A fierce wind kicked up some kilts on Fifth Avenue today.

Bagpipers, flag-wavers and hornblowers marching in the world’s oldest and biggest parade braved temps in the mid-20’s on this St. Patrick’s Day in New York City.

My position for the parade was the southeast corner of 76th Street and Fifth Ave.

I had never attended a St. Patty’s Day parade here and was glad I did. It was an impressive display of Irish pride and community spirit.

You probably know our new mayor Bill de Blasio boycotted the parade because organizers limit participation to groups aligned or compliant with old guard Irish Catholics. Much is made about a perceived bias by parade honchos against gays – and in fact – gay rights groups are not allowed to march in the parade with overt displays of their agenda. This is a parade that’s basically limited to marching bands, bagpipers and cops. Lots and lots of cops.

Enter de Blasio’s police commissioner Bill Bratton. Breaking from his boss, Bratton was perhaps the most prominent political face in this parade. He marched with his wife Rikki Klieman and deputy/friend John Miller. Bratton was in a tough spot. While he’s friendly with the gay rights movement, he’s Irish and he’s a cop. He wanted to march in the parade. So he did. There were reports Bratton was the subject of catcalls from LGBT groups protesting along early parts of the route in midtown.

When Bratton passed me at 76th Street, few seemed to recognize who he was. The sidewalk on the west side of Fifth Ave. was nearly empty. A few minutes later, Bratton (pictured above) walked back the other direction – against the grain – perhaps to gain a view he didn’t otherwise get as a participant.

With the brewer of Guinness abruptly withdrawing its parade sponsorship under pressure from gay rights groups, it’s probably just a matter of time before the rainbow flag flies above this event.

Not to waffle, but I see both sides. Dating to 1762, New York City’s St. Pat’s parade doesn’t want to dilute its mission of celebrating Irish heritage. That’s the parade they put on. They want to keep it the way it is.

But why not let gay Irish blow some horns under a flag that makes it clear they’re gay. What’s the harm?

In the end, it’s the people who gather by the tens of thousands up and down Fifth Avenue who decide what’s in good taste and what’s in step with the celebration of St. Pat’s Day. The organizers should probably open it up and see what happens.

Next year, they will, I predict.

We’ll learn pretty quick if Phil Jackson is serious about constructing a championship contender at the Garden.

If he re-ups Carmelo or lets him stick around one more season on a player option, it’s a clear sign Phil is here only to cash in on Jim Dolan’s desperation.

If Phil ushers Melo and his expiring contract outta here at season’s end – or does a sign and trade, you know Jax is earnest about this difficult endeavor to restore some order to a franchise in disarray.

I have no clue what’s motivating Jackson to jump into such a horrible mess created largely by an owner famous for fostering toxic operational structures. For Jax, maybe it’s a Larry Brown-like grab-the-dough and go. If that’s what he’s doing, I think it dents his 11-ring coaching legacy. I strongly disagree with Harvey Araton’s contention in the Sunday paper that this is a no-lose prop for the Zen Master.

Wrote Harvey: “If things do not go well and Jackson’s celebrity fades in Dolan’s easily jaded eyes, the inevitable war will break out, chaos will ensue, and history tells us that most of the blame, in the final analysis, will fall on Dolan.”

Yeah, but a coach who has so carefully calibrated his career moves will be scrutinized intensely given the understanding he’s getting unprecedented autonomy from MSG. If Jackson doesn’t make the Knicks better – and flounders without fight or effort – he risks tainting his nearly unblemished body of work.

I trust Phil’s vision of team-building will start with the removal of a maxed-out player contract failing to gain consistently maxed-out effort in return, especially on the defensive end. If Melo gets a new deal, it’ll be Phil who makes that call. And it’ll be clear then that it’s about the cash – not the Zen.