Hot Stove Schmuck of the Week: Al Harrington

It looks like we’re going to have to go with an all-Schmuck edition again. The local teams went a combined 4-12-1 this week. The only positive moment happened when the Knicks honored their past with a ceremony on Monday night.

A player from each decade was chosen to represent the franchise’s history: Carl Braun (1940s), Richie Guerin (1950s), Willis Reed (1960s), Walt Frazier (1970s), Bernard King (1980s) and Patrick Ewing (1990s). The team hasn’t voted on a player for the double aughts yet because the decade hasn’t ended, but the end can’t come soon enough for the Knicks. 

Who should they pick? Jerome James? Eddy Curry? Stephon Marbury? Maybe the best representative of this hapless decade for the Knicks would be Anucha Browne-Sanders. Though these past eight years should most likely never be honored. Ever. Please. As always, there’s no prize for the Hot Stove Schmuck of the Week.

Winner

Al Harrington: Not again! Harrington hung on to the rim too long after a dunk, and was whistled for a technical, which caused overtime, which caused the Knicks to lose to the Clippers. Twice in one season! Unbelievable, almost impossible and completely unfathomable. But very schmuckable.

Runners Up

The Double-Aught Knicks: Celebrating the past only makes us take a closer look at the present. And this last decade has been the darkest era in Knicks history, with eight straight losing seasons (and seven different coaches), which means eight straight years of schmuckness. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

They finally have some semblance of competence with the leadership duo of Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni.

Martin Brodeur: The Devils goalie went from a record-setting week to letting in eight goals in his last two games. It’s most likely just a hiccup for the game’s best goalie. Maybe he knows his team is on a collision course with the Rangers in the playoffs, and is already being haunted by Sean Avery.

Oliver Perez: As if the Mets pitcher wasn’t screwed up as it is, now the WBC may have screwed him up even more. Fat, out of shape and not ready to pitch? Even though he rarely pitched while participating in the WBC, you’d think $36 million would be enough incentive to make sure he got his work in.

The Rangers: They earned a spot here just for last night’s game. They had a 4-1 lead and couldn’t hold on. It was just like old times—a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty, feeble power play, blowing a big lead in disastrous fashion. Was it Tom Renney night in Atlanta?