Youth, I.N.C.’s NET GAIN TOURNAMENT

Robeson HS Educator Saves Life Of Student Stabbed With Scissors In Brooklyn High School

The New York Knickerbockers have announced Brooklyn teacher and basketball coach Todd Myles as the winner of the Sweetwater Clifton “City Spirit” Award for the month of April. The award, named in honor of Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, who was the first African-American to play for the Knicks, recognizes those who have made a significant difference in the lives of others. Each month, a winner is chosen by members of the Knicks front office staff and honored at center court of a Knicks game. The winner will receive a $2,000 donation in their name to a charity of their choice from the New York Knicks.

Myles helped save the life of honor student Kyle Owens, 18, who was stabbed in the neck on March 28 at Paul Robeson High School in Brooklyn. Myles found Owens collapsed in the hallway and bleeding after another student attacked him with a pair of scissors. Myles rushed to revive Owens before emergency crews arrived.

At tonight’s game versus the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden, Myles will accept the City Spirit Award. He will donate his award money to Parkinson’s Disease research at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Myles’ aunt passed away from Parkinson’s Disease and his favorite actor is Michael J. Fox, who is also battling the disease.

To nominate your hero, or to read more about this month’s winners and other past winners, please visit nyknicks.com. 

The Garden of Dreams Foundation, New York Knicks and New York Rangers will unveil a newly refurbished family room at SCO Family of Services in Brooklyn. The former meeting room will be renovated and transformed by John Starks, Adam Graves, Kym Hampton and children from SCO Family of Services.

Who: John Starks, Knicks Legend and Alumni Relations Advisor

Adam Graves, Rangers Legend and Hockey and Business Operations Advisor

Knicks’ New Head Man Walsh Needs to Clean House

Even after they have disappointed all year by losing, the New York Knicks are doing the exact same thing of late – only by winning. The sad-sack team has matched their high water mark for the season by winning three games in a row, thus worsening their chances for a top-three selection in the draft lottery.

New team president Donnie Walsh was in attendance at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night and saw first hand that even this mismatched group of players thrown together in an attempt at a roster can win a game. The Knicks defeated the equally hapless Charlotte Bobcats, 109-107. With the rare victory, the Knicks (23-56) will avoid a 60-loss campaign. 

Walsh sat with MSG Sports COO Steve Mills and watched head coach Isiah Thomas in what may be his last string of games on the bench. Once the season concludes, Walsh and Thomas will meet and evaluate the roster, as Walsh told reporters, “He should have an insight as to why this hasn’t worked.” 

Part of that evaluation process will include Thomas himself. Will the man who has shouldered the blame for the inept performance somehow salvage a job out of all of this? He does have a history working with Walsh from their days with the Indiana Pacers, and there seems to be a mutual respect for one another. But if Walsh leaves Thomas in as head coach, there will be an uprising at the Garden.

A more likely scenario has Thomas being hidden deep in the organization for team owner James Dolan to at least partly justify the big contract extension he gave Thomas a year ago.

An ideal situation would be for Walsh to have his coaching staff and front office in place in time for the NBA Draft in June. Presently, the Knicks have the fifth lowest amount of wins in the league (actually tied with the Los Angeles Clippers) with three games left. This is being looked at as a decent draft, but with the majority of players that figure to go early being young and needing more seasoning.

Whoever the Knicks pick in the draft, they will be a long way off from winning and need to rebuild from the ground up. Their new coach will have to be a patient and thick-skinned individual. Some of the names being thrown around are Herb Williams, Scott Skiles and Mark Jackson. All three are intriguing, with Jackson the only one that has never coached a game.

Walsh has stated that he will keep an “open mind” about the head coach position when it comes to considering Thomas. “I still don’t think that we’ve played well,” Walsh said to reporters. “There are a lot of things I want to talk about, so it’s not totally open.”

Those words do not sound encouraging if you are Thomas. He should heed those words and be prepared to take a much smaller role, if he is lucky enough to be offered anything.

FREE FOOD & BEVERAGES FOR FINAL GAME

NEW YORK, April 9, 2008 – The New York Knicks are saying thank you to Knicks fans with an unprecedented offer of free food and non-alcoholic drinks for all fans in attendance at the final game of the season against the Boston Celtics on Monday, April 14.

