The Most Politically Incorrect Move By A Sports Owner, Ever

As a long-suffering New York Knicks fan, I have not been particularly impressed with the executive decision making ability of Knicks owner James Dolan.

Knicks owner James Dolan

But I give his latest move five stars out of a possible four, for sheer entertainment value and a willingness to stick it to political correctness.

In January 2006, while Isiah Thomas was president of the Knicks, he was sued, along with the Knicks (Technically, the suit was against Thomas and Madison Square Garden), for sexual harassment. Thomas and the Knicks lost in court and it cost the Knicks $11.6 million. In 2008, Thomas, who I have long considered a snake, was fired.

So what is Dolan's latest genius move?  He has made "sexual harasser" Thomas president of the New York Liberty, the women's basketball team owned by Dolan.

Sexual harasser  Isiah Thomas now in charge of a women's basketball team.

The New York tabloids are going crazy at this politically incorrect move. From NyPo:

The absurdity of it, the lunacy, the beyond-surreal nature that Jim Dolan would actually invite Isiah Thomas to run the Liberty, which is Madison Square Garden’s WNBA entrant, eight years after Dolan was forced to fork over $11.6 million when a Manhattan jury found Thomas had sexually harassed a prominent female executive....

Who would believe it?

Well, unless you’ve watched Dolan’s work as the Garden’s chairman the past decade and a half, in which case you not only believe in the ridiculous, you also learn to set your watch by it. And so it is: Isiah Thomas has been hired to be president of the Liberty...

Of course, Dolan never accepted [the sexual harassment] judgment, because he’s spent a lifetime always getting his way — and railing when he doesn’t. On the day the verdict was announced, the Garden’s tough-guy statement went like this: “We believe that the jury’s decision was incorrect and plan to vigorously appeal the verdict. We look forward to presenting our arguments to an appeals court and believe they will agree that no sexual harassment took place and that Madison Square Garden acted properly.”

Two months later, a final settlement resulted in a shaving of $100,000 off the final total. Quite a vigorous appeal....

 For eight years, Dolan and Thomas have spit on the rulings of the Federal District Court. Now they turn their salivary aim to the Liberty — and to their fans.

If you expect them to start caring if you’re outraged, here’s something to ask yourself: Why would either of them possibly start now?

 -RW