With all the reading I do via RSS in prepation for my daily nuggets I give to you, my Nation I don’t often get a chance to read the New York Times.  I especially don’t pay attention when they talk about the lowly Knicks.  However I did happen to catch a recent article about the MEDIA implications of Wednesday’s hiring of new team President, Donny Walsh.

Traditionally when a new GM is hired especially in the case of a desolate team such as the Knicks, the  initial press conference focuses almost exclusively on a renewed spirit, new players and personell, focus on the draft, etc.  However, the Times illustrates that Walsh’s arrival was “accompanied by the announcement that he will alter the restrictive ways that the franchise deals with the news media.”

With New York being the media capitol of the world it is virutally imposible to hide as a sports team when you’re doing poorly.  To this end, most NY teams extend extra courtesy to the press to ensure leniency.  Under the Isiah Thomas regime however, that was more the exception rather than the rule as the team took on a very public closed lip policy.

The policy was intended to present a united, one-voice front by the Garden that limits dissension among players or officials. But the restrictions lead to predictable comments that do not have much depth, insight or human interest further distancing the team from the public.

Walsh said the new policy would be more open, but did not say how. “I think access is a big part of most franchises,” he said adding, “I think that’s the way it should be. And you’re going to have some bad stories every now and then.”

Very Interesting.