Youth, I.N.C.’s NET GAIN TOURNAMENT Thursday, April 17, 2008
Basketball Tournament Raises Funds for NYC Public High Schools The New York Knicks will partner with Youth, I.N.C. (Improving Nonprofits for Children) for Youth, I.N.C.’s 11th annual Net Gain Tournament at The Park Avenue Armory in New York City on Thursday, April 17th. The Net Gain Tournament is an exciting night of basketball that brings together 24 teams consisting of corporate sponsors, high school youth, and Knicks alumni to raise funds for Youth, I.N.C. and its Net Gain Program.In partnership with Urban Dove and BasketBall City, Youth, I.N.C. provides basketball court time to 17 high schools without a “home court,” allowing them to practice and host the home games required for participation in the Public School Athletic League. The tournament has raised more than $3 million over the past 10 years with celebrity coaches including former Knicks stars Mel Davis, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Johnny Newman, Cal Ramsey, Micheal Ray Richardson, John Starks, Buck Williams, Jerome Williams, and WNBA NY Liberty Kym Hampton. Additionally, this year’s Tournament will kick off with the much anticipated 2nd Annual Hedge Fund vs. Private Equity All-Star Game.“The Net Gain Tournament is a terrific example of youth and their supporters coming together for a specific cause. Providing our youth with a place to play is necessary for keeping them on the right track,” said John Starks, Knicks Alumni Relations and Fan Development Advisor.For the organization’s Founder and Executive Director, Steve Orr, ”Youth, I.N.C. is all about the kids and Net Gain is a great program because they are empowered directly. The confidence that comes with being part of a team, and really, being a part of something bigger in their community is key to their development at this stage in the game.”“Being born and raised in Brooklyn and having had the opportunity to play sports in the public school system directly contributed to my development personally and professionally. The Knicks are proud to help provide this same opportunity to today’s youth athletes,” said Karin Buchholz, Knicks Vice President, Community Relations and Fan Development.A recent Urban Dove survey shows that Net Gain athletes graduate high school at an over 90% rate as compared to 60% citywide. Athletes and coaches have donated over 5,000 hours of community service, improving dozens of communities and helping hundreds of thousands of New York City residents. “This program is proof that after-school sports isn’t just about becoming a better athlete - it is about developing life and academic skills, and learning how to be a positive leader in your community,” said Jai Nanda, Founder and Executive Director of Urban Dove.The program uses athletic participation as the building block in providing students with the leadership, teamwork, and communication skills they need to succeed in high school and beyond.Beyond Net Gain, Youth, I.N.C. has raised over $18.5 million to benefit New York City kids. In 2007 alone, Youth, I.N.C. impacted the lives of over 100,000 youth. These achievements are made possible with the generous support from Youth, I.N.C.’s Board of Directors and corporate sponsors such as AIG Investments; Clayton, Dubilier & Rice; Credit Suisse; Goldman, Sachs & Co.; J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.; Lehman Brothers; Thomas H. Lee Capital; TPG-Axon Capital; and Wachovia Securities. According to Youth, I.N.C.’s Executive Director, Steve Orr, “The Net Gain Tournament provides the Wall Street community an opportunity to give back to a cause that directly benefits New York City’s underserved youth.”WHO: Youth, I.N.C., Urban Dove, BasketBall City, Wall Street Execs, Knicks Alumni, and NYC High School StudentsWHAT: 2008 Net Gain TournamentWHERE: The Park Avenue Armory – 643 Park Avenue
WHEN: Thursday, April 17, 2008; 5:00 – 10:00 PM
April 2008
Thu 17 Apr 2008
THE NEW YORK KNICKS, WALL STREET EXECS & HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYERS TEAM UP FOR A WINNING CAUSE
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Mon 14 Apr 2008
KNICKS HONOR BRAVE TEACHER WITH CITY SPIRIT AWARD
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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.
Fri 11 Apr 2008
GARDEN OF DREAMS, KNICKS AND RANGERS UNVEIL REFURBISHED FAMILY ROOM AT SCO FAMILY OF SERVICES
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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. Funded by the Garden of Dreams, Rangers and Knicks, improvements include the construction of a state-of-the-art family room including new furniture, new flooring, an MSG inspired mural and other New York Liberty, Knicks and Rangers touches. The goal of this transformed room is to give SCO Family of Services a bigger and better space to celebrate special family occasions and meet in a relaxed environment. The teams and Garden of Dreams will officially present the renovated room at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, April 14. Who: John Starks, Knicks Legend and Alumni Relations Advisor
Adam Graves, Rangers Legend and Hockey and Business Operations Advisor Kym Hampton, Liberty Legend What: Unveiling of refurbished family meeting room at SCO Family of Services
Where: SCO Family of Services 570 Fulton StreetBrooklyn, NY 11217
When: Monday, April 14, 2008 10:30 a.m. The Garden of Dreams Foundation is a non profit charity that works closely with all areas of Madison Square Garden, including the Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Entertainment, MSG Media and fuse to “make dreams come true for kids in crisis”. Garden of Dreams partners with local children’s hospitals, “wish” organizations and community-based organizations to build on-going, unforgettable programs for children in the tri-state area who are suffering from devastating illness, homelessness, abuse, hunger, extreme poverty and tragedy.
Fri 11 Apr 2008
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.
Wed 9 Apr 2008
FREE FOOD & BEVERAGES FOR FINAL GAME
All Fans Attending Game Versus Celtics on April 14 To Receive Free Food and Non-Alcoholic Drinks for Entire 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. “Knicks fans are among the most passionate in sports, and we wanted to thank them for their loyalty and dedication to the team,” said Howard Jacobs, senior vice president, marketing, MSG Sports Teams. “Today’s announcement stems from our desire to find a meaningful way to show our fans our appreciation. We hope they enjoy themselves and we look forward to seeing them in the arena.” All fans who attend the game will be welcomed to enjoy free food and beverages from MSG’s concession stands throughout the building starting at 6:30 p.m., when doors open to the public. In addition, servers will walk around the arena to distribute food and drink items, including hot dogs, pretzels, soda and water, among other choices. This marks the first time MSG has provided food and non-alcoholic drinks at no cost to fans. The Knicks take on the Celtics at Madison Square Garden starting at 7:30 p.m. For more information, fans may log on to www.nyknicks.com. 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.
Wed 9 Apr 2008
2008 NEW YORK LIBERTY SEASON INCLUDES FIRST REGULAR SEASON OUTDOOR GAME IN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL HISTORY
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2008 Season Individual Game Tickets, Including Outdoor Game, Go On “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 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 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 Individual game tickets for the Liberty Outdoor Classic as well as the 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 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 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 Game to Be Played at the Home of the
Tue 8 Apr 2008
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).
Tue 8 Apr 2008
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.
Wed 2 Apr 2008
DONNIE WALSH NAMED PRESIDENT, BASKETBALL OPERATIONS
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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.
Tue 1 Apr 2008
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.