Game to Be Played at the Home of the US Open — Arthur Ashe Stadium

2008 Season Individual Game Tickets, Including Outdoor Game, Go On Sale Thursday, April 10^th

NEW YORK, N.Y. [April 9, 2008] – The New York Liberty of the Women’s National Basketball Association will make its mark on the professional basketball landscape when it will play in the first regular season outdoor game in the sport’s history. The Liberty Outdoor Classic, between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever, will take place at the home of the US Open — Arthur Ashe Stadium, located in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens on Saturday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m.

“The New York Liberty is extremely proud to once again make history as a franchise with the first regular season outdoor game in the history of professional basketball,” said Carol Blazejowski, president and general manager, New York Liberty. “The Liberty Outdoor Classic will be an extraordinary experience for everyone in attendance – it will bring all of us back to our roots, celebrate the enormous growth and interest in the women’s game and provide an opportunity to gain unprecedented exposure for Liberty basketball and the WNBA. That the game is taking place in a venue named after one of the greatest pioneers in women’s sports makes the event particularly meaningful.”

In addition to making professional basketball history, the Liberty Outdoor Classic, sponsored by American Express and The Hallmark Channel, will be the first non-tennis sporting event to take place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which is the largest public outdoor tennis facility in the world.

“It is very appropriate that a trailblazing team like the Liberty play this historic game at the USTA Billie Jean KingNational Tennis Center, recently renamed for our sport’s greatest trailblazer,” said Arlen Kantarian, CEO, Professional Tennis, USTA. “As the home of the US Open and the largest public tennis facility in the world, we are thrilled to welcome New York’s greatest basketball fans to experience the stadium in such a unique way.”

Additionally, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), an independent 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer, will serve as the beneficiary of theLiberty Outdoor Classic. A portion of the proceeds from the game’s ticket sales, as well as various fundraising activities throughout the evening, will benefit the BCRF. This will be the second year that the Liberty has partnered with the BCRF for its annual Breast Health Awareness Night.

Individual game tickets for the Liberty Outdoor Classic as well as the Liberty’s 2008 regular season are on sale beginning Thursday. The Liberty will tip-off its twelfth season at Madison Square Garden against the ConnecticutSun on Sunday, May 18 at 4:00 p.m. The month of June begins with a three-game home-stand with heated Western Conference play. New York native Sue Bird along with fellow All-Stars Sheryl Swoopes, Swin Cash, Lauren Jackson and the Seattle Storm hit The Garden on Tuesday, June 3 at 7:30 p.m.; followed by Tina Thompson and the Houston Comets on June 5 at 7:30 p.m.; and Rutgers alumna Chelsea Newton with the Sacramento Monarchs on Sunday, June 8 at 4:00 p.m. WNBA legend Lisa Leslie will make her return to New York with the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. The regular season will close at home against Bill Laimbeer’s Detroit Shock on Sunday, September 14 at 4:00 p.m. For the full season schedule, log onto NYLiberty.com.

Tickets for the 2008 New York Liberty season, including the Liberty Outdoor Classic, can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, on-line at NYLiberty.com, through the WNBA Ticketmaster charge-by-phone number 877-WNBA-TIX, all Ticketmaster outlets and at Ticketmaster.com. The ticket prices are $10.00, $15.00, $34.50, $39.50, $64.50, and $85.00. To score a Liberty ticket plan – starting at just three games, call 212-465-6073 to purchase. Group ticket orders of 20 or more can be purchased by calling 212-465-6080.

The New York Liberty basketball team, in its twelfth year of operation with the 2008 season, is a part of Madison Square Garden, L.P., owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation, and also includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 94 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. A not-for-profit organization with 725,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research.  The Foundation supports scientists at top universities and academic medical centers worldwide conducting the most advanced and promising breast cancer research that will lead to prevention and a cure in our lifetime.  A minimum of 85 cents of each dollar donated to the Foundation goes directly to breast cancer research and awareness programs. In October 2007, $32 million was awarded to 151 scientists across the United States and in Canada, Latin America, the Middle East, and throughout Europe. Money magazine named BCRF one of America’s eight top charities.  And for the seventh consecutive year, BCRF received Charity Navigator’s highest rating, four stars, thus outperforming over 99% of the evaluated charities, while the American Institute of Philanthropy has awarded BCRF its highest possible rating of A+.  BCRF is the only breast cancer organization in the U.S. to receive these accolades.  For more information, visit www.bcrfcure.org or call 1.866.FIND.A.CURE.

