Boy were we wrong about fan reaction at the NBA Draft. Not only did the fans boo the Knicks selection of Danilo Gallinari, but they even started a “Fire Donnie” chant. Why the hate for Gallinari? Well, the fans wanted OJ Mayo and drafting a European player probably brings back memories of Frederic Weis. Perhaps the booing was just Knicks fans getting out their leftover animosity from this past season. Gallinari isn’t a bad pick......

Tonight will be different at Madison Square Garden because for the first time in years, the Knicks will do something and not be booed. While all signs point to the Knicks sticking with the #6 pick, you can be sure that could change because the top of the draft is very fluid. For weeks it has all been about Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley going 1-2, but with Chicago reportedly picking Rose, the Heat are......

Sources say the New Jersey Nets will trade forward Richard Jefferson to the Milwaukee Bucks for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. ESPN says the Nets will be able to save $10 million longterm and continue to re-shape their team for the future--possibly with LeBron James in 2010. Further, the Chinese government will be thrilled Yi is in a big media market (that was China's grumble when Yi was drafted last year).......

Today the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by 11 Brooklyn property owners and tenants whose homes and businesses would be razed to make way for the $4 billion Atlantic Yards project. Coincidentally, today marks the third anniversary of the Supreme Court’s narrow 5-4 ruling in the case of Kelo v. City of New London, which affirmed the government’s power to use eminent domain to accommodate private development. The plaintiffs vowed to file their......

Uproar over the Yankees' wish for another $350 million in tax-free bonds from the city--the Yankees already have over $900 million in tax-free bonds, but needs the city to push the IRS to allow even more tax-free funding, has resulted in some great quotes: Regarding how sports teams like the Yankees, Mets, and Nets get hundreds of millions in tax-free financing from the state and city governments, Assemblyman Richard Brodsky said, "These decisions are being......

Rallies aren’t just for grassroots activists – moneyed developers can hold them too, as Bruce Ratner proved yesterday by financing an afternoon rally in downtown Brooklyn to support his beleaguered Atlantic Yards project. Organizers of the so-called “Brooklyn Day” event handed out free hot dogs and T-shirts to passersby in an attempt to drum up enthusiasm for the $4.2 billion project, though there were no free turkeys to fully evoke the Tammany Hall spirit.......

Photo of (left to right) Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, Bulls executive VP of business operations Steve Schanwald and Nets co-owner Jay-Z by AP/Bill Kostroun The best chance for the Knicks to make a quick return to respectability bounced away with the drop of a ping pong ball in the NBA Draft Lottery Tuesday night. In reality, they fared exactly as they should have, but for fans desperately hoping to see Derrick Rose or Michael......

Tonight, the NBA holds its annual draft lottery in Secaucus, NJ to determine the order of the first 14 team picks for the draft on June 26. The lottery, broadcast on ESPN at 8 p.m., utilizes a somewhat complicated formula of team records, probability, and ping-pong balls. How complicated? Check out this explanation (the Wikipedia entry can be helpful). The Miami Heat have a 25% chance of nabbing the first pick. Going into tonight's draft,......

Renderings of luxury suites courtesy Barclays Center. Lawsuits from community and environmental groups, a tanking economy, and outcry over slavery money aren’t stopping Forest City Ratner from pushing forward with the $950 million Barclays Arena in Brooklyn, possible future home of the New Jersey Nets. Yesterday a luxury suite showroom opened in the New York Times building as an attempt to woo big-ticket investors and shift public opinion. Renderings for the proposed project have gone......

Rendering courtesy of Municipal Art Society; original aerial photo by Jonathan Barkey. As a counterpoint to the new renderings of Frank Gehry's redesign for the Atlantic Yards flagship tower, here's a different perspective on the project's future look. The Municipal Art Society [MAS] has assembled a compelling slideshow that serves as a sort of dystopian crystal ball, depicting what could come come if Bruce Ratner moves forward with his development on 22-acres of land in......

