I’m basically a Super Bowl-only fan at this point in my life, and I often find myself switching who I think I’m rooting for midway through the first quarter.
Fandom is a weird thing. Someone should look into that more.
While the Red Sox' season is not looking great, I've become a big fan of Payton Tolle based on some clips I've seen of him lately on social media, including one that has him telling the story of eating a 72-oz steak (with all the fixin's). With his build and mustache and steak-eating prowess, his nickname should be "Nick Offerman's Large Adult Son." https://www.instagram.com/p/DZYO195D_so/?img_index=2
As someone who is a Spurs writer, I can tell you that no one -- not a single, solitary soul, can explain why Fox did that. He's even explained his thought process, and we still don't understand/believe what we're hearing.
I think a lot of it has to do with something the Spurs have done throughout the entire series, and that's how they've all, at one time or another, underestimated just how freakishly athletic OG Anunoby is. (I can also tell you that Spurs fans badly wanted him in the Kawhi Leonard trade with the Raptors)
It's a tough look for Fox, who a portion of the fanbase inexplicably decided they disliked the moment he arrived (and especially after his max contract extension) even though he's the only NBA star since LaMarcus Aldridge to specifically pick the Spurs as a destination, and who I've defended for most of the last season-and-a-half.
Unless he explodes to the degree of saving the series for San Antonio (unlikely, due to the high-ankle sprain he's dealing with), this pretty much cemented a bad taste in the fan-base's mouths, and he'll be known for arguably the single-most boneheaded play in franchise history.
That might not be a big deal for some fan-bases, but these are the San Antonio Spurs, a franchise famous (both inside and out) for not beating themselves.
There are a not-small cohort of fans who still dislike Tony Parker even though he helped win four titles, won a Finals MVP against your Cavs, and is probably responsible for Wemby's Spurs fandom (there's a picture floating around on the interwebs of Wemby in a Parker jersey as a child).
Anyway, that's probably it for any remaining honeymoon/warm sentiment many Spurs fans have for Fox. I really feel for the guy, honestly.
Also, even as someone who has family in New York, and a soft sport for the Knicks, I cannot conceive of rooting for the team that just humiliated my team in the conference finals. You're a better man than I, Joe.
The Rulon Gardner story is amazing. The way Joe tells that in the book is perfect. I could see his head exploding - the cows, mom, dad… it was all too much.
Thank you thank you thank you for your D’Aaron Fox comment. My husband is out of town, and he called me this morning apoplectic that the commentators said NOTHING about that play. He reads your column faithfully, so he may be able to make it through the day now.
Given all the MLB games ever played, I was surprised that no other team had its first three batters strike out in each of their first three PAs. To confirm, I did a quick search through Retrosheet and found 11 times where those 9 PAs yielded 8 Ks (the most recent victim was the Braves just last year on April 16, 2025, in Toronto), but indeed no one has had 9 Ks in those 9 PAs. The Red Sox previously never had more than 7 Ks for their top three batters' first three PAs. There's always something new in baseball.
This morning my mother, who will be 89 in a week and who has never in her life watched an NBA game, texted me at 7 this morning, "GO KNICKS!" That is the fervor here.
Me, I'm barely a basketball fan myself (too many other teams), but I'm outraged that I can't get a Stevie Knicks shirt by Saturday. Guess it'll have to be for Father's Day. That Haim sister is brilliant. What a great idea. Also very strong recommend on the song "Try to Feel My Pain."
Unless you absolutely hate a team, I think the default sense - if you don’t have a dog in the fight- is to root for the team whose fan base has suffered the longest. So, the Knicks get my bandwagon support here.
Not only that, it is such a great story. No one expected this from a #3 seed in what was considered the weaker conference. Even after their historic playoff run, most people expected them to turn into pumpkins in the final,(Spurs -205, Knicks still +155) but they just kept going.
Then, after they finally dropped a game and were losing at home again, they had last night's comeback.
Between the underdog aspect (Most of us like underdogs. In the NCAA tournament, if I don't have a rooting interest, I root for the team in the dark uniforms, as the higher seed wears white) the long drought, and the witnessing of some post season greatness, I don't see how anyone without a rooting interest in the Spurs isn't on the bandwagon at this point.
Pope Leo is a fan of the White Sox (and has been for some time).
The White Sox are in FIRST PLACE in the AL Central.
If the Pale Hose make it all the way to the World Series, will they at least *invite* His Holiness to throw out the ceremonial first pitch in a game in Chicago?
I happened to turn on the Knicks - Spurs game right around the time when their 29 point lead started disappearing. I like basketball but have never had a real NBA rooting interest and it’s been years since I watched very much. So I don’t much care who wins the series and I don’t pretend to be knowledgeable about the players or the way the game is played now.
Having said that, it seemed to me that what I was seeing was much more about the Spurs disintegrating and the Knicks taking advantage of it. The Knicks certainly were the better team in the second half, though in some ways just by being competent at basic basketball. I know the game is much more about shooting threes and all but some of what I was seeing was dumbfounding strategically on top of the poor execution.
