an agenda who is butt hurt because he can't talk to a soul at the Garden. When he is talking about hard news with real sources I might listen. Might. When he is writing yet another piece about dark shadows at the Garden and clearly making up shit I'll choose to ignore it like I do the other 100 similar pieces he has written this past year alone.

I want facts. I don't want rumors and innuendo. I want to know what really happens in MSG. I don't want some jilted cranky sports writer to literally shit Knicks hate every single day. It's lazy. I want to know more. I hate that Dolan has frozen the media out because it has led to unfounded stories that keep us all guessing. Maybe Isola is telling the truth for once. I certainly wouldn't be shocked to learn that Dolan was in fact clashing with Jackson already. But the guy cries wolf every fucking day. Doesn't that bother you a little bit? If you don't question Isola's credibility at all, you're living in the fantasy world. The guy is clearly waxing a daily agenda here. And that leads to toxic articles like this one. Yes, that bothers me. I want to read an article once in a while and believe it.

Maybe Dolan is the biggest Cancer to hit NY Sports. Shit, I fucking said that very line 15 fucking years ago. I've been a fan of the Knicks since the mid 80s. I think I have earned the right to question things.

I know how the media in this town works. I've seen them try to run WINNNERS out of town because the guy treated writers like shit. I can prove it. So please, save me the flat out ignorant take that the media doesn't go out of their way to paint someone in a bad light when they see fit.

I'll trumpet this shit every day. Don't care.

am i not allowed to hate Isola and Dolan? By despising everything about how Isola does his job does that mean i am defending Dolan? THey are both bottom feeders as far as im concerned. And the defense of Isola i find comical, aww the knicks are mean to him, grow up, none of the other writers are nearly as bad as him and im sure they deal with the same crap he does. And if the knicks treat him worse then others, well he deserves it. To be honest if i ran the knicks im not sure id let Isola into press conferences at this point.

the guy do the job you hired him for.He's cleaning up your mess. Get out of the way.

In comment 11634579 chris r said:

Quote:

There are lots better options than the Knicks.

Fuck off, bandwagon boy

In comment 11634582 djm said:

Quote:

I want facts. I don't want rumors and innuendo. I want to know what really happens in MSG. I don't want some jilted cranky sports writer to literally shit Knicks hate every single day. It's lazy. I want to know more. I hate that Dolan has frozen the media out because it has led to unfounded stories that keep us all guessing. Maybe Isola is telling the truth for once. I certainly wouldn't be shocked to learn that Dolan was in fact clashing with Jackson already. But the guy cries wolf every fucking day. Doesn't that bother you a little bit? If you don't question Isola's credibility at all, you're living in the fantasy world. The guy is clearly waxing a daily agenda here. And that leads to toxic articles like this one. Yes, that bothers me. I want to read an article once in a while and believe it. Maybe Dolan is the biggest Cancer to hit NY Sports. Shit, I fucking said that very line 15 fucking years ago. I've been a fan of the Knicks since the mid 80s. I think I have earned the right to question things. I know how the media in this town works. I've seen them try to run WINNNERS out of town because the guy treated writers like shit. I can prove it. So please, save me the flat out ignorant take that the media doesn't go out of their way to paint someone in a bad light when they see fit. I'll trumpet this shit every day. Don't care.

LOL, keep waiting for facts. You'll never get em though because Dolan controls everything that gets released to the media. Hopefully Phil can change how they do things.

Even still, how they deal with the media is only 1 aspect of everything that's wrong with the Knicks. I think Phil Jackson is going to do his best to change them, I just hope Dolan allows that.

Quote:

"As far as Jim Dolan's promise or his premise when I took this job that's he's going to leave basketball decisions up to me, really, he's been loyal to that promise," Jackson said. "And going forward from last week through this week, just wanting to talk to [ex-Knicks coach] Mike [Woodson] when we were through talking to him, the staff -- it's all our decision. He's been very true to his word to this point."

its obvious that Isola has the inside sources and Jackson is already just saying what the knicks want him to say, sees like how jackson operates.