Developer Bruce Ratner and architect Frank Gehry have announced that ‘Miss Brooklyn,’ the 620-foot residential and commercial tower planned for the 22-acre Atlantic Yards project, has been scrapped. In its place they’re proposing a building called ‘B1’: a 511 foot tall structure that will now house commercial tenants only. If they can be found – Forest City Ratner has yet to secure an anchor tenant for what will now be 650,000 of commercial space. B1’s......

Rumors of the Atlantic Yards mega-development's demise have been greatly exaggerated...at least according to the Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner. He may have been gloomy about the mega-project's prospects last month, but now Ratner has an opinion piece in today's Daily News, pledging to forge ahead with his eminent domain plans to take over Atlantic Ave. He writes:Yes, it's true that construction hasn't happened as fast as we would have liked...[but] Finally, the delays have......

The revelation that Bruce Ratner, would-be Atlantic Yards developer and Nets owner, has been secretly discussing selling the team to the owners of the New Jersey Devils, has put Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz’s athletic reputation on the line. Newark mayor Cory Booker, who would love the team to come to the Prudential Center in his town, has offered to settle the fight for the Nets with a simple, winner-takes-all game of hoops: Cory vs.......

Unnamed sources are telling the Jersey Star-Ledger that Bruce Ratner, principal owner of the New Jersey Nets, has secretly met with the owners of the New Jersey Devils and Newark mayor Cory Booker to discuss selling the Nets and moving them to Newark. If true, it would signal the end of Ratner’s troubled bid to relocate the Nets to downtown Brooklyn, where he is trying to build a controversial $4 billion stadium, residential, office and......

Rangers 5 Devils 3: There is justice in the hockey world. One game after inadvertently deflecting the winning goal for the Devils off of his skate, Marc Staal scored the winning goal for the Rangers. Staal’s slap shot beat Martin Brodeur through the five-hole with three minutes left in regulation of a 3-3 game and gave the MSG crowd another chance to serenade Brodeur. Staal’s goal was one of the many highlights for the Rangers,......

Above photograph of Mets manager Willie Randolph (center) with Jackie Robinson's widow Rachel (left) and daughter Sharon (right) and below photograph of Governor David Paterson throwing the ceremonial first pitch of the game by Kathy Willens/AP Mets 6 Washington 0: It was a great day and night at Shea. During the day, Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow, toured the Jackie Robinson Rotunda at Citi Field and described it as “walking into a cathedral in a......

Rangers 2 Devils 1: If you were under the impression that these teams like each other, this game should clear that misconception up. New York and New Jersey spent sixty minutes Friday hitting and scrapping and when it was all over the Rangers had a huge victory and a big advantage in the series. Jaromir Jagr got things started with an amazing shot that beat Martin Brodeur off the short-side. Sean Avery scored only 23......

Photograph of the Rangers' Ryan Callahan putting a puck pasting Devils goalie Martin Brodeur by Bill Kostroun/AP Rangers 4 Devils 1: Don’t let the score fool you, this was a close game for about 57 minutes. New York got on the board first thanks to Brendan Shanahan, but New Jersey answered with a power play goal from Paul Martin. The game remained tied until the 7:23 mark of the third period when the Devils......

Tampa 6 Yankees 3: After five games the biggest question in Yankeeland is what happened to the offense? 15 runs scored in five games is not what anyone expected from this team, but that’s where the Yankees stand thanks to some anemic hitting. It’s a collective slump with every regular not named Abreu, Rodriguez or Cabrera struggling. Some of the noteworthy failures right now are Jason Giambi is 1-for-12 (.083) Johnny Damon 2-for-18 (.111) and......

During a conference call with investors yesterday, Forest City Enterprises CEO Charles Ratner acknowledged that a window of opportunity had all but closed for the ambitious, 22-acre housing, retail and stadium project proposed for Brooklyn. But he also insisted that the delay – brought on by recession and dogged opposition from community groups – was just temporary: The economy sometimes alters the timeline, but we have demonstrated our ability to see these projects through to......