My main takeaway though was just how unpleasant it was for me as a fan in general to watch the self-destruction. I can totally understand enjoying it if you’re a Knicks fan or someone who dislikes the Spurs, but as someone who is neither of those it was kind of painful to watch. Maybe that’s just me, but it reminded me a bit of the end of the Phillies / Dodgers series last year and how I felt watching the Phillies reliever botch the comebacker that ended it.
When you see celebrities at a game in NYC or LA, there's a pretty good chance that they ARE actually fans of the local team - ESPECIALLY if they really do live in the area. It's not like FOX flying out celebs to a game in Houston so they can show them on camera and promote their movie or TV show (which very conveniently airs on FOX)..... Jerry Seinfeld does exist outside of comedy; he can be a fan just like the rest of us.
I don't think it was necessarily a horrible decision to go to the hoop rather than try to dribble out the clock with as much time was left. He likely gets fouled in 3 or 4 seconds and the Knicks would have plenty of time to get the tying or go ahead basket. It wasn't like there were less than 5 seconds left, there were 13. But go to the hoop strong. He should have dunked the ball. Or went under the basket for the reverse layup. His choice of shot was the mistake. That was the only way he was getting blocked.
If Fox makes the layup, the Spurs are up three with 13 seconds left, and the Knicks have the ball.
If Fox dribbles some time off and then gets fouled and makes both free throws, the Spurs are up three with, say, eight seconds left and the Knicks have the ball.
I guess I need someone to explain to me why this is so universally considered such a boneheaded decision. The difference in those two scenarios doesn’t seem to justify it.
And yes, there are a few variables, like offensive rebounds after free throws, missed free throws and, obviously, getting a layup blocked. But this isn’t really about the variables, since his decision to even TRY the layup is what he’s getting ripped for.
I think he could have potentially worked the clock down to under 5 seconds before a foul came by the time he dribbled to the corner and then passed to a teammate near halfcourt (ideally Castle who has no fear apparently). Even if he score the layup it leaves too much time for the Knicks with a timeout or was it still 2 at that time?
Colbert... lol
I’m basically a Super Bowl-only fan at this point in my life, and I often find myself switching who I think I’m rooting for midway through the first quarter.
Fandom is a weird thing. Someone should look into that more.
Joe, who makes the jacket or shacket you have on? Love it!
While the Red Sox' season is not looking great, I've become a big fan of Payton Tolle based on some clips I've seen of him lately on social media, including one that has him telling the story of eating a 72-oz steak (with all the fixin's). With his build and mustache and steak-eating prowess, his nickname should be "Nick Offerman's Large Adult Son." https://www.instagram.com/p/DZYO195D_so/?img_index=2
As someone who is a Spurs writer, I can tell you that no one -- not a single, solitary soul, can explain why Fox did that. He's even explained his thought process, and we still don't understand/believe what we're hearing.
I think a lot of it has to do with something the Spurs have done throughout the entire series, and that's how they've all, at one time or another, underestimated just how freakishly athletic OG Anunoby is. (I can also tell you that Spurs fans badly wanted him in the Kawhi Leonard trade with the Raptors)
It's a tough look for Fox, who a portion of the fanbase inexplicably decided they disliked the moment he arrived (and especially after his max contract extension) even though he's the only NBA star since LaMarcus Aldridge to specifically pick the Spurs as a destination, and who I've defended for most of the last season-and-a-half.
Unless he explodes to the degree of saving the series for San Antonio (unlikely, due to the high-ankle sprain he's dealing with), this pretty much cemented a bad taste in the fan-base's mouths, and he'll be known for arguably the single-most boneheaded play in franchise history.
That might not be a big deal for some fan-bases, but these are the San Antonio Spurs, a franchise famous (both inside and out) for not beating themselves.
There are a not-small cohort of fans who still dislike Tony Parker even though he helped win four titles, won a Finals MVP against your Cavs, and is probably responsible for Wemby's Spurs fandom (there's a picture floating around on the interwebs of Wemby in a Parker jersey as a child).
Anyway, that's probably it for any remaining honeymoon/warm sentiment many Spurs fans have for Fox. I really feel for the guy, honestly.
Also, even as someone who has family in New York, and a soft sport for the Knicks, I cannot conceive of rooting for the team that just humiliated my team in the conference finals. You're a better man than I, Joe.
If Seth is a reader, I would like him to know that I think his show is the best on late night.
You guys were great with Seth! He was great, too. I was oddly proud of you.
The Rulon Gardner story is amazing. The way Joe tells that in the book is perfect. I could see his head exploding - the cows, mom, dad… it was all too much.
Thank you thank you thank you for your D’Aaron Fox comment. My husband is out of town, and he called me this morning apoplectic that the commentators said NOTHING about that play. He reads your column faithfully, so he may be able to make it through the day now.
