This is just a great story about the guy who threw the Knicks jersey up in Boston. I wanted to repost it here although some of you guys may have read it by now. I feel like I have some things common with him, because I also did the drive up for the Boston game this year (during the preseason) have mostly orange and blue stuff in support of the team, even the girlfriend who has to deal with my fanaticism for the team, just like most of the defenders on this blog. Because I was driving home from Florida the day of the Boston game, we stopped at a hotel along I-95 just so we could watch the game and blog on knicksdefense.com with the defenders. I usually drive directly from Orlando to NYC, stopping only for gas and to rest the car for a few minutes.
This article is republished from the New York Daily News.
>>>
Bleedin’ Orange and Blue
by Melissa Grace and Rich Shapiro
He’s got eight tattoos – all of them orange to show his love for the Knicks.
He wears orange sunglasses, drives a burnt orange Hummer and sleeps in orange-striped sheets, all for the team.
But when the Knicks went down by 50 points against the Celtics on Thursday night, superfan Edward Barnes had had enough.
In a move captured on national television, he ripped off his $220 Knicks jersey and chucked it onto the court in disgust – sending the Boston crowd into a frenzy and highlighting the futility of his beloved team.
“They were just giving up on every play,” Barnes, 36, told the Daily News Saturday. “You pay great money to see their games. You pay great money to drink at their games. I watched them give up.”
In the days after his headline-grabbing act of contempt, the identity of the jersey-throwing fan remained unknown. But The News tracked down Barnes yesterday at his family’s pizza restaurant in East Islip, L.I., where he was decked out in an orange shirt and orange-trimmed sneakers.
The Knicks-obsessed mechanic said he tore off his jersey to make a statement to the players. “I wanted to get their attention,” Barnes said, his eyebrow ring, in blue for the other Knicks color, glinting in the light. “You don’t lose by 50 points in the NBA.”
Becoming a symbol of the Knicks’ failures was never his plan.
Barnes drove up to Boston on Wednesday night with his nephew Larry Betro to celebrate Betro’s 24th birthday. The pair had $300 seats – four rows behind the basket and not far from Craig Sager, a TNT sideline reporter.
With the Knicks trailing big in the first quarter, Barnes made a bet with Sager that if his team went down by 50 points he would give up his coveted jersey.
Word of the bet spread through the crowd with lightning speed. By the time the fourth quarter came around and the Knicks were losing by 40, the fans were in a frenzy.
“Throw it! Throw it!” they yelled.
And when Boston’s lead reached 50 points with three minutes left in the game, Barnes did just that. The game stopped. The fans erupted.
“The whole crowd was behind it,” he said. “I had to protect my honor.”
After the game, Barnes went into a bar across the street from the stadium. The dejected New Yorker was received by the dozens of Celtic fans inside like a conquering hero. “They all stopped and started clapping,” he said. “They bought me a jillion drinks and shots.”
In between sips of soda yesterday, Barnes gleefully recounted how his love for his team has permeated his life. “Everything is blue and orange for the Knicks – my office, my car,” he said with a smile. “I’ve got problems, I tell you.”
In order for his team to reclaim its former glory, Barnes said management needs to make two bold moves.
“Isiah should be out,” he said, referring to embattled coach Isiah Thomas.
And star point guard Stephon Marbury should be traded, he said. “He was a bum in New Jersey. He was a bum in Minnesota. And he’s a bum in New York.”
Despite his disappointment, Barnes refuses to abandon his team. He plans to go to Wednesday’s game against the Nets. If the Knicks are winning, he’ll put a team jersey back on to show his support, he said.
For her part, Barnes’ wife, Tiffany, 32, said her husband’s obsession has dominated her life. Among other things, she’s forced to live in a home that resembles a Creamsicle.
“We have to get orange sunglasses, orange watches, orange cars,” she said, noting that they also have a Knicks garbage can in the bathroom. “I have white sheets with orange stripes on them. It is sickening.”
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
KnicksD
I very much understood the superfan’s antics up in Boston. I believe many of us watching and blogging on that night’s game came to the same conclusion about what transpired.
