James Dolan: "The Guarantee" and his 'Foot in Mouth' syndrome

Over the years professional sports owners have uttered some bizarre words. Some would say, bordering on asinine. Add James Dolan to the litany of those bosses who, quite frankly, don't know when to zip it.

A disappointed James Dolan during a recent Knicks loss

Mired in an early season funk, losing four of their first six games, the New York Knicks have been a disappointment thus far. Their MVP Carmelo Anthony has had a slow start, defensive anchor Tyson Chandler is out four to six weeks with a foot injury, and head coach Mike Woodson has felt the heat from fans and New York media.

And just when it didn't seem like things could get any worse; they did on Sunday afternoon. New York was obliterated by the San Antonio Spurs, losing 120-89 in front of a frustrated home crowd and an even more perturbed Dolan. Before the start of the 2013/14 season, the Knicks owner put lofty expectations on his team by stating he expected them to win a championship. When the team didn't respond in the first few games, Dolan went on a tirade, allegedly scolding General Manager Steve Mills and ordering the Knicks City Dancers to limit their in game routines.

Now comes the latest episode.

After the loss to San Antonio, Dolan guaranteed a Knicks win over the Atlanta Hawks in their Wednesday night tilt in Philips Arena.

We’re going to win the next game. That’s a guarantee.’’ - James Dolan

Yes. It has come to this for the CEO of Madison Square Garden. He's guaranteeing wins in November. One would understand if the guarantee was made in a do-or-die Game 7 or even in a matchup with a premier team such as the Spurs. To bloviate in this manner about a game against the traditionally mediocre Atlanta Hawks screams desperation.

It's no secret that the arrival of the Brooklyn Nets to the New York metropolitan area has flustered Dolan. The Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has assembled a squad that desires nothing less than a championship. This season alone he is spending an inordinate amount in luxury tax dollars, unconcerned about the new ramifications from the NBA's recent collective bargaining agreement. On the flip side, the Knicks are struggling early with a team that is somewhat handicapped financially due to the cap-killing contracts of Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire . For years the Knicks have had NYC all to themselves and they want to stay at the top of the discussion when it comes to NBA Basketball in the city -- But Brooklyn is coming.

The pressure is undoubtedly being felt in Manhattan as the watchful eye of Dolan is squarely on this team, particularly Melo and Woodson. Carmelo Anthony has made no bones about wanting the test the free agent waters in the summer of 2014. He's told Knicks brass that he wants to return to the Big Apple, but only under the conditions of them building a championship contender around him.
Woodson has drawn criticism early for his lack of in-game adjustments and defensive strategy which is mostly predicated on switching assignments on pick and roll situations. Wednesday's game will be important for Woody as he returns to Atlanta, where his head coaching days began. In some ways he believes he was underappreciated for his time with the Hawks as he led them from ping pong purgatory to playoff prominence. He will be motivated to turn the Knicks fortunes around by beating his former squad and averting more talks of a dismissal.

However, the "guarantee game" on Wednesday night won't be walk in the park for the Knicks. The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the most efficient offenses in the league through the first two weeks of the season. They have scored at least 102 points in each of their first seven games and lead the league in assists per game at 28. Al Horford and Jeff Teague have elevated their level of play under new coach Mike Budenholzer. Free agent addition Paul Millsap has proven to be a solid replacement for Josh Smith. The Hawks will look to take advantage of the absence of Chandler in the middle and with their quickness in the backcourt with Teague and Dennis Schröder against the more pedestrian Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni.

All of these elements combined with the unpredictability of Dolan could be a recipe for disaster or a rallying point. The Knicks are at a crossroads. The Hawks look to be trending upward. This should make for an exciting watch Wednesday night on ESPN.

"Get ya popcorn ready!"