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Fed-up New York Knicks Fans Protest Outside MSG

Group organizers rally to vent frustrations for James Dolan and management.

Despite the addition of Phil Jackson to the New York Knicks front office, Knick fans are still fed up. Before the Knicks scored their seventh straight win beating the Indiana Pacers 92-86, about 40 protesters shouting "we want a win!" rallied outside of Madison Square Garden as part of a pre-scheduled protest led by Knicks Fans 4 Life.

"We want to remind Dolan and the NBA that our voices matter. We buy the tickets, the jerseys, the NBA League Pass subscriptions. We are frustrated. We are tired. We deserve better," Mark Griffin, one of the organizers of the protest, said in an email statement on March 6.

The protest was organized earlier this month by Knicks Fans 4 Life, a group of season-ticket holders and fans who are tired of "systemic and consistently recurring lack of responsible decision-making at Madison Square Garden by owner James Dolan and team executives." But unfortunately for Griffin and his KF4L crew, their voices weren’t heard loudly, as they competed with a drum line who got the attention of on-lookers.

While the Knicks failed to acknowledge the protest formally, they did offer season-ticket holders a pre-game happy hour scheduled for the same time as the protest. Season-ticket holders who were not outside picketing were treated to a meet and greet with alumni and vouchers for merchandise and concessions.

However, happy hour and incentives aren’t enough for KF4L, who are not mad with the players but the overall management. "Steve Mills has yet to speak to the media or fans about the state of the team since he came back. The fans deserve explanations and the media deserve to do their job in order to keep fans informed," Griffin said.

Hopefully, with Jackson on board, Griffin and his band of Knicks supporters can reach common ground.

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(Photo: AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

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