Also much like the superfan, I still support this team. Alwasy will through thick and thin.
I don’t understand why all the desention hear about who is the more steady or solid “true fan”. I think we’ve all blown up on the team and individual players. Some here more than others. While at the same time many of us don’t just completely tank it or come to drawing up trade scenarious after every terrible loss.
With that said. I understand that the article captures the zietgiest of the common hard core fan, especially one willing to pay $300 for a pair of tickets where the team doesn’t even bother to show up.
I said it before and I’ll say it again that loss was unacceptable.
Check you at game time.
Peace out Defenders!
@ DaVonn…
“Nobody here thinks Jamal should start…..even after his great game against the Bucks.”
Are you kidding????
How can you speak for everyone on this blog, bruh????
You need to speak for yourself.
I stated at the very beginning that Craw should start at the one because NOBODY, let me repeat, NOBODY responds to Marbury, at the same time I stated that Craw was “Untouchable” when we were discussing trade scenarios during the dog days of summer.
My apologies for the tardy response to your post. Was out takin’ care of biz yesterday, so I’m just now catching up on my “reading”…..
Quit flip floppin…..
DVJ’s
New name is flounder
Hey guys stop picking on DVJ.
We need some back and forth here even if it’s all contained in the multiple points of view of our brethern DaVonn Jefferson.
Fred Jones has a chance to shine tonight and have the entire leagues
respect as a Defensive stopper…If he can Glove up Nash!!!!!!
I believe Nate will be amped up to play some D on Nash too!
What a statement we will send to the league with a win tonight!!!!
Lets Go Knicks!
Hopefully one of the Knicks’ assistants will be charged with the task of tying up Steph and making sure he doesn’t leave the locker room.
Give N8 some burn tonight…I’d love to see him on Nash, and Nash trying to contain him.
Believe it or not, the Suns playing style is perfect for the Knicks. This is by no means gonna be a cakewalk for the Suns. Don’t be at all surprised by a Knick victory.
Yes, I said it.
I’d love to see Steph’s playing time diminish, starting tonight.
Lives,
Good reading from you—and you’re welcome. Anytime I can represent Knicks Defense and use your thoughts as a voice of persuasion that’s a good thing.
Trane did respond to me post on Knicks Fix—I’m still trying to make sense of the mess. He talking about my logic being everywhere—I’m like, his is too! Going respond to him soon.
bronxboy in Md,
You and I in particular I know share our fan love(no homo)for Jamal Crawford. We both shared passed the kleenix box when Crawford last season(as well as Marbury).I like your defending of our boy. Even Lives is moving to the Crawford movement.
Gift for Crawford’s Defender here:JAMAL CRAWFORD GAME WINNING THREE AGAINST DENVER NBA 2K7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz84aQmSOLg&feature=related
—————————————————————————————————————
African,
What’s the Knicks Defender DNA on the poster Legend over on Isola garbageness city.
Legend just gave a nice humorous beatdown on KnicksKnation. I thinks Lives in Jersey, Legend should be nominated for a independent Knicks Defender “shiny stuff” award for his Knockout on Mark. Although, Legend wants Isiah fired. And some defender here wants him fired as well. I’m not one of them.
Anyway this is Legend:
Superfan sort of resembles Isola, I wonder if that’s a 3rd cousin who he paid to do that. Either way, the knicks deserved worse.
Mark…Nice to see you living up to your reputation of printing SLANDEROUS LIES AND PROPAGANDA. The truth is, you didn’t show up to the GARDEN, you didn’t except my challenge and you are afraid. I would love to call you a COWARD to your face. One day, when you find your manhood and stop making up words and catch phrases with no catch, you’ll find the testosterone to meet a challenge. But you fear that your words have gotten you into a physical confrontation but I’m not dumb enough to challenge you to a fist fight on a blog which could be used against me in court I just want to talk.
I can write slander too.
