It’s a painfully awkward situation when two companions argue in public, but most are fortunate enough to avoid the added exposure of a television audience. One pair, however, wasn’t so lucky during the New York Knicks’ preseason game in Washington on Friday night.
As MSG Network studio host Bill Pidto read a promo as the broadcast returned from commercial, a man and woman wearing Knicks replica jerseys appeared in the crowd at Capital One Arena. Only instead of popcorn or a large drink, they had an intense conversation with the people in their immediate environment.
A man sitting in a row behind the two Knicks fans was noticeably eavesdropping as the woman became increasingly irritated, turned her head away from her acquaintance and wiped a tear from her eye.
“Homie in the background just wanted to watch some hoops, now he has to listen to this,” one fan wrote on X.
Interestingly, as the woman became more emotional, the man seemed to withdraw and began to stare into the distance when the game returned after a timeout.
A man sitting behind the two Knicks fans was noticeably eavesdropping as the woman became irritated, turned her head away from her acquaintance and wiped a tear from her eye.
A large number of comments focused on MSG Network’s decision to stick with the feuding couple during what could have been a more private moment.
“Why are they keeping the camera on him?” one fan asked online.
“That’s not cool having the camera on them like that,” another added.
Many others based their answers on assumptions. Not only was the two believed to be in a romantic relationship, but many of the male commenters on X pointed the finger directly at her.
“Body language is toxic,” one man wrote on X. “Block her number.”
“Praying for that king,” another added.
“She really ruined his night,” read perhaps the most scathing post on X. “He deserves better.”
A few others noticed that she appeared to be smiling after wiping tears from her face. Although, to be fair, she could have laughed out of annoyance.
“She feels crazy emotions for her brother, from crying to laughing to worried he was really mad,” one man wrote.
“How does she go from crying to laughing at his face?” asked another.
While the details behind the altercation remain unclear, the game did end with the Wizards winning 118-117.
Now the Knicks start their season on Tuesday against the defending champion Boston Celtics. The Wizards also open their season against Boston when they host the Celtics in Washington on Thursday.