Who Was Brian Watkins and Why Are NYC's East River Courts Named for Him?

On September 2, 1990, after attending the US Open, Brian Watkins and his family got on the subway at 53rd St. and 7th to go to dinner in the West Village. While waiting for the train, 8 teenagers allegedly attacked Watkins’ father with a boxcutter and kicked and attacked his mother. Brian intervened and was then stabbed in the chest by one of the teens. 

Brian died in the ambulance on his way to St. Vincent’s hospital, over 40 blocks away. Eight years later, the Giuliani administration settled with the family to the tune of $300,000 and the naming of the East River Park tennis facility for Brian. Life was cheap in 1990s New York.

As the city chooses its next mayor, we reflect on that turbulent era, voters' grievances today, and how fear might lead us into the dark embrace of a Mayor Andrew Cuomo 😱

Also,

• Jannik Sinner's bizarro new "single" with opera singer Andrea Bocelli
• Sakkari/Putinseva catfight
• Alexander Bublik tearing up the grass (and frightening other seeded players at Wimbledon)
• Marketa Vondrousova's weird tattoo

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