James Dolan joined Good Day New York on Thursday morning, his first time speaking to any press in nearly four years, and said he is not backing down “at all” in using facial recognition software to refuse entry to MSG to attorneys of law firms that have an active lawsuit against the company.
The software came into question after attorney Kelly Conlon was refused entry to Radio City Music Hall last month, and the New York State Liquor Authority responded with a statement that said Dolan could lose his liquor license at MSG and other buildings, stating “groups or individuals cannot be excluded on the basis of criteria that are not directly related to your duties under your license.”
Asked about the SLA’s statement on Thursday, Dolan confirmed that the SLA is indeed threatening to take away MSG’s liquor license, and all but dared them to do it.
That, of course, would mean no more alcohol being sold at Knicks and Rangers games, but Dolan sounds just fine with that.
“They’re being extremely aggressive and saying they’re gonna take away our liquor license,” Dolan said. “So I have a little surprise…because they're basically doing this for publicity, so we're going to give him some publicity. What we're gonna do right is, we're going to pick a night, right? Maybe a Rangers game, and we're going to shut down all the liquor and alcohol in the building now.
“This isn't going to bother me because I've been sober 29 years. I don't need the liquor. But instead what we're gonna do is where we serve liquor, we're going to put one of these up,” Dolan continued, while holding up a flyer containing the face of SLA CEO Sharif Kabir, “Which says, ‘If you would like to drink at a game, please call Sharif Kabir, chief executive officer, or write him an email at this number, and tell him to stick to his knitting and what he’s supposed to be doing, and stop grandstanding and trying to get press.”
Dolan then proceeded to go after other politicians and the job they are doing around New York City, not just Kabir.
“People need to tall these politicians and the SLA to start working on the things that matter to us,” Dolan said. “Like law enforcement, making it safe in our streets, getting our taxes in line, stop people from leaving New York and ruining our city. Those are the things Brad Hoylman should be caring about. Instead, he has a legislation called ‘Clean slate.’ If you’re a criminal, it’s a clean slate. We’re gonna start all over again. You’re not a criminal anymore. If you commit another crime, you get another clean slate. Or, this particular legislation he’s working on now, if you’re a landlord, you don’t get to do a criminal check. You could have a pedophile moving in next door to you, and your landlord can do nothing about it. Or you as a property owner can do nothing about it.”
But when it comes to the liquor license, Dolan made it clear that he isn’t too concerned about losing it.
“If you’re grandstanding with the press and threatening my liquor license, I’m gonna tell you to take my liquor license,” Dolan said. “People are still gonna come to the games. We don’t make all our money on alcohol. I’m sober. I’m not a big alcohol.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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