End of the Road
... for now
by: Tina Cervasio
Hey Knicks Fans, it's officially the end of the road for the 2008-09 season.
While the season didn't turn out the high expectations fans had to start the year – with a new President and Head Coach – the Knicks are surely heading in the right direction, producing some exciting games, solid performances and upsets.
For me, it's been a wonderful experience. After joining the Knicks Announcing Team in December, I've had the opportunity to travel with the Knicks as the sideline reporter and fill-in as the pre- and post-game host, when Al Trautwig is called to other duties. I've learned so much about the team and the NBA from Mike Breen, Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Gus Johnson, John Andariese, Kelly Tripucka, Trautwig and Mike Crispino. The added bonus is how much fun I had working with Jill Martin, both on the court and when we went shopping.
Meanwhile, the Knicks coaching staff, support staff and team have been top of the line, professional and a pleasure to work with. It's not as glamorous or as easy as it looks covering a team day-in and day-out. The last thing players want to see before taking their field of play is another reporter sticking a microphone or a recorder in their face.
The Knicks were always super cooperative (knock on wood) and good sports; because sometimes those post-game interviews could not have been fun after a tough loss. I've dealt with some pro athletes who ... let's just say they weren't such a pleasure to deal with.
All of the Knicks, through several trades and all, were always professional, patient and sometimes pretty funny.
Mr. Shake 'n Bake after every MSG in-arena interview and Mr. D-now-let's-send-it-back-to-you-Al-in-New-York-Lee ... oh boy, I'll miss those two if they go.
Thanks to you, the fans, for reading my Tales from the Road. And while the road may end here, you know as well as anyone the Knicks never really have an off-season. Once again, we'll be keeping our eyes on the lottery, then the draft, and of course, what the future may hold for restricted free agents David Lee and Nate Robinson.
I'll also be working on some great Knicks projects, as well as keeping track of all the team news. So this summer, you can now follow me on Twitter! I've finally made the jump. I should have joined months ago, to tweet some of my other road experiences from skiing with my producer Spencer Julien in Park City Utah (with zero visibility to start the day), to our MSG team dinner at Prime One Twelve in South Beach.
I've also had quite a few reports that never made it to air during game broadcasts. So, if that's the case tonight, in the Knicks final game of the 2008-'09 season versus the New Jersey Nets at the Garden, well, then I'll Tweet the reports, so the fans are never short-changed!
Hang in there, Knicks fans! Being that I'm an eternal optimist, the best is yet to come. Hey, I used to cover another professional sports team. The first year I was a team announcer, they tanked in the second half of the season with injuries, etc. and did not make the post-season. The next year, they WON the World Championship!
Don't laugh just yet! The day I was hired at MSG, Donnie Walsh was hired the next day. See, I bring good vibes. Alright, I'm NOT predicting the second year I cover the Knicks they'll win the NBA Title. But what I will predict is that this will be an off-season and summer full of news, moves and some interesting stories.
Check back right here to get my take and some inside info!
MORE:
