Being a lifelong fan of the Knickerbockers and a graduate of the college, I got very excited. One of my favorite parts of each summer is attending New York Giants camp at UAlbany. Sadly, it didn’t work out and the Knicks have continued holding camp at SUNY Purchase.

Now speculation has begun that the Knicks are looking into calling Skidmore College home for the week-long camp that begins Oct. 1 this fall. Officials from the Knicks recently toured the campus and are very fond of the facilities. It’s not really a surprise as Skidmore is one of the city’s most cherished gems. My girlfriend moved here all the way from Utah because she loved the school so much on her initial visit. My fingers are crossed that a deal gets done between the Knicks and Skidmore in the next few weeks.

You may be wondering why I am so anxious to see these Knicks up close considering how terrible the franchise has been in recent years. Not only has the entire organization been the laughingstock of the National Basketball Association, it can be argued the Knicks are the biggest joke in all of sports. Mismanaged from the top down, New York has yet to win a playoff series this century. Why will anything be different this year?

I believe there are two answers to this question - new general manager Donnie Walsh and new head coach Mike D’Antoni. I definitely don’t think they can clean this mess up overnight, but   I’m confident they can begin the process. Wouldn’t it be great to see it start in our own backyard?

No pun intended, but it seems like a slam dunk for the Knicks to do it as this beautiful area has a ton to offer.

It would also be great for the local sports scene as the horses of summer will be long gone. The camp will get plenty of national attention - for better or worse - because it is the Knicks.

No professional team has broken my heart more often over the years than the Knickerbockers. I still cringe when thinking about how close they got to winning a championship during the 1990s with Patrick Ewing and Pat Riley. If it wasn’t Michael Jordan doing them in, it was Hakeem Olajuwon or Reggie Miller. The  Yankees, Giants and even New York Rangers have all won titles during my lifetime as I still wait for the Knicks to hang a championship banner from the rafters at Madison Square Garden. Maybe coming to Saratoga Springs will bring them the muchneeded karma.