As I stood outside the Garden waiting for Mark, I was shocked to see a fat guy with Woody Allen-ish facial features spiked green hair, wearing a kilt with red stockings, knee high stockings, his t-shirt couldn’t cover his belly and he was walking with what I thought was his wife but she was his grandma, So, he has no woman after all, no surprise there, only the lonley would use terms like “possettes” and “decoder rings,casks” and such.
He tried to shake my hand but I refused, not because I’m mean but I saw a frozen spiderweb in his hands that he must have made during a quickie internet porn session and didn’t wash his hands and let the cool air crystalize his gooey-product.
I aked him if he had anything to say to me, he said ” yes, please don’t hit me. So I hit the toughest person I saw, his grandma, then she hit me back and it hurt, I realized she was wearing a DECODER RING, i asked her “where did that come from’, she said “it was deep inside my POSSETTE and I’ll use it to CASK a spell on you.
I said “fights over lady, I don’t want you touching me with anything you snatched out your POSSETTE. She said, “leave my boy alone, you’re too masculine to be fighting him, you’ll kill him and he’ll die a virgin. How much torture do you think he needs, his last girlfriend , left him for a popsicle, his only friend is me and the basement got flooded last week so now he shares a bed with me, his grandma”. So I apologized to Mark, I even gave him a tissue to wipe his tears and I gave Mark 20 bucks for his troubles and he said “gee, thanks MR.
His grandma said “let’s goto coney island boy and use that 20 bucks to buy those cupcakes you love so.
Posted by Legend on December 2, 2007 10:02 AT Isola’s Garbageness Pit
Peaceman,
You’re right, Knicks are in need of that other statement game…losing to Boston the way we did after that beautiful win over Utah—made us go back to the drawing board in receiving credibility in the NBA. Bucks was a start—but not really in giving the Knicks credibility around the lead, just that the Knicks could beat team(the Bucks)with a slight better record at the time. On the night before the Bucks vs Knicks game—the Bucks were above 500 team. I think 538 or something like that.
Anti
Did you read my Point Counter-point rant in one of KnicksDefense’s previous threads?
You could use that on the outside blogs if it merits your consideration.
I won’t go to play with children on those blogs. I’d rather talk with adults over here at KnickD.
Orange & B
I read all the posts but can you give me the numbers so I can read it again. Thanks
Lives: With respect to Fred Jones last minute dunk leaving 4/10th of a
second left on game clock, a review of the video shows that Bogut was trying to foul him. If he had fouled, Jones would have had to sink both foul shots, plus more than 4/10ths of a second would have been left on the game clock. Knicks were leading bucks 89 – 88 at the time. If Jones only made 1 of 2 foul shots, then Bucks could have won on a 3 point shot. If Jones missed both foul shots, then Bucks could have won with a 2 point shot. We would then be jumping on Jones for not taking the ball strong to the hoop. By dunking that shot, F. Jones assured that team would not lose in regulation.
I think that the team is under such a microscope that every breath that Isiah or a player takes is questioned and subjected to second guessing ad nauseum. We all do our share of post-game scrutinizing. But playing in the N.Y. arena is especially media magnified. The team, however, needs to support each other, play hard and intelligently, but not with such caution that they tighten up and lose their confidence.
Winning of course builds confidence, and winning against an elite team,
such as Phoenix, builds even more confidence. Winning tonight will
do much to prove to themselves that they can play with the best. LGK
Anti
See post # 3 & 4 Reposted at Knicksdefenses’ thread entitled “The Knicks take on the Atlantic Division Leading Celtics Tonight.” It was my commentary and break down of the article in which the NYMSM basically admit to their rampant unprofessionalism and anti Knick approach to sports reporting.
Hope you like it and use it if the spirit moves ya!
Post up Prince
Like your take on # 11. I too get the impression that b/c every mistake defensive lapse etc etc. is magnified– in addition to the off the court events– that the Knicks often look very tight. As if there playing scared but not scared of the oposition but more so scared of “looking bad.” With that in mind when things fall apart players individually take it upon themselves to try to turn the tide. But when we have a team of good but not necesarilly superstar or transcendant players such individually driven play breaks down the game plan the team was asked to execute in order to compete and have a shot at victory in the game.