The Orlando Magic came into Madison Square Garden on Sunday and actually left with a loss. The improbable 100-90 win by the Knicks was even more shocking with rookie Wilson Chandler starting and leading all scorers with 23 points.In over 44 minutes of action at the shooting guard spot, Chandler went 7 for 16 from the field and had 8 boards. Zach Randolph chipped in with a double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds). 

It doesn’t sound as good as ‘making it to Cooperstown,’ but former Knick center Patrick Ewing was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Mass. The crowd at Sunday’s improbable 100-90 win for the home team over the Orlando Magic - where Ewing is an assistant coach - honored their hero with a standing ovation when the PA announcer introduced Ewing to the crowd. Number 33 will always be spoken of in the same breath as some of the other all-time great Knicks, such as Willis Reed and Earl Monroe. 

James L. Dolan, chairman of Madison Square Garden and president and chief executive officer of Cablevision Systems Corporation, today announced that Donnie Walsh has been named president, basketball operations of the New York Knickerbockers, in charge of all basketball operations. Both Mr. Walsh and Steve Mills, president and chief operating officer of MSG Sports, will report directly to Mr. Dolan.

“Donnie Walsh is one of the most respected and admired executives in the NBA, and we are happy to announce that he has agreed to become the Knicks’ new president. In this role, Donnie will have complete control over all basketball operations, and I am confident that he is the right person to reestablish the Knicks as one of the League’s elite teams,” Mr. Dolan said. “I appreciate the loyalty and patience our fans have shown over the last few years and strongly believe this change will put us back on track to become the successful basketball team that Knick fans everywhere deserve,” Mr. Dolan concluded.

Mr. Walsh has spent the previous 23 seasons with the Indiana Pacers, most recently as the franchise’s president. His hard work and dedication helped earn the team one trip to the NBA Finals, six berths in the Eastern Conference Finals and four Central Division crowns. Over a 10-year span, from 1995 through 2005, the Pacers boasted the best regular season record among teams in the Eastern Conference, and fourth-best in the entire NBA.

“I consider it a privilege to be working with one of the charter teams in the NBA, and to come back to the city I call home,” the Bronx native said. “New York is a very special place for me and it is an honor to be joining this franchise. Knicks fans are among the most loyal and knowledgeable group anywhere in the League, and we will be dedicated to giving all New Yorkers a winning team.”

In addition to his impressive acumen with the Indiana’s NBA team, Mr. Walsh also oversaw major projects for Pacers Sports & Entertainment, including the building of one of the country’s premier basketball venues, Conseco Fieldhouse, and the creation of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.

Mr. Walsh played collegiate basketball at the University of North Carolina, under Frank McGuire and Dean Smith, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, followed by North Carolina Law School. He went on to become a graduate assistant coach at UNC and then an associate head coach at South Carolina. From 1977 through 1984, Mr. Walsh was an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets and Pacers, before becoming the Pacers’ general manager in 1984.

The NBA’s New York Knickerbockers basketball team, in its 62nd year of operation, is part of Madison Square Garden, L.P. Cablevision Systems Corporation owns Madison Square Garden, L.P., which includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre, as well as the legendary Chicago Theatre, and which manages wholly-owned live entertainment properties including the Radio City Rockettes and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and MSG Plus; fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.

Nothing is definite in the wacky world of the New York Knicks. Is Donnie Walsh coming aboard? Who will he decide to bring with him to round out the front office and coaching staff? More than a few people around the league are speculating that if Walsh takes the job, he may in fact hang on to Isiah Thomas, at least in some capacity. If Thomas stays on as head coach, Madison Square Garden may have to hire twice the security staff from keeping the fans to revolt.If James Dolan does decide to throw Thomas a bone and keep him around (mainly to justify the remainder of his contract extension from last year), then he will have to bury him so deep behind office walls and closed doors that Thomas will wish he was back running the CBA.