FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Beat writing is a tough business. In a dog-eat-dog world, the beat-writing profession is best described as wolf-eat-wolf, as journalists wage a daily war with each other in an effort to get the best information for their stories. The Internet has only served to make the business more competitive: If a player says something inflammatory one minute, chances are it will be posted in cyberspace a few minutes later.

The New York Observer's John Koblin recently depicted what it means to be a New York Knicks beat writer in a story titled "Life in Knicks Hell." Folks, it ain't pretty.

New York, of course, isn't your typical NBA market. While most NBA cities have one or two outlets covering the league on a regular basis, the Knicks have a contingent of journalists (Koblin counted 16 during one interview) nipping at their heels. And there is only so much information to go around.

The Knicks also aren't a typical NBA team, particularly when it comes to media relations, a fact that is at the heart of Koblin's story. In most NBA cities, writers have a friendly relationship with their PR counterparts. In New York, according to Koblin, that relationship is adversarial. Consider this excerpt from Koblin's story in which he quotes Newsday Knicks beat writer Alan Hahn:

"Some of the things they practice here are completely against what you'd expect a normal team to do," said Mr. Hahn, a second-year reporter on the beat who said that he now misses his old job as a hockey reporter covering the provincial New York Islanders. "They come up with things all the time. There's zero access to players. They would rather you don't even write."

Several New York-area writers are quoted in the story, including Daily News reporter Frank Isola, who by all accounts is at the top of the Knicks' hit list. In the story, Isola says the Knicks' press office does not return his phone calls and that he is not included on the team's regular distribution list (meaning standard press releases e-mailed to members of the media, including myself, are not sent to him). Isola further believes that the Knicks have dispatched security guards to follow him around (the Knicks deny the accusation).

Just out of curiosity, on Sunday I called NBA PR chief Tim Frank, who informed me that the Knicks' current media policy does not break any league rules. Taxation without representation didn't break any laws either, but I think the British would agree that wasn't the best way to run the colonies.

Now, I'm not a Knicks beat writer or columnist, and I've never had a professional issue with the organization. But I'm based in New York and attend probably 15-20 games a year at Madison Square Garden. In my estimation, the Knicks' PR staff is composed of good people. Jon Supranowitz, the team's vice president of public relations, is a friendly and helpful guy. Same for media relations director Nick Brown. The problem is they are employed by an insecure overlord in James Dolan, whose behavior was profiled by Sports Illustrated's S.L. Price last year and who has imposed absurd media policies like having every interview -- every interview -- taped by a staffer.

In my view, media relations officials are most effective when they can cultivate relationships with reporters. Take Supranowitz's counterpart across the river, the Nets' Gary Sussman. He and his staff are capable of having normal conversations about the NBA, his team included. Why isn't he more paranoid? The Nets are covered by all the New York papers (though the New York Times doesn't have a regular beat writer). Why aren't Nets writers referring to their beat as "miserable?"

Because it's not. Because coach Lawrence Frank is more accommodating than Isiah Thomas. Because star point guard Jason Kidd engages the media. Sure, it helps that the team has been more successful in recent seasons than the Knicks, so neither Frank nor Kidd is forced to face a daily barrage of negative questions (though Kidd has faced some personal problems recently). But the access is there. There is a looser atmosphere in the Nets' locker room. There is no atmosphere of paranoia.

Now I know what some of you are thinking: You guys are writers who get to watch basketbal for a living. Quit whining and do your job. I agree with you. But I believe that reporters can do their jobs better (and thereby serve the readers better) if the team is more accessible. It's like that everywhere else. I talk to a number of coaches, general managers and scouts on a regular basis. I would love to call Thomas to ask his opinion on an up-and-coming player. For all the negative criticism Thomas has received this year, the man is a scary-good judge of young talent. But I would prefer to do it without having the phone tapped or a PR staffer present. So I don't bother.

But I also don't believe reporters are by nature vindictive. Do you really think guys like Isola and New York Times writer Howard Beck want the Knicks to lose? I know they don't. I don't either. Earlier this season, I wrote a column about how Zach Randolph's offensive talents would be a nice fit in New York. I believed his acquisition from Portland was a good trade. Still do. But when Randolph plays defense like Dino Radja, writers are well within their right to disagree with me.

Writers are professionals too. If the Knicks were 11-5 instead of 5-11 right now, how many scribes do you think would be calling for Isiah's head? If Stephon Marbury had been the consumate professional instead of abandoning his team at the start of a road trip, would the press be out there clamoring for his suspension?

The truth is that the Knicks' problems have nothing to do with the press. And the general consensus throughout the league -- from David Stern's office on down -- is that they devote too much time to it. The focus should be on improving the locker room. The focus should be on improving the team.

The focus should not be on the press.