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Houston Rockets v New York Knicks

The Knicks are having a tough year. Last night, the Rockets gave the team their 14th straight loss in a more than 20-point victory, and fans in attendance have begun wearing paper bags over their heads out of embarrassment.

To add insult to injury, ESPN has announced that it will cut back on how many Knicks games it airs given that a perpetually-losing team is a bit of a ratings-drain.

“The Knicks come with a built-in advantage—the additional media exposure that comes with playing in the nation’s largest television market,” Lee Berke, a consultant explained of the decision. “But when you’ve lost 13 straight and your record is 5-33, it doesn’t matter where your team is located. You’re no longer a national ratings draw.” (Note as of last night’s loss, the Knicks have extended their single-season-franchise loss-streak record to 14.)

Specifically, ESPN opted to “flex out” of Knicks games against San Antonio and Dallas in December, and the network has also chosen not to broadcast three other Knicks matchups over the next couple of months. Ultimately, after showing a total of only two Knicks games this season, ESPN decided to flex out of every single possible game they could, and that leaves only one ESPN appearance for the Knicks for the rest of the season.

Here’s a fitting Spike Lee reaction for the current and ongoing state of the team:

ESPN Cuts Back On Broadcasting Knicks Games  was originally published on theurbandaily.com