Given all the MLB games ever played, I was surprised that no other team had its first three batters strike out in each of their first three PAs. To confirm, I did a quick search through Retrosheet and found 11 times where those 9 PAs yielded 8 Ks (the most recent victim was the Braves just last year on April 16, 2025, in Toronto), but indeed no one has had 9 Ks in those 9 PAs. The Red Sox previously never had more than 7 Ks for their top three batters' first three PAs. There's always something new in baseball.
This morning my mother, who will be 89 in a week and who has never in her life watched an NBA game, texted me at 7 this morning, "GO KNICKS!" That is the fervor here.
Me, I'm barely a basketball fan myself (too many other teams), but I'm outraged that I can't get a Stevie Knicks shirt by Saturday. Guess it'll have to be for Father's Day. That Haim sister is brilliant. What a great idea. Also very strong recommend on the song "Try to Feel My Pain."
Unless you absolutely hate a team, I think the default sense - if you don’t have a dog in the fight- is to root for the team whose fan base has suffered the longest. So, the Knicks get my bandwagon support here.
Not only that, it is such a great story. No one expected this from a #3 seed in what was considered the weaker conference. Even after their historic playoff run, most people expected them to turn into pumpkins in the final,(Spurs -205, Knicks still +155) but they just kept going.
Then, after they finally dropped a game and were losing at home again, they had last night's comeback.
Between the underdog aspect (Most of us like underdogs. In the NCAA tournament, if I don't have a rooting interest, I root for the team in the dark uniforms, as the higher seed wears white) the long drought, and the witnessing of some post season greatness, I don't see how anyone without a rooting interest in the Spurs isn't on the bandwagon at this point.
Speaking of celebrity fans.....
Pope Leo is a fan of the White Sox (and has been for some time).
The White Sox are in FIRST PLACE in the AL Central.
If the Pale Hose make it all the way to the World Series, will they at least *invite* His Holiness to throw out the ceremonial first pitch in a game in Chicago?
At a minimum, I would expect that he'd have better seats than he had at the 2005 WS!
https://chicago.suntimes.com/religion/2025/05/08/pope-leo-xiv-robert-prevost-st-rita-high-school-chicago
I happened to turn on the Knicks - Spurs game right around the time when their 29 point lead started disappearing. I like basketball but have never had a real NBA rooting interest and it’s been years since I watched very much. So I don’t much care who wins the series and I don’t pretend to be knowledgeable about the players or the way the game is played now.
Having said that, it seemed to me that what I was seeing was much more about the Spurs disintegrating and the Knicks taking advantage of it. The Knicks certainly were the better team in the second half, though in some ways just by being competent at basic basketball. I know the game is much more about shooting threes and all but some of what I was seeing was dumbfounding strategically on top of the poor execution.
My main takeaway though was just how unpleasant it was for me as a fan in general to watch the self-destruction. I can totally understand enjoying it if you’re a Knicks fan or someone who dislikes the Spurs, but as someone who is neither of those it was kind of painful to watch. Maybe that’s just me, but it reminded me a bit of the end of the Phillies / Dodgers series last year and how I felt watching the Phillies reliever botch the comebacker that ended it.
When you see celebrities at a game in NYC or LA, there's a pretty good chance that they ARE actually fans of the local team - ESPECIALLY if they really do live in the area. It's not like FOX flying out celebs to a game in Houston so they can show them on camera and promote their movie or TV show (which very conveniently airs on FOX)..... Jerry Seinfeld does exist outside of comedy; he can be a fan just like the rest of us.
I don't think it was necessarily a horrible decision to go to the hoop rather than try to dribble out the clock with as much time was left. He likely gets fouled in 3 or 4 seconds and the Knicks would have plenty of time to get the tying or go ahead basket. It wasn't like there were less than 5 seconds left, there were 13. But go to the hoop strong. He should have dunked the ball. Or went under the basket for the reverse layup. His choice of shot was the mistake. That was the only way he was getting blocked.
If Fox makes the layup, the Spurs are up three with 13 seconds left, and the Knicks have the ball.
If Fox dribbles some time off and then gets fouled and makes both free throws, the Spurs are up three with, say, eight seconds left and the Knicks have the ball.
I guess I need someone to explain to me why this is so universally considered such a boneheaded decision. The difference in those two scenarios doesn’t seem to justify it.
And yes, there are a few variables, like offensive rebounds after free throws, missed free throws and, obviously, getting a layup blocked. But this isn’t really about the variables, since his decision to even TRY the layup is what he’s getting ripped for.
Can someone help me out on this?
I think he could have potentially worked the clock down to under 5 seconds before a foul came by the time he dribbled to the corner and then passed to a teammate near halfcourt (ideally Castle who has no fear apparently). Even if he score the layup it leaves too much time for the Knicks with a timeout or was it still 2 at that time?
I'm not a pro basketball player but my first thought when went to the basket was "Why the he** isn't he dribbling out the clock?"