There are dumb motivational ploys and then there are really dumb motivational ploys. In
1987, the University of Miami football team got off the plane wearing army fatigues to get
into battle mode for their national championship game against Penn State. That didn't work
out so well for Jerome Brown, Vinny Testaverde, and Company 'U'. They lost in the court
of public opinion and more importantly, on the field.
The New York Knicks topped the 'U' for pure stupidity when it comes to making statements,
both in fashion and sports. After losing to the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their playoff series,
Kenyon Martin urged the team to come dressed for Game 4 in all black because the Knicks
would be giving the C's their own personal funeral, eliminating them from the playoffs. Really,
Kenyon? Did you somehow miss what happened in that city two weeks ago? Families just buried
their loves ones and you want to be an insensitive imbecile and go there? Ridiculous.
The sad thing about it all, is that his teammates actually showed up for the game dressed in black
from head-to-toe. Hats, jackets, pants, shoes, and even glasses hung on the players as if the Knicks
were really going to give the Celtics a funeral. This is beyond juvenile, but really, in a sports world
dominated by spoiled men who lie, cheat, and have a sense of entitlement beyond comprehension,
can we really be surprised? I'm not. But I am surprised at the level of stupidity the Knicks went to.
Did they not think the Celtics would get wind of this? Did the Knicks not think the Celtics were
going to use this to fuel them towards staving off elimination? Just as the Miami Hurricanes found
out in 1987, the best laid plans and stupid ones, often go awry. They lost to the Celtics in Game 5,
postponing the funeral they had scheduled. Now, the Knicks have eggs on their face and all that
they momentum gained with a 3-0 series lead, has evaporated. In the court of public opinion,
the Knicks have become like Forest Gump: stupid is, as stupid does. It hard to like a team that
shows up in all-black, calling for a funeral of the team their playing.
The pressure is now clearly on the shoulders of the Knicks. They might not only cough up
a 3-0 series, but they must overcome the pure stupidity they showed before Game 4. The next
funeral they show up for, just might be there own.
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