Jeremy Lin may not be able to wave his wand and make unicorns appear out of mid-air like it sometimes seems, but he certainly had a part in ending the MSG-Time Warner Cable dispute.
The two major cable companies -- whose standoff kept the Knicks games (and all other MSG programming) from being televised in Time Warner's New York market -- agreed to end their long stalemate on Friday, and a deal is expected to be completed in time for Friday's Knicks game against the New Orleans Hornets.
It's unclear exactly what percentage of the credit should be given to Lin, the out-of-nowhere success who has spurred seven straight Knicks wins. But Mike Bair, head of MSG media, admitted to WFAN's Mike Francesa that Lin's magical run pressured the two sides to reopen negotiations.
"There was a conversation, a face- to-face meeting this week," Bair said. "I think right now, because of the Lin story, because of the performance of the team, and because of what we've seen in the ratings, now is the time to do a deal. But we have to have a dialog to be productive." (via the New York Post)
For more on the Knicks, head over to the SB Nation blog Posting and Toasting.