In comment 11634564 kmed said:

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but you've changed your stance a bit as the season wore on. I remember debates we've had before this season or even early in the season in regards to you defending Dolan and saying that he's not so bad. You have no clue how far past personnel decisions this goes. The whole culture of how they do business is effed. It's not just a bad trade here and there, it's everything about how they run their team. It's not a coincidence that they have been an embarrassment for so long. Everything from media access to controlling EVERYTHING said, to mistreating employees, to agents running the show to people leaking info to writers, to players controlling everything and catering to players and everything in between. Isola has an agenda, but theres a reason he has it and he's taken a negative slant to every move the Knicks have made and yet he's been right 99% of the time. We can only pray that Phil Jackson has enough pull to completely overhaul how they do business at the Garden. If so, you will start to see some people write positive things.

Now you're just lying. I never ever ever defended Dolan. I said I question some of the downright horrible things the media has printed about Dolan. What I did defend was Dolan's penchant for spending money. Before every fucking take I would proclaim that at the very LEAST, Dolan had failed miserably as a 'win loss' owner in this town. At the very least I acknowledged that Dolan had failed due to bad hirings. Cmon man...who the fuck could actually defend Dolan's job here as owner? Go find me one post where I said this guy didn't fail in terms of wins and losses. You won't. What I questioned was how much of a monster this guy realy was or is. How the hell do we really know anything? All we know is the media hates this guy and the Knicks have lost a lot. He's an easy target, and rightfully so. But the Knicks did win 54 games last year. They did compete at a profession but mediocre level the year prior and yet the media still portrayed the Knicks as a circus. How come the Nets didn't get the same shit coverage? They did worse than the Knicks the last 2-3 years.

I'm done. If you can't pick up what i'm trying to convey that you simply don't want to. BElieve what you want.

I couldn't stand Isola; this year there was something monumentally awful going on in Knicks land, and it made all of his chicken little theories over the years sound like each and every one of them could have been true. Any benefit of the doubt has been removed from my mind in these negative reports because under absolutely no circumstances should a Carmelo Anthony lead team not make the playoffs without him being significantly hurt in a conference like this Eastern Conference. I do understand he is a shit stirrer, but with how bad things have been, who am I to say he is over-dramatizing anything?

but this is what I mean when I say you defend him...

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What I questioned was how much of a monster this guy realy was or is.

You have no clue how bad things are over there(or hopefully were before Phil Jackson). He is a tyrant, a control freak and the organization is a disaster. I've spoken to people that have worked there.

fairness Phil's quote doesn't really say much. How many basketball decisions have been made? Firing a shitty coaching staff? I think we expected that even if Jackson wasn't hired.

what is Isola talking about when he says that Dolan has already been meddling? Arent those the same non decisions that phil would be talking about?

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Everything from media access to controlling EVERYTHING said, to mistreating employees, to agents running the show to people leaking info to writers, to players controlling everything and catering to players and everything in between. Isola has an agenda, but theres a reason he has it and he's taken a negative slant to every move the Knicks have made and yet he's been right 99% of the time. We can only pray that Phil Jackson has enough pull to completely overhaul how they do business at the Garden. If so, you will start to see some people write positive things.

agreed, kmed...and my 6 mth old just spit up on my pants while typing this out...ADvantage KMED

or game over??! Thanks kid, I owe you one.

refer to this "story" that he wants Herb back. Gotta admit it's strange how Herb seemingly has a job for life. If he is brought back I have to believe that's from Dolan, wouldn't you?

Dolan has been true to his word so far...Isola says he ahsnt and has been meddling...who do you believe?

im just sick of the media using possible past events to disparage the knicks future.

with the NBA playoffs on. Do you think this would be so talked about if a NY team was actually in the NBA playoffs?

had the story of Dolan pushing Herb on Jackson, not Isola. Nobody else finds it strange Herb stays even when the HC changes? Clearly he has a cheerleader. Maybe Phil doesn't give a shit if Herb is the 4th assistant coach enough to complain about it. Just think if Herb Williams returns it's pretty clearly from Dolan.

that Dolan loves. Maybe he feels connected and it makes him feel better. Whats going on with Houston? Does Phil want to keep him around?

