The gloves are still off for James Dolan in his fight with state booze regulators.
The Madison Square Garden CEO again threatened to ban alcohol sales at an upcoming Rangers game, in hopes that thirsty fans will take their anger out on the government liquor officials who are trying to stop his use of facial recognition software.
“I don’t think I’d ban beer at Rangers games, but maybe,” he told WFAN radio Friday one day after he unveiled the idea in an interview with Fox 5.
When the hosts on the Carton and Roberts show said that such a ban would probably make fans angry at him — not the State Liquor Authority — Dolan seemed to double down, and even repeated the phone number of SLA CEO Sharif Kabir.
“We of course want to sell alcohol at every event, right, at Madison Square Garden,” he said.
“The [State Liquor Authority] is threatening us with our ability to do that, now with you as a fan, would you rather have one day without alcohol that enables us to stop us from losing a whole season of alcohol or do you want us to lose a whole season?”
The move comes months after the SLA suggested that MSG could lose its ability to sell alcohol at Rangers and Knicks games if Dolan does not stop using facial recognition software to ban opponents.
Dolan has faced mounting criticism in recent months after at least four lawyers got ejected from MSG and Radio City Music Hall because they worked for firms locked in litigation against MSG, whether or not they were personally involved.
The first reported incident of MSG using facial recognition against his purported critics involved an attorney who had her wedding anniversary plans dashed in October after cameras spotted her face.
“It was a very eerie experience,” she told Rolling Stone.
Then a woman got booted from Radio City Music Hall in December while awaiting a Rockettes performance with her daughter’s Girl Scout troop ahead of the SLA letter to MSG.
A Long Island lawyer similarly got kicked out of a Knicks game that month.
And then a Brooklyn attorney was denied a seat at a Jan. 10 Rangers game, which sparked outrage among elected officials representing Manhattan and beyond.
“We are gravely concerned that MSG Entertainment is using facial recognition technology against its perceived legal enemies, which is extremely problematic because of the potential to chill free speech and access to the courts,” reads a Jan 15 letter released Sunday by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, state Sens. Liz Krueger, Brad Hoylman-Sigal and other electeds.
Assemblyman Tony Simone (D-Manhattan) subsequently got disinvited from an NHL-sponsored Pride event, which helped inspire him to propose legislation to bar the company from denying admittance to Dolan’s foes.
Another Manhattan pol, state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan) is also leaning on the NHL and NBA to take action against Dolan.
“I recognize that facial recognition software can aid in securing large venues, but Mr. Dolan has abused this technology to fuel his personal vendettas – not make games safer,” Hoylman-Sigal wrote in a Jan. 27 letter to the commissioners of the NBA and NHL.
“I implore both of your organizations to use your power and discipline MSG and Mr. Dolan for these alarming abuses unless they immediately cease profiling fans with facial recognition technology for non-security purposes,” he added.
Neither league provided comment Friday.
MSG has defended the policy by saying those attorneys might somehow leverage their presence within company properties to get their firms advantages in the courtroom.
But elected officials have argued MSG has a moral obligation to let any paying member of the public attend events considering the state tax breaks that help keep it afloat.
A city permit that allows the Garden to have more than 2,500 people might also be at risk ahead of its expiration this year.
State Attorney General Letitia James demanded Wednesday that MSG turn over docs that would show how the policy does not violate anti-discrimination laws.
“We write to raise concerns that the Policy may violate the New York Civil Rights Law and other city, state, and federal laws prohibiting discrimination and retaliation for engaging in protected activity,” she said in a Tuesday letter to MSG attorneys.
But the embattled owner of the Knicks and Rangers responded the next day by telling Fox 5 he might lean on sports fans to pressure the SLA while denying he had any obligation to let lawyers tied to litigation into MSG events.
“People say, ‘You’re so sensitive, you shouldn’t defend yourself.’ It’s like something out of ‘The Godfather’ — like, ‘It’s only business,’” Dolan fumed to FOX 5. “[But] the Garden has to defend itself.”
Dolan said Friday there are no immediate plans to deprive Rangers fans of alcohol at games while reserving the right to make such a move at a time of his choosing.
“There is no plan at this point to do that all right?” he said. “The beer is safe and waiting for you.”
He repeated his threat, however, to place signs with Kabir’s image and number near beer stands in the area, which he first floated during an interview with Fox.
