New York Rangers fans might be getting shut out from being served alcohol at Madison Square Garden for an upcoming game if James Dolan has his way.
Dolan, the Executive Chairman of Madison Square Garden Sports Corporation, uttered the warning while rambling his way through a Thursday-morning interview with Fox 5 after he came under fire for his use of facial recognition software to prevent certain people from entering the famous New York City venue.
The practice, which Dolan claims is strictly meant to prevent entry for lawyers who are currently suing his company, has drawn the ire of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who issued a letter stating that her office believes that “attempts to dissuade individuals from filing discrimination complaints or encouraging those in active litigation to drop their lawsuits so they may access popular entertainment events at the Company’s venues may violate state and city laws prohibiting retaliation.”
After not speaking to the media for almost four years, Dolan was compelled to appear publicly, so the Knicks and Rangers owner headed to Fox 5 to defend his use of the technology. The interview quickly devolved into chaos before Dolan explained a plan to defend Madison Square Garden by banning alcohol from an upcoming Rangers game.
Midway through the interview, when Fox 5 anchor Rosanna Scotto mentioned Dolan being “threatened” by the State Liquor Authority (SLA) he said, “that group is way over their skis… They’re being extremely aggressive, and they’re saying, ‘We’re gonna take away your liquor license.”
In fact, the SLA did send MSG Arena LLC a Letter of Advice on November 29th of last year that said they have received a complaint “that attorneys representing plaintiffs in litigation against Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE) or its affiliates are prohibited from entering MSGE venues until final resolution of the litigation.”
The letter informed the licensee that they were in violation of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Law and that disciplinary action might be taken.
In a statement provided to amNewYork, an SLA spokesperson explained that Madison Square Garden “was operating as a non-bona fide,” which is a term used to describe “any retail licensee, including on-premises licensees” that restricts any member of the public from entry “on the basis of criteria that are not directly related to your duties under your SLA license.”
“All establishments licensed to traffic in alcoholic beverages by the State Liquor Authority are subject to and are expected to comply with the same laws and obligations, whether they are a small business or a multi-billion dollar corporation,” the spokesperson continued.
On Fox 5, Dolan defended his use of facial recognition to prohibit these lawyers from entering the arena even though he admitted that “there’s no way to tell which attorneys are working on the case and which aren’t.” He also mentioned that he felt he had a right to prohibit entry by people who are suing him, but the attorneys themselves are not the ones who filed the lawsuits, just the ones tasked with handling the lawsuit.
When Scotto asked Dolan what he planned to do about the potential removal of his liquor license, he said, “I have a little surprise for them.” Dolan then held up a handmade flyer that featured the photo and contact information for Sharif Kabir, the Chief Executive Officer of the SLA.
“They’re doing this for publicity, so we’re gonna give them some publicity,” Dolan said. “What we’re gonna do is we’re gonna pick a night, maybe a Rangers game, and we’re gonna shut down all the liquor and alcohol in the building.”
After explaining that this wouldn’t bother him since he’s been sober for 29 years and doesn’t “need the liquor,” Dolan went on to say that “where we serve liquor, we’re gonna put one of these [flyers] up and say, ‘If you would like to drink at a game, please call Sharif Kabir Sharirf Kabir, the Chief Executive Officer or write him an e-mail…and tell him to stick to his knitting and what he’s supposed to be doing.”
In a later statement released by MSG, it claimed that Dolan said on-air that “we know our fans would be disappointed, but it’s important that we call attention to the SLA’s misguided threats to pull our liquor licenses under false pretense and with zero jurisdiction on this issue.” However, Dolan did not say that when speaking with Fox 5.
Dolan’s immediate comment on-air was “Now, this isn’t gonna bother me because I’ve been sober 29 years. I don’t need the liquor.”
While Dolan might not “need the liquor,” giving the contact information of the SLA’s CEO and attempting to mobilize MSG fans would undoubtedly be seen as an act of aggression. Plus, deciding to shut down alcohol sales because of a personal squabble with local government may upset Rangers fans in attendance, and it’s clear that Madison Square Garden knows this which is why they amended Dolan’s words in their written statement to make it clear that they know this action would upset fans.”
It all has the feeling of Knicks and Rangers fans being brought into a personal vendetta.
“Look, these are attorneys. They say, ‘You’re too sensitive. It’s only business.’ But it’s not only business. You know, if you’ve been sued, it’s a personal thing… The Garden has to defend itself.”
Instead of focusing on the enjoyment of fans during a game, the plan appears to be to pressure fans into fighting his battle for him.
“What really needs to happen is that the public needs to tell these politicians and the SLA to start working on the things that matter to us like law enforcement, making it safe in our streets, getting our taxes in line, stop people from leaving New York and ruining our city,” Dolan said. “Stop paying attention to the ticket scalpers and start paying attention to the criminals who are on a revolving door that keep, you know, coming back out and, you know, destroying our city.”
State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, whose “Clean Slate” bill was part of James Dolan’s attack, issued a statement in response to what he referred to as a “public meltdown.”
“James Dolan is the poster child of privilege, as someone who inherited his wealth and receives an annual $43 million dollar tax break from New Yorkers. Given Dolan’s condescending attitude towards the rest of us, it’s not surprising that he’s taken to criticizing the ‘Clean Slate’ bill to give New Yorkers with criminal convictions a second chance and publicly humiliating honest and hardworking civil servants like the CEO of the State Liquor Authority.”
Holyman-Sigal went on to say, “New York shouldn’t allow petty tyrants to impose their warped fantasies on the public while reaping millions each year from taxpayer subsidies.”
But it seems like New Yorkers who want to attend events at Madison Square Garden might be caught in the middle of a back-and-forth that nobody wants to de-escalate.
“In the United States, there’s a thing called the Bill of Rights,” said Dolan. “In the Bill of Rights, you’re allowed freedom of religion, you’re allowed to own property, etc,” Dolan said. “This is just about owning property. You know, a bakery or restaurant, you get to say who you serve. For whatever reason. If there’s someone you don’t want to serve, you get to say, ‘I don’t want to serve you.'”
When Scotto asked if Dolan is going to back down, he replied, “Not at all.” He doubled down later in the interview, goading the SLA to “take away my liquor license.”
In response, the SLA stated to us that “The ABC law requires that all retail licensees allow the general public access into their premises…The SLA has opened an investigation into this matter; this investigation is ongoing. If the facts and evidence warrant charges under the Alcoholic Beverage Control law, charges will be issued.”
Yet, James Dolan doesn’t seem worried. “People are still gonna come to the games,” he boasted.
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