James Dolan is the modern day version of George Steinbrenner, except he doesn't know how to win.
Dolan, the Executive Chairman of Madison Square Garden and owner of the New York Knicks, is a disgrace to the NBA. His constant meddling and overbearing policies have led to the collapse of one the NBA's most hallowed franchises. Dolan has been in the news of late due to his attempt (an albeit successful) hiring of Phil Jackson to be the President of Basketball Operations.
Jackson, a 13-time NBA champion (11 as a coach, two as a player) is the greatest basketball mind alive. If there is anyone who can save the Knicks' franchise, it is Jackson. But that scenario will only occur if Dolan backs off his “high horse” and allows Jackson the breathing room he needs to run the franchise.
“I am by no means an expert in basketball,” said Dolan at Tuesday's Press Conference. “I’m a fan. My expertise lies in managing companies and businesses. I think I’m a little out of my element when it comes to the team. I found myself in a position where I needed to be more a part of the decision-making for awhile. It wasn’t necessarily something I wanted to do. As the chairman of the company, I felt obligated to do it. I’m happy now that we have a team of Phil and Steve to do that.”
The truth is Dolan did not have to be involved in the decision-making process. That's why he had Donnie Walsh. Walsh, who served as the team's President of Basketball operations from 2008-2011, was promised the same thing that Jackson has been promised; an owner who keeps his mouth shut and allows his basketball minds do the work for him. Dolan granted Walsh the freedom to talk to the media, work on trades and run the franchise that way he saw fit. It's too bad that Dolan broke his promise and began to meddle in places he didn't belong.
Steinbrenner, who ran the Yankees for nearly 40 years, had similar problems to Dolan. They each interfered in the team's day-to-day business, fired those who did not agree with their philosophies and ran their respective organizations with an iron fist. The difference between the two is that Steinbrenner was a champion. The Yankees won seven World Series titles under Steinbrenner. The Knicks have only tasted losing under Dolan, barring that one trip to the NBA Finals in 1999.
“I also understand the concerns that we have not made ourselves available to you about the team’s current issues and our plans,” said Dolan about the media. “The reason for that is that we were working on an answer. We feel that nothing we could have said would have helped.”
Working on an answer? How about doing your jobs! All players and coaches are subject to speak with the media every game. If not, the players and coaches are fined by the league. Why should Dolan be treated any differently. It is his job as owner to respect the media and give answers when asked. Avoiding the media all these years (even to the point of forcing his employees to avoid the media) just proves how big a coward Dolan is. If he was really working on plans, he should have the guts to say so. He shouldn't be hiding behind his own arrogance. I could be wrong though. I mean every competent owner in the world of sports speaks to the media once every five years! Isn't that true? Oh wait, it's not true!
“It’s been a tough year,” said Dolan. “It’s the tradition we’ve had since we’ve been with the organization, we will not raise ticket prices for next year. Instead, we’ll have a great year next year at the same price, and hopefully everyone will find that product is more valuable, and probably after that we’ll raise ticket prices. But not next year.”
How can Knicks' fans ever thank Dolan for not raising the ticket prices? I mean he shouldn't have to. Knicks fans want to overpay for tickets to watch a horrible franchise on the court. Isn't that obvious (I said sarcastically)? Where does Dolan get off being so arrogant and disloyal to his fan base? He was right in saying he knows nothing about basketball. A real basketball owner would realize his fans are not the wealthy business men in suits. A majority of fans are normal, hard working people, who want to see a good basketball team.
The Knicks fans who protested outside Madison Square Garden on Wednesday should be praised. They are standing up to a power hungry, incompetent owner. Dolan could learn a thing or ten from these fans. They aren't hiding from the world. These fans are standing up for what they believe in.
As previously stated, Jackson is the one hope the Knicks have. His mind will save the franchise. If only Dolan was as smart as Jackson is. Then he'd have realized a long time ago that his skills as an owner are lackluster. The only team Dolan can run is one into the ground.
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