LAYDEN GETS FANS FIRED UP AT DRAFT
By STEVE SERBY
June 27, 2003 -- FI-RE LAY-DEN. FI-RE LAY-DEN.
You heard the chorus from the lynch mob before Scott Layden drafted 6-foot-8 (maybe) Mike Sweetney, and you heard them again after he drafted an undersized power forward that Most of New York mocked as power backward.
You heard it the second Layden's face surfaced overhead on the Yao Ming-sized television high atop The Theater at the Garden to try to explain himself.
FI-RE LAY-DEN. FIRE LAY-DEN.
"I think it's absolutely the worst pick they could have made," 15-year-old Justin Baldinger was saying. "They have too many undersized power forwards as it is."
In fairness, probably only LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony could have saved Layden last night. He is about as popular in this town as SARS is in Toronto, because of the $100 million contract for Allan Houston, because of the Eisleys and Andersons and Weatherspoons who have chased Spike Lee over to New Jersey. He is the pariah for the Knicks rather than the Messiah.
"We gotta fire him," Eric Sivin said. "He is absolutely terrible."
In the neighboring seat, David Brown leaned over and said: "He is totally mismanaging this team. I don't think the Knicks needed another 6-7 power forward. This must be a pick that they picked to trade. They need a big guy."
Vinny Scotto offered the defense that Layden's best options were gone. Brown wasn't buying it. "Layden's got the keys to his best friend's father's Porsche, you know what I mean?" Brown said.
Brown had been wearing a Bernard King jersey all day. He was asked why it was on his lap now. " 'cause I'm [ticked]," Brown said.
Dan Keryc started to hail Sweetney as The Next Oakley before the boo-birds, incensed at the sight of Layden on the big TV, drowned him out.
When Layden began talking about all the success the Knicks have had with Georgetown players, Vinny Accardi screamed: "That's so stupid!"
Scott Rude was in the next seat. FIRING LAYDEN. "He's a cancer for the organization," Rude said.
Sam Josephs and Shawn Natko liked Sweetney. Donny Opici liked Sweetney as well. "I think he [Layden)] saved the draft," Opici said.
FIRE LAYDEN? "It's a tough city, a tough crowd," Opici said. "Yeah he's made some shaky moves, but I think this could be a good start."
Craig Lang preferred Texas point guard T.J. Ford, but could live with Sweetney. But not Layden. "I think Layden's destroyed them," Lang said.
Michael Stevens wasn't happy. "Actually I went to Georgetown," he said. "And I'm not that happy with the pick. I think he's undersized and I heard he can only bench 185 three times."
Jiten Manglani, wearing an Allan Houston jersey, wanted a trade-up for Ford. "But that's all you can expect from Layden, 'cause he's the worst GM and they need to get rid of him as soon as possible," Manglani said.
Daniel Douek preferred Nick Collison. Chris Celletti and Eric Lemmo preferred Reece Gaines. "We don't need another 6-8 in-between power forward," Celletti said. "We need a point guard or a center."
Corey Richman, who also craved Gaines, was asked if he was a Knick fan. "Unfortunately," Richman said. Why would he say that? "They need a new GM and a new coach."
Then, without warning, the world turned upside down. Maciej Lampe, a 7-0 Polish small forward who had shockingly dropped out of the lottery, was available at No. 30. "WE WANT LAMPE; WE WANT LAMPE," sang the chorus.
They got Lampe, a player all or most of them have never seen play, of course. Nowitzki Lite.
Lampe, relieved, turned and pointed to his new fans, who were cheering wildly.
The LAY-DEN FI-RE wasn't out, but at least the building didn't burn completely down.
Then normalcy returned when, right before No. 39, Knick Nation chanted for St. John's guard Marcus Hatten, and got 7-6 Serbian project Slavko Vranes instead.
Layden's Lampe light flickered. But he should be heartened to know that there was no FIRE LAYDEN in the house now.
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