It’s a tough situation for fans.
Loyal Knicks supporters on Long Island were excited to catch the NBA Eastern Conference Finals this week, but a strike by the Long Island Railroad has left many unable to attend, either staying home or facing steep prices.
“A night would run me about $1,500,” shared Julie Moss-Silver, a superfan from Huntington. She mentioned that getting a car service to Madison Square Garden cost her $350 just to make it to the game.
“That’s a serious issue,” she remarked. “I really hope the Knicks are on the radar during negotiations and that there’s some consideration for fans.”
The Knicks are set to face the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Garden, an important step as they chase their first championship in 53 years.
Interestingly, the Knicks last won the Eastern Conference title back in 1994, the same year the LIRR also went on strike—a detail that didn’t go unnoticed online. Sadly, New York lost in a seven-game final to the Rockets that year.
This time around, the strike has kept many fans from making it to the game.
Jordan Phillips, a 17-year-old from Bay Shore, expressed his frustration: “We really need to get this sorted out before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.”
Meanwhile, for Pat Fazio, a former NYPD officer and a dedicated Knicks fan from Commack, it just isn’t worth it. He lamented, “I’d love to go, but it’s too much hassle. Even if I had a front-row seat, I wouldn’t go.”
With the railroad closed, Fazio considered driving to the venue, which would mean leaving at 3:30 p.m. for an 8 p.m. game, not to mention the challenge of finding parking in Manhattan.
Public transport would involve a cumbersome journey that could take three hours with a stop in Queens, likely winding up home after 1 a.m.
“I just said, ‘No thanks.’ Watching it on TV seems much better,” he concluded.