In the playoffs.

In comment 11634636 Italianju said:

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In the playoffs.

WHAT??? Truth?

was recently named the GM of the Dleague team (March 10th) which was during the Jackson decision time so if Houston were let go it would mean Jackson specifically didn't care for Houston. I suspect Houston will be back though.

In comment 11634631 kmed said:

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that Dolan loves. Maybe he feels connected and it makes him feel better. Whats going on with Houston? Does Phil want to keep him around?

There was a story i think in post about Warkentein being let go with Clarence Gaines being hired...Houston is up in the air...

In comment 11634622 djm said:

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im just sick of the media using possible past events to disparage the knicks future.

Exactly. We know about the fucking dysfunction. We know the guy is a clown. And we also know that Isola has his own personal battle going on with the Garden. So what exactly is the point of the article? To inform us fans? Bullshit. Its to drive conversation and get talking heads to bash the organization. How much more can that be done? There isn't a fan alive who thinks the Knicks have been run well or have had anywhere near an acceptable amount of success.

was still employed by the Knicks as of a few hours ago.

(not a Knick hater at all to my knowledge) implied today that Houston isn't highly thought of around the NBA.

and his relationship (as well as the relationship with other Knicks beat writers) with the Knicks.

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"I was friendly with Kurt Thomas, very friendly with him," Isola said, as "She's Gone" by Hall & Oates played in the background. "And Marbury hated Kurt Thomas. So any time I had a story, they were convinced that Kurt Thomas was telling me�to the point where Kurt was like, 'I know they're trading me in the off-season.' I said, 'A hundred percent.' Sure enough, they traded Kurt. And when they made the trade to bring Kurt back [last summer], I called him up and I said, 'I feel bad for you.' He said, 'Why?' I said, 'Well, first of all, you're going to get the phone call.' He goes, 'What do you mean, I'm gonna get the phone call?' I said, 'At some point, Supranowitz is going to call you up and tell you you really shouldn't be seen talking to me.' "So I was at the Olympics. And my phone rings at two o'clock in the morning, London time. It's Kurt Thomas, and he's giving me, 'Oh, look at you! They sent you over there. You're big time!' And I could tell he wanted to say something. So maybe like two minutes go by, and I say, 'What else is up?', and he said, 'Oh, I just wanted you to know, I got that phone call today.' Yeah, no kidding. I told him, I said, 'Kurt. Listen. You need to do what's best for you and for your family. You don�t ever want to talk to me, you don't have to. I'll be able to get stories anyway. Just worry about yourself. Because they're going to accuse you of telling me stuff.' That's the way they operate over there."

Deadspin - ( New Window )

In comment 11634702 DanMetroMan said:

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(not a Knick hater at all to my knowledge) implied today that Houston isn't highly thought of around the NBA.

Seems fair. He hasn't done anything as an exec.

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�You can get stale on the beat,� Isola continued. �I shouldn�t be doing it anymore after 12 years. If everything was status quo and if everything was great, I probably would be the wrong guy to have on it. But now I�m the right guy to have on it, because they�re trying to screw me over, and, by trying to screw me over, it kind of lights a fire in you a little bit. It makes you more motivated to find stuff out and expose what�s going on here.� I told him it sounded as if he was sticking around out of spite. �Absolutely,� he said. �They thought it would be the opposite�they thought they�d beat me down and run me off. I thank them for it.�

New York Observer (from 2007) - ( New Window )

to be clear I mean highly thought of as an exec, I didn't want to imply as a person.

Warkentein was possibly being let go with Gaines being hired..my mistake

made it sound like Warkentien is expected to be let go and Houston/Mills re-assigned but he was just guessing.

the front office is not a top priority...i think he hired Gaines to be his eyes and ears right now with Mills and Houston still hired...

didn't mean to blast you with the dumbest thing ever said on BBI, comment. That's a lofty achievement. I got worked up but all you really said was I am living in a fantasy land. Group hug.

Dolan is a turd. I can't defend even if I am not really trying to...if it sounds even a bit like a defense I need to stop. He's shite.