Spike Lee as the “Knicks’ Biggest Fan”

Dedicated Fan is More Like It

As a devoted New York Knicks fan, I watch absolutely every game I can. No matter where I am, if there is a chance I can catch some of the game, I will catch some of the game. A great example happened just last week, when the Knicks were playing their 2009-2010 season finale against the Toronto Raptors. Unfortunately, I had a softball game the the same time as the game, so what did I do? I brought my computer and watched between innings. Like I said, any way possible. And since I watch so many games I know how often the following happens and how angry it makes me. I can say that not a whole lot gets my blood boiling more than when Spike Lee is referred to as the New York Knicks’ biggest fan, or some form of that title is used. Over and over again I have
 seen in-game interviews with Spike Lee being called this and over and over again is makes me mad.

Money ≠ Ferver

The reason I get so mad when that title is given to Spike Lee is because what makes him the Knicks’ biggest fan? I’ll tell you why people call him that, it’s because he has money. Just because Spike Lee can afford court side season tickets to the Knicks does not make him their biggest fan. Is he a dedicated fan? Absolutely. I don’t want to give the impression that Spike isn’t a Knicks fan because he definitely is. He has renewed his season tickets year after year even though they have not been playing well at all over the past decade. But to call him their greatest fan is sickening. I can guarantee you that if you ask any dedicated Knicks fan “If you could buy anything in the world, what would it be?” More times than not you’ll hear Knicks season tickets (Just make sure you ask true Knick fans, not fair weather fans). Bottom line, just because Spike can afford season tickets to the Knicks and is famous enough to be interviewed during games DOES NOT make him the Knicks’ biggest fan.

It Doesn’t End with Spike

I am picking on Spike Lee because, as a Knicks’ fan, it is very personal. But this problem certainly does not stop at Spike nor in New York. On the opposite side of the country, the same title is used for Jack Nicholson often because he has season tickets, court side to the Lakers. Basketball isn’t just where the problem occurs, however. I was watching an interview with Jennifer Garner on one of the late night shows, I forget which one, and the host mentioned her husband, Ben Affleck and how big of a Boston Red Sox fan he is, and then... he dropped the bomb and said Affleck was the biggest fan of the Boston Red Sox. Why? Because he is famous enough that everyone knows he is a Red Sox fan? I am sure if you ask true Laker fans or Red Sox fans, they will agree with me because it isn’t fair to us die-hard fans when a celebrity is granted “greatest fan” just because they are famous and rich.