As Gothamist is working with the New York Knicks again for their second Singles Night (which is this Sunday, April 17 at 6:30), we got the chance to wander around Madison Square Garden before the game and revel in the energy. Here are some of our pictures.
A red carpet leads from the court to the Knicks' locker room. We saw John Starks, the beloved Knick and new Alumni Relations and Fan Development Advisor, but he went into another room. And since we ruled out chasing him and yelling, "See I've got heart like John Starks/ Hitting mad sparks!" Gothamist decided to poke around elsewhere.
So we decided to hit the laundry room. It's your basic laundry room set up, except all this room sees are loads and loads of towels. Gothamist was thinking of getting in the huge towel cart and going for a joyride, but we thought better of it after considering how those towels are used.
We passed by a medical gurney that had this bag of cervical collars on it. It sits there prominently, like a reminder to not get hurt this game. Gothamist suppressed the urge to put one on.
One thing Gothamist noticed was a barnlike smell: kind of ripe, kind of haylike in some parts. Yes, the Ringling Bros. Circus was still in town.
We asked someone if the circus animals, who are in an adjoining holding area when not performing, get weirded out by all the noise = the music, buzzers and screaming fans from Knicks game. He said, "Well, they're used to it - they're in the circus." Oh, right!
The Chicago Bulls, the Knicks' opponent last Friday night, huddled before going onto court for warmups. Interestingly, the Knicks didn't huddle before they went out; they just went out and warmed up, probably because it's their home turf.
Early fans lined up waiting for players to come by so they can scream excitedly. Their parents sit patiently, holding their coats.
Kurt Thomas hung out with some fans during the shoot around...
...while other fans just excitedly watched the players warm up.
And older fans made sure to deal with important matters, like food. Gothamist thought the couple in the above picture was cute for having a date night - complete with single rose (nice work, fella).
And celebrity fans were in full force: Lindsay Lohan (photo, left; plus this one) showed up with some friends, and there was also former Knick Charles Oakley and super fan Spike Lee (who was there with Dave Chappelle on April 1).
Knicks Public Address Announcer Mike Walczewski is pretty awesome. He jumps, wiggles and gesticulates as he reads certain words or announcements.
There's usually pregame and halftime entertainment during games, and many local organizations come in to perform. High school dance team, neighborhood tumblers... during this game, there was a drumming troop, "Drums of Thunder," which consisted of probably over thirty boys, an equal number of drums, an enthusiastic conductor/coach, and a million watts of energy. The crowd was on its feet and people were just so into it, cheering away. Gothamist can only imagine how great it must be to be, what, ten years old and pounding away at drums in Madison Square Garden.
The teams get announced, and after boos for the visiting team, the Garden goes dark...lights flash...music starts to swell...and the starting line-up for the Knicks is announced.
And then it's time to play.
The Knicks play the Toronto Raptors tonight. Gothamist is a promotional partner with the New York Knicks for this Sunday's Singles Night promotion. Meet some people, see the Knicks play the Atlanta Hawks, and then hang out afterward. More info here.
