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" It&amp;#039;s enough that Carmelo Anthony has to worry about single-handedly carrying the Knicks to the playoffs this season, much less about assholes like Kevin Garnett saying his wife tastes like breakfast cereal. But things got a little dark and a little creepy Friday night when Knicks owner James Dolan, the man who signs Carmelo&amp;#039;s checks, directed two employees to surreptitiously record all the thoughts and feelings spouting out of Anthony during a game against the Bulls, put it on a tape, and bring it to Dolan.  No one knows why the order came down, and fewer people want to know what Dolan, a lifetime creep, plans to do with the tape. We assume it&amp;#039;s related to to Anthony being a target of trash-talkers after admitting he was distracted following a run-in with Garnett, but Dolan could just as well be having it professionally edited so it sounds like Anthony is reading him a story. The most likely possibility is, of course, that he&amp;#039;s protecting Anthony; that Dolan wants to have a record of how his star is treated so that, despite the already-served suspension, Dolan can show commissioner David Stern how Anthony is often provoked, which would be news to nearly no one, save the owner. But in a league that protects its stars, and that has recently jumped the shark in regards to over-sensitivity, this outcome might be worst of all. Madison Square Garden used to be a tough place to play. Brawls broke out and boos rained down and players were often suspended. It was where Reggie Miller gave Spike Lee the choke sign, and where Latrell Sprewell signed after he literally choked his own coach. A game at MSG between the Heat and Knicks used to excite fans because someone would probably get tossed, literally, or at least punched at some point during the game. Even coach Jeff Van Gundy needed upwards of fifteen stitches after riding Alonzo Mourning&amp;#039;s leg around the court during a fight. But after one too many scuffles, and after players began to own the label of thug with honor, Stern sought to clean up his league. You had to wear jackets and ties, and no more fighting, and don&amp;#039;t slouch. Then you couldn&amp;#039;t yell at referees, or complain, or, in the case of Stephen Jackson, clap sarcastically without being ejected. And every time the bar shifted, the players adjusted, albeit with a grimace, to the point where the NBA has been effectively neutered. The few holdouts, previously thought of as competitors, are now simply labeled &amp;quot;insane.&amp;quot; And so, perhaps Dolan is unwittingly on the verge of eliminating trash-talk from the NBA, and with it, effectively draining the last ounces of competitive fuel that the game thrives on out its nearly empty tank. And eventually the NBA will just become a quiet free-throw contest, all because Garnett likes breakfast cereal a little too much. Follow The Culture Blog on RSS and on Twitter at @ESQCulture. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.esquire.com/sports/a18020/james-dolan-tapes-carmelo-anthony-14977915/?click=news>