Marlins 5 Mets 4 (10 innings): Forget the final score, the biggest news was Pedro Martinez grabbing his left leg after a pitch in the fourth. Pedro later told reporters he felt a “pop” and will head for a MRI shortly. Needless to say, “pop” is not a good thing for a pitcher to feel and it seems very likely that Martinez will be heading to the DL. For how long remains to be seen,......

Phoenix 110 Nets 104: The Nets almost pulled it out in a topsy-turvy game, but the Suns proved to be too much. The Nets jumped out to a 10-point lead after one quarter, but Phoenix came back and took a one-point lead at halftime. The Nets got as close as a three-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but they simply couldn’t get over the hump. Vince Carter had 32 points in the loss.Philadelphia 4 Islanders......

Toronto 103 Knicks 95: The march to the end continued with another loss and another lack of defense. Zach Randolph didn’t play again (wink wink) but surprisingly Randoph Morris spent the night sitting on the bench. It’s clear from things like the 18-minute shoot-around the other day that Isiah simply doesn’t care anymore. And while that isn’t necessarily a surprise and may not even cost him a job in the organization, it is disappointing to......

Knicks 103, Heat 96 (OT): Jamal Crawford led the Knicks with 24 points as they defeated a Miami Heat team stocked with talent like Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal Chris Quinn, Mark Blount and Earl Barron. That the Knicks needed overtime to beat the NBA's worst team at home should be a big embarrassment. Such a dramatic win saved the Knicks their longest home losing streak ever -- it would have been eight -- and......

Photograph of the Nets' Vince Carter trying to keep the ball from the Knicks' David Lee by Seth Wenig/AP Nets 106, Knicks 91: At this points, with Knicks fans just assuming defeat, the Nets picked a good time to avoid embarrassment and finally take down their rivals. Vince Carter had 27 points and Richard Jefferson poured in 26. New Jersey has faint playoff aspirations. They probably won't make it, but at least they have......

Timberwolves 114, Knicks 93: More losses = more balls in NBA Draft Lottery. That may be the best gift Isiah Thomas can give the Knicks before this season is over (a resignation would probably be better). In a match-up featuring two of the NBA's worst teams, the Knicks managed to come away as the loser, dropping their 11th of 12 games. Shockingly, at 19-50, the Knicks haven't been eliminated from playoff contention in the Eastern......

Flyers 4 Rangers 3 (Shootout): Do you judge success by the final score or the effort it took to get there? Clearly, the final score is a disappointment, but when you consider the Rangers were trailing 2-0 with less than 10 minutes left, getting a point is somewhat of a victory. New York got back into the game with goals from Marek Malik and Nigel Dawes, but fell behind 3-2 when Daniel Briere scored at......

Two bombshell articles in the Times today may mark a turning point for Bruce Ratner’s plans to build a Nets arena at the Atlantic Yards. Now that Ratner is backpedaling from his initial plans to build 8 million square feet of office space and apartments – some of it for low-income residents – community activists are worried that Ratner will sell off the rest of the site to other developers, replacing Frank Gehry’s comprehensive design......

Photograph, above, from Triborough on Flickr; graphic, below, from the NY Times Developer Bruce Ratner has turned gloomy about his $4 billion project to turn the MTA Atlantic rail yards in downtown Brooklyn into a sports arena, office and residential complex designed by Frank Gehry. In an exclusive interview with the Times, he expressed confidence that construction on the Barclays arena would start by the end of the year. But the "centerpiece" office tower......

Rangers 2 Devils 1 (Shootout): These were two HUGE points. Thanks to a Dainius Zubrus goal in the first period, the Devils jumped out to an early lead. Both teams settled in and played smart, defensive hockey and it looked like that one goal might hold up. But, Ryan Callahan made a great move from behind the net and he threaded a pass across the crease that Chris Drury deposited into the net with under......