The latest development to come from Madison Square Garden and CEO James Dolan is one that will likely leave fans very unhappy.
Dolan threatened to cancel all alcohol sales at The Garden (he mentioned a Rangers game) as a response to the New York State Alcoholic Beverage Authority, which is currently investigating Dolan regarding his facial recognition technology that has resulted in various bans against the lawyers who are suing him. .
Dolan said it all in «Good Morning New York» on Fox 5. with Rosanna Scotto.
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James Dolan, left, and New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau attend the NBA Summer League at the Thomas and Mack Center on July 8, 2022 in Las Vegas.
(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“They are being extremely aggressive and saying: ‘We are going to take away your liquor license.’ So I have a little surprise for him because they’re basically doing this for publicity. So we’ll give them some publicity,» Dolan said.
«We’ll pick a night, maybe a Rangers game, and we’ll shut down all liquor and alcohol in the building. This isn’t going to bother me because I’ve been sober for 29 years. I don’t need the liquor.»
If this night comes to fruition, Dolan added that normal areas where alcohol is served will have a sign in place.
«Wherever we serve liquor, we’ll put one of these,» Dolan said, picking up a paper next to him. «He Says: ‘If you want to drink at a game, call Sharif Kabir, CEO [of the SLA]or write him an email at this number and tell him to stick to his knitting and what he’s supposed to do and stop bragging and trying to get press attention.»
Dolan also spoke about the facial recognition software he’s used to ban people, using a bakery analogy to explain his thinking on the matter.
“If you owned a bakery, or a restaurant, and someone comes in and buys you bread and the next day they file a lawsuit because they hate your bread, they say something happened to them with that. So the next day, they show up at your bakery again and say, ‘Hey, I’d like to buy some more bread. Would you sell them that bread?
James L. Dolan attends the 5th Annual Little Steven’s Policeman’s Ball at Mandarin Oriental New York on December 20, 2019 in New York City.
(Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
«If you’re being sued, you don’t have to host the person at your home, right?
“The real problem that is going on here is our policy of not allowing the lawyers who are suing us into our building until they have finished suing us. When they’re done, they’re welcome back.»
The SLA sent a letter to MSG on November 29 warning that it could be considered a «non bona fide» venue due to attorney bans. All alcoholic beverage licensees require public access to the facility.
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«All establishments licensed to deal in alcoholic beverages by the State Alcoholic Beverage Authority are subject to and expected to comply with the same laws and obligations, whether they are a small business or a multi-billion dollar corporation,» said SLA spokesman Joshua D Heller. he said in a statement to The New York Post. «After receiving a complaint, the State Alcoholic Beverage Authority followed standard procedure and issued a Letter of Advice explaining this business’s obligation to keep its premises open to the public, as required by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act.»
Dolan said MSG’s «values» play into why it is so invested in the current situation.
«To be honest, our values are also important to us,» James explained. “The Garden has to defend itself. People say, ‘You’re too sensitive. You shouldn’t defend yourself.’ It’s like something out of ‘The Godfather’. It’s like, ‘Hey, it’s just business. It’s not just business. If you sue us, we’ll tell you not to come. And if he’s bluffing to the press and threatening my liquor license, I’ll say, ‘You know what? my liquor license
Knicks owner James L. Dolan sits courtside during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 2, 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
(Rich Graessle/Getty Images)
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«People will continue to come to the games.»
New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced that she is seeking information at Madison Square Garden about the use of facial recognition technology.
“To be clear, our policy does not illegally prohibit anyone from entering our premises, and it is not our intent to discourage attorneys from representing plaintiffs in litigation against us,” an MSG spokesperson told Fox News Digital. «We are only excluding a small percentage of attorneys only during active litigation. More importantly, even suggesting that someone is being excluded based on the protected classes identified in state and federal civil rights laws is ludicrous. Our policy It has never been applied to attorneys representing plaintiffs alleging sexual harassment or employment discrimination.»
MSG says they have been using the technology since 2018 as «one of our tools to provide a safe environment for our clients and ourselves.»