Auringer: Knicks Win Game One, But New Yorkers Are Still Getting Priced Out

KINGSTON, N.Y. - June 4, 2026 - Following the New York Knicks' Game One victory in the NBA Finals, Jackie Auringer, Republican candidate for Congress in New York's 18th District, called out Congressman Pat Ryan for years of political grandstanding on ticket prices while working New Yorkers continue to be priced out of major events and most everything else.

Auringer took to social media yesterday to highlight Ryan's failure to deliver results on an issue he has repeatedly used to generate headlines.

"The Knicks showed up. Pat Ryan didn't," said Auringer. "For years, Congressman Ryan has held press conferences, delivered fiery speeches, and promised to take on the ticketing market. But when Knicks fans look at the cost of getting into Madison Square Garden, they see the truth: the bots are still winning, the middlemen are still cashing in, and regular New Yorkers are still getting priced out."

Auringer said Ryan has turned the ticketing issue into another example of his political brand: loud rhetoric, media clips, and no meaningful results.

"Pat Ryan has become Clickbait Ryan - a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing," Auringer said. "He gives the speech, drops a few curse words, calls it passion, and then delivers nothing. That may get him headlines, but it does not make life more affordable for Hudson Valley families."

The Knicks' return to the NBA Finals has energized fans across New York, but the cost of attending a Finals game has put the moment out of reach for many working families. Auringer said the issue is bigger than basketball.

"This is not just about Knicks tickets," Auringer said. "It is about a larger affordability crisis in New York. People are getting priced out of their own teams, their own city, and increasingly their own lives. New Yorkers do not need more performance politics. They need results."

Auringer said that while Ryan focuses on cable-news moments and social media clips, families across the Hudson Valley are dealing with rising costs, unaffordable entertainment, expensive groceries, higher utility bills, and a shrinking quality of life.

"When Pat Ryan had a chance to deliver real affordability - SALT relief, no tax on tips, and tax relief for seniors on Social Security - he shot an airball."

Auringer concluded, "New Yorkers love the Knicks because they fight, they grind, and they deliver. That is exactly what we should expect from our elected leaders. The Knicks showed up for New York. It is time politicians like Pat Ryan do the same."