Just see my final set of commentary on the previous thread by Knicks D, you’ll see that some of the discussion of leadership, that I hyperlinked also discusses a very frequent phenomena of the players becoming individualistic and regressing at the first sign of trouble.
This might have very much to do with playing under a microscope that is used with the intensity of a magnifying glass shining miday sunlight on an ant.
What’s your feedback here?
Defenders Intersting how the Chicago MSM is actually working at deconstructing rumors and hearsay regarding Chicago Bull’s coach Scott Skile’s approach to coaching his players. Interestingly enough those Chicago papers appear to not place all the blame solely on Skiles.
Check out the links below, and you’ll see another counter point to our NY brand of hysterical hearsay reporting.
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-071129bulls,1,2377987.story?coll=cs-bulls-headlines
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/674235,CST-SPT-bull30.article
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=86538&src=150
Anti and Modi
What are your thoughts on the above counter points to NY’s spinster reporting
Post-up Prince
Excellent point! You can’t pass on a dunk like that unless your up three points! Also, Jones was not sure
who was really behind him so he did the right thing Slaming with authority! BLAM!! Game!
I was looking at an old newspaper today, and there was this old comic character “Henrey.”
I laughed because if anybody remembers that Comic “Henrey” Marburys got a “Henrey Head!” lol
Let’s see how Jamal responds tonight.
Where’s BARF Johnson? Vic? Steady? DLT?
Time for a Solar eclipse!!! Lets Go Knicks!!!!!
Watching NY Knick pre-game, and Clyde asks D Lee what he thought the turning point was in Friday’s game against the Bucks, and he gave the “obligatory” response to the affect, “we turned up the defensive pressure, yada yada yada…….”
But I’m sure what D Lee wanted to say was….
“Steph left the game and we knew he wasn’t coming back”……..
Got a little depressed watching him warm up…was hoping he’d be a game-time decision.
Was watching clips of Craw’s clutch performances since he’s been a Knick (and there were some while he was with the Bulls, I’m sure)….
That dude is s beast!!!
I don’t understand, why the detractors???? Very few players have NO flaws, if any.
Why are his defensive flaws magnified? It’s not like he’s out there doggin’ it on the defensive end.
While they were showin’ his highlights, they were playin’ “Biggie Biggie gimme one more chance” in the background.
Ha!!
Post-Up, I agree 100%. My point was that I am glad that I didn’t have to have that discussion because we won and Milwaukee missed that final shot. When I saw the dunk, I almost fell out my seat and screamed like my wife was . . . (never mind), but when I saw the reply I saw the retraction of Zeke’s smile when he realized there was still time on the clock. I am very glad that it didn’t matter in the end.
Breen’s blowing Nash!….Again!
I guess Isiah still hasn’t learned yet!!!
Just pray that it’s not a blowout. I just want to stay close.
Steph takin’ it personally early on, committed a TO forcing the action..
Why does Zeke stay with Curry so long? It’s obvious this pace is wayyyyyyyyy to fast for him.
If he continues to sit on his hands, we’ll be down 25 by halftime.
NEW THREAD ON KNICKSDEFENSE
The Knicks can’t win a track meet w/ these guys. They must press from the inbounds and slow down the game.
The team seems to respond to Jamal more.
I think Dan is GAY
Are you serious with that defense?
Amare went right down the lane!!
Nice move Curry!!!!
Nice playing guys!!
Way to shoot Q!!!
We play so well at home guys….
Remember last year? I would look forward to our road games when the season was still young.
I like how Curry is playing tonight.
He’s getting the ball and going quick!!!!
If we win tonight…it puts the media in a tough position.
What should they write about?
Do they still dwell on the Boston loss or do they focus on the fact we’ve won 4 of 5?
Were not setteling for the oputside shot guys, were taking in…..I think that how the game is going to be won.
You see now is were we have to substiute…with defence
4th Quarter TIME
Who gonna be the Knick hero Tonight
Crawford can be—but he might let someone else play hero…he might…