*By Jimmy Mondal*
After a tumultuous season and a disappointing 5-9 record, the New York Knicks Gaming team was at the bottom the 2K league barrel.
But clutch seems to be the team's middle name ー the Knicks Gaming squad was able to pull off not one, but two miracle runs to qualify for the NBA 2K League playoffs.
By executing a victory in the TICKET tournament and harnessing the power of the fans at New York City's NBA 2K studio, the Knicks emerged the league winners in the last quarter of the finals match.
But now the question becomes: can the team trounce their competitors a second time?
According to Jeff Eisenband, host and analyst at the NBA 2K League, it's unlikely.
"The short answer I can give you, is probably not," he told Cheddar Sports. "There are 21 teams in the league. There were 17 in year one ー these teams are all so even.”
That said, Eisenband also thinks the team has serious talent on its side, including “ four players coming back, losing the NBA \[2K League\] Finals MVP, Nate Kahl, but … iamadamthefirst is one of the prime players in the league, and a lot of people forget about Goofy757, who is probably, in my mind, the best rebounder in the league.”
As for the future of the Knicks team, Eisenband thinks burnout will be a major factor.
"They had dominated the season, but I also think there’s a sense of burnout in that they had a target on their back the whole season."
Facebook reveals users are spending less time on the platform. Americans are spending big on their pets this Valentine's Day. Dr. Travis Stork from "The Doctors" stops by to explain how you can eat healthier without breaking the bank. Plus, Family Circle gives advice on how to use tech to promote heart health.
People are spending less time on Facebook, according to the company's latest earnings report. Twitter doubles the number of users who interacted with Russian-linked trolls. And eBay is parting ways with longtime partner PayPal in favor of Dutch payment processing company Adyen. Plus, we bring you a full hour on the Business of Sports heading into Super Bowl weekend.
Amee Shah, Group Creative Director for Droga5, discusses the business of Super Bowl commercials and why the ad space is so valuable. Droga5 is producing Sprint's big game ad this year.
AJ Perez, sports reporter for USA Today, discusses FOX's huge deal with the NFL and the quarterback trade shaking up the industry. FOX will pay the NFL $3 billion over the next five years for the right to broadcast Thursday Night Football games.
Brad Smith sits down with the San Francisco 49ers President Al Guido to discuss his new venture, how the 49ers are taking advantage of being in Silicon Valley, and declining NFL viewership.
The New York Times debuted a new ad spotlighting its investigations and coverage of the impact of brain injuries to football and other sports. Jason Stallman, Sports Editor at The New York Times, joins Cheddar on a special episode of "The Business of Sports" to discuss what he's seeing in the push for more safety concerns.
Viewership for NFL games is down by double digits this season. Al Guido, president of the San Francisco 49ers, says the league needs to do a better job adapting to the changing media landscape.
"Total Divas" is celebrating 100 episodes of high heels, high stakes, and high drama on its seventh season finale. Stars Lana and Nattie join Cheddar to discuss what to expect from the milestone installment.
Ben Leber, former NFL star linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, and Nate Bauer, Best Buy's Geek Squad Chief Inspector, give their tips for making your sunday super.
The Washington Post broke the story that GPS tracking and fitness company Strava had revealed the locations of secret U.S. Military bases. Now, Rosie Spinks, reporter at Quartz, joins Cheddar to explain how and why she has been focusing on the privacy issues around Strava since this summer.
