It is easy to go negative. It is understandable, living in a metro area with nine teams across the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, but zero championships in 13-plus years, with two of the NFL’s worst franchises, a Yankees owner who cries poor and a Mets owner who no longer seems like a savior, with an NBA team in Manhattan that always falls short and another in Brooklyn that can’t lose enough, with the Rangers erasing the notion that 1994 would “last a lifetime” and the Islanders roughly a lifetime removed from competing for a Stanley Cup.
But there is also much to appreciate. Today is as good a day as any to recognize the gifts that have been given:
One magical month
For a moment, try and forget what happened when the Knicks reached their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years. Focus on what it felt like to watch the six-game slugfest against the Pistons, capped by Jalen Brunson’s remarkable series-clinching shot. Think about the back-to-back incredible comebacks against the Celtics, which helped end their rivals’ bid for back-to-back titles. Envision what that experience could mean when the Knicks return to the playoffs as this season’s Eastern Conference favorite.
The MVP
The greatest hitter on the planet extended one of the great stretches in history this past season, when Aaron Judge added the new wrinkle of winning his first batting title (.331). He surpassed 50 home runs for the fourth time in his career to earn his third MVP award, matching legends like Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. Though the Yankees fell short again in October, Judge finally matched his stature, hitting .500 with a 1.273 OPS in seven postseason games and becoming the first player since Babe Ruth to hit at least .600 in a playoff series (ALDS) with multiple hits in each game. New Yankee Stadium may never have been louder than the moment when Judge’s breathtaking, game-tying bomb crashed into the foul pole in Game 3 against Toronto.
