Today would have been my paternal grandfather’s one hundred-thirteenth birthday. He was born on May 26, 1912, not quite witnessing the Titanic wreck but catching two world wars, the Great Depression, the moon landing, etc. He also saw the New York Knicks win NBA Championships twice, in 1970 and again in 1973.

My grandfather died in 1987, and was therefore spared 38 years of near misses and not-even-close seasons.

I also think he was somewhat responsible for the magic that occurred last night, as his hometown Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit to win Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Okay, okay, it’s only one game, and Grandpa was actually from Hackensack, New Jersey, but he lived for many years in New York, and rooted for the team vociferously when they picked up a certain center from his alma mater. That would be Patrick Ewing of Georgetown University. See the tenuous connection?

I guess it’s better than my usual rationale of refs need to make this series close for TNT.