Hour 4: Craig and Gallo Clash Over Knicks NBA Cup Banner

Craig Carton (0:08)

Carton Show Big Mac. There are some people questioning if that story out of Tennessee is accurate or not, so do you want to be clear about it?

Renato (0:16)

Yeah, I'm not surprised.

Craig Carton (0:17)

So there's people saying it is true, there's people saying it's not true. I only brought it up because it did reference the guy that's covered the Titans for almost 30 years.

Chris McMonigle (0:26)

He did report an incident.

Craig Carton (0:28)

Yeah, so if it's not true, it's not true.

But that's what's out there online. You got to be careful, me included. With stuff online, the only reason we brought a photo is because it was attached to a guy that does cover the Titans. So it wasn't like a ball sack sports kind of thing. So I thought because that guy's handle was connected to the story, okay to tell the story. And again, we didn't say anything improper or wrong.

Chris McMonigle (0:52)

No.

Craig Carton (0:53)

But we will try to confirm that as soon as we can, because it's not fair to those guys if they're put on blasts like that.

Chris McMonigle (0:59)

Yeah.

Craig Carton (1:00)

Now, if they got cut for something else, they got cut for something else.

Chris McMonigle (1:03)

No, it is an incident and they were cut immediately. Something tells me, you will find out.

Craig Carton (1:10)

Let me ask you a question. I just want to get back to the fact that the Knicks, without any ceremony, have put up the NBA Emirates Cup banner. It doesn't say Emirates Cup on just the NBA Cup banner, okay? Or Cup Championship, whatever it is.

You and I would agree, I believe, that if the Knicks didn't win the real championship, they would not have hung the banner acknowledging the Cup Championship. Is that a fair assessment?

Chris McMonigle (1:38)

Yeah, the owner told us as much. Right, that he was not going to hang it. He was only interested in one banner.

Craig Carton (1:43)

So if we agree we're all just interested in the only banner that matters, and that is the championship banner, why hang it? Unless it was mandated by the league, and you have no choice.

Chris McMonigle (1:56)

Because once you win the championship banner, then you can tell the whole story without fear.

Craig Carton (2:00)

But we agree that we wouldn't have hung it if we didn't win the championship.

Chris McMonigle (2:03)

Right.

SPEAKER_4 (2:04)

So then don't hang it.

Chris McMonigle (2:05)

Yeah, but again, to me, it is different once you win the championship. Now you can celebrate that if it rings hollow, if you celebrate that while you lost the championship. Now that you've won the championship, you can celebrate everything that happened that year.

That's how I feel. Celebrating it, I hear what you're saying. If I wouldn't have celebrated it without the championship, why would I celebrate it now?

Craig Carton (2:29)

Because we agreed we loved winning it, but we didn't want to put it up a banner.

Chris McMonigle (2:33)

Yeah, but again, why hang up a division? You didn't win the championship. Why? Like, it's just a matter of... You can make that argument too if you want. Here's the point.

Calling yourself a champion in 2025 would seem ridiculous if you weren't a champion. You know what I'm saying? Like, they're calling themselves the NBA Cup champion. Which they are. They're hanging up a banner saying they're champions for 2026, or 2025 rather. Like, if they don't actually win the championship, it's like, why are you hanging up a banner calling yourself a champion? You didn't win anything.

Craig Carton (3:04)

Well, it says NBA Cup on it.

Chris McMonigle (3:06)

I get it, but like, if you win the championship and you are the champion that year, then I'm willing to now call myself a champion for everything.

Let's tell the story of that year. That year, not only did they, like, it tells the story of how good the team was in games they needed to win.

Craig Carton (3:23)

Yeah, I think it's beneath the next to do it. I think John, my buddy, kicks constructions right.

The Jets would do this. It's like a Jet thing.

Chris McMonigle (3:30)

The Jets would never. The Jets would have to win a Super Bowl for them to do this. This is so anti-Jet, you can't even put it in the... The Jets haven't been to a Super Bowl since 1969

Craig Carton (3:39)

If the Jets won a game in November, they might hang a banner. That's on the table.

Chris McMonigle (3:45)

But this isn't the same thing. They're doing it as a champion. When you're a champion, the victor goes to spoils.