Instant Gratification, Egg & Cheese, and Carmelo Anthony (Pt. 2)

     It's no exaggeration to say that New York City is a town of many nicknames: the Big Apple, the city that never sleeps, the capital of the world, the city of lights (okay, that's Paris, but I think it applies here too).  But I'd like to give NYC a new moniker of my own: The City of Instant Gratification.  Think about it: you can order any kind of takeout you want, in just about any neighborhood, and have it arrive in less than 30 minutes without changing out of your pajamas.  We have 24-hour delis at our disposal, within walking distance in most neighborhoods.  We are allergic to waiting, which is apparent any time we go anywhere outside our  five boroughs and can't understand why a damn egg and cheese sandwich takes longer than 45 seconds to prepare.  The same is true of our beloved sports teams, with whom we have a relationship not unlike that of an old married couple: we expect the world of them, get angry at them for doing stupid things, but in the end we know we can always count on them for comfort.  The problem is that our instant-gratification sentiment also applies to our sports.  We want to win, and we want to win this year, next year, and the year after that.  And God help the players, manager, coaches, trainers, or GM who didn't help that happen.  Case in point: the Knicks' acquisition of Carmelo Anthony last night.
     For those of you who may have spent last night on the moon, the Knicks traded four of their core players last night--Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, Raymond Felton, and Danilo Gallinari--to the Nuggets for Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, and three others.  I have mixed feelings on the situation.  Originally, when the trade talks first started, I was totally against it.  I'm a Yankee fan, and as such, I am used to seeing blockbuster deals with already-beens fizzle out in major disappointment (go to the dictionary and look up Kevin Brown).  True, Anthony is anything but an already-been; he's in his prime and his numbers for this season, this month in particular, are top-notch.  But in the back of my mind there's always the question of "does he have the Can't Play in New York syndrome?"  Plus, I was getting used to the chemistry of the core players, and even though they certainly weren't guaranteed a win every time, Knicks basketball was actually fun to watch for a change.  This was the team Dave and I had dubbed the "New York Stinks" just last year, as a play on words (yeah I know, real creative, especially for a writer).   So we'd most likely clinch a playoff berth this year, with no chance in hell of beating Miami or Boston, but so what?  It would still be a considerable improvement over last year. 
     Considerable improvement?  Gradual change?  Instant gratification does not subscribe to these notions.  And as much as I enjoyed studying Wilson Chandler's tattoos while he played, I am starting to agree with the Knicks' decision.  They had a shot to get one of the top three players in the league, and they went for it.  You can't blame them for that.  And when you break down the logistics, it really does make sense.  Gallinari has been spotty all season, and Chandler most likely wouldn't have been on the team next year anyway.  Chauncey Billups is a solid veteran. You get to keep Landry Fields, and even dump dead weight Eddie Curry to the Timberwolves in the process.  Call me crazy, but I'm starting to get (a little) excited.  As Boomer Esiason said on his show this morning, say what you will about the trade, but this is good news for the Knicks.  And good news about our sports teams makes New Yorkers excited. 
     Just don't screw us.  Because then there'll be hell to pay.