Fan who received angry Dolan email doesn't want an apology - just a title

James Dolan probably owes Irving Bierman an apology for the ridiculously over-the-top, vitriolic email he sent him recently.

Bierman has a more difficult request than a simple apology: a championship for the New York Knicks.

Bierman, the 72-year-old father of filmmaker Aaron Bierman, had emailed the Knicks owner about his displeasure with the perpetually moribund franchise over the last 60-plus years, begging for a respite from the repeated poor performances. Rather than using it as a rallying cry for the franchise or even just accepting the disappointment of a passionate fan, Dolan fired back in a hateful and accusatory email, asking that Bierman no longer root for the team.

Dolan won't be punished by the NBA for his ludicrous treatment of a fan, but he's certainly taking a public image hit, especially after Bierman expressed his desire for a banner, not an apology, to Marc Berman of the New York Post on Monday:

I'm not looking for an apology, all I want is improvement and to win a championship. We're not even competitive. They have not won one in (42) years. You think they're going to turn it around in six months? Right now they're sitting on the balls of their behinds.
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Haven't heard from him, the Garden, the Knicks, the Nets - it's putting their head in the sand - digging a hole and hiding. I was one of the many frustrated Knicks fans, and he went off the deep end.

It's unfortunate timing for a PR hit, as Dolan - who's continued to decline comment on the matter - and his Knicks host All-Star Weekend beginning Thursday.

The Knicks haven't won an NBA title since 1972-73, have made the playoffs just three times in the last 10 years with another miss in process, and have won just a single playoff series since 2000.