* What has happened to Knicks fans? Kobe Bryant comes to the Garden and receives a standing ovation, after hearing “MVP” chants from the New York “fans.” I can appreciate when an opposing athlete puts forth a great performance, but I can not believe this kind of cheering for a player from another team would happen at the world’s most famous arena. Being a lifelong Rangers fan, I can honestly say this would never happen at a Rangers game. To applaud an opposing player who just pummeled your team is unacceptable – especially when he’s a Laker! Greats such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, etc., never received treatment like that, but now Knicks fans feel that Bryant has earned that distinction? It’s very sad. The Knicks are finally starting to show some promise, so fans: Wake up and concentrate on getting behind your team. I’m sure all the current Knicks were thrilled to hear the Garden crowd saving its biggest ovation for the enemy.
ROSS MANNINO
Nutley, N.J.
* How are Knicks fans are considered the best in the game? Against Los Angeles in the Garden on Monday night, you couldn’t find a Knicks fan. Most fans were wearing Lakers jerseys and Yankees hats, which doesn’t say they’re the greatest fans, but the greatest frontrunners in the game. When the Knicks are good, fans show up in droves. When they are bad, fans show up wearing Lakers, Celtics and Cavaliers jerseys, which they did this week. The only real fans around here are Rangers and Giants fans. They show up no matter how bad their teams are.
EDWARD DROSSMAN
Manhattan
Weed all about it
* A majority of Americans couldn’t care less if Michael Phelps smokes pot, does it on camera and advertises for a special brand name of marijuana. What world do his critics and all the hypocritical idiots in the media live in? Of course, this celebrity Olympic hero is doing pot, booze and as many girls as he can handle. Phelps lives in the real world where he gets the opportunity to try almost anything once, and hopefully doesn’t ruin his health doing it. Party on, baby!
MICHAEL J. GORMAN
Whitestone
* After Michael Phelps was caught driving drunk, he said he would never make that same mistake again. Now he says that his smoking marijuana will not happen again. So what crime will he commit next?
RICHARD SIEGELMAN
Plainview, N.Y.
Ranger danger
* Rangers coach Tom Renney must go!. Renney says there’s no difference between losing 3-2 or 10-2 – a loss is a loss. Hello! Losing 3-2 at least looks like your team competed. Losing 10-2 reads that your players just plain quit on themselves, their coach and most importantly their fans. I’m tired of hearing Renney’s excuses after every loss about why this team doesn’t play hard every night and that this team believes in one another. I’m a 42-year-old armchair coach and even I can see that this team lacks leadership and accountability and will not get better unless changes are made now. Re-signing Sean Avery is just the tip of the iceberg of what needs to be fixed on this club.
TIM FARINA
Plantation, Fla.
* Now that Rangers GM Glen Sather has apparently come out of his coma, which is evidenced by the fact that he’s in the process of reacquiring Sean Avery, maybe somebody should whisper in his ear that the Blueshirts also need a No. 1-type scorer. You know, somebody like Jaromir Jagr. Oops, he was just here, wasn’t he?
LOUIE REY
East Meadow, N.Y.
Breaking the ‘code’
* In Kevin Kernan’s column concerning Joe Torre’s book [“Joe broke book code – you can look it up,” The Post and nypost.com, Feb. 4], he states that Torre broke “the clubhouse code.” Kernan may be correct, but is this the same as the “code” the powerful sports media stuck to when not reporting anything about steroids and cheating when it was first happening? I am a casual baseball fan at best and even I was very suspicious that players were cheating because of all the records being broken and players’ body types changing so much. If I was able to see this, where were all the media experts’ articles or broadcasts on this matter? Congratulations to all of them for sticking to the “code.”
ROB PICCIOTTO
Brooklyn
