Basketball jones
By 
This could get . . . interesting at Madison Square Garden tomorrow, where creepazoid New York Knicks owner James Dolan has invited Donald Trump to attend the third game of the NBA finals, and apparently Trump is going to show up. What was going to be an overwhelmingly hostile reception anyway will no doubt be enhanced by the following:
President Donald Trump’s plan to attend the NBA Finals is already proving unpopular.
Despite being unable to attend his eldest child’s wedding over Memorial Day weekend because of the Iran War, basketball seems to be a different story. . . .
Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith used his SiriusXM radio show to urge Trump to stay away from the game because of the chaos his presence could create.
“I don’t want him there,” Smith said.
Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith used his SiriusXM radio show to urge Trump to stay away from the game because of the chaos his presence could create.
“I don’t want him there,” Smith said.
The concerns come as fans are being warned to prepare for extraordinary security measures surrounding Trump’s visit, which will involve hundreds of Secret Service agents and thousands of New York Police Department officers.
In a message posted to the Knicks’ official X account, the team announced that “a strict no-bag policy will be in effect” and warned fans to expect “enhanced security measures” including “TSA-style screening procedures” before entering Madison Square Garden.
The team also urged fans to arrive at least two hours before tip-off and cautioned that “there will be no storage available for prohibited items brought to the venue.”
With fans reportedly paying as much as $279,804 for a pair of court side seats, having to jump through a dozen hoops while showing up hours early so that the world’s biggest narcissist can steal the spotlight from the franchise’s first potential championship in 53 years are the sorts of things that could turn Stephen A. Smith into the voice of reason.
On a related note, my brother the historian has come up with an innovative response to the problem of people being on their cell phones after paying tens or even apparently hundreds of thousands of dollars for court side seats at these sorts of events. It’s a very simple and elegant plan, which involves every seat being placed over a trap door, so if the occupant should look at their phone, the door will open, and the offender will be dropped into a pit filled with water, and crocodiles. But the really inventive aspect of this plan is that every time this happens, someone will be chosen randomly from the nosebleed sections to fill the newly available prime viewing location.
Think of the ratings! And the plutocracy!