Dolan doubles down
Neither the lawsuits, the new investigation, or the threat of an impending AG investigation have been enough to dissuade MSG from its policies. In fact, the company this week doubled down on its actions. In a dramatic statement sent to Gizmodo Thursday, MSG Entertainment planted its feet in the ground, defending the practice and calling out so-called “self-serving politicians” they claimed were using the news as a fundraising ploy.
“We urge our elected representatives to focus on causes that improve the quality of life for their constituents—such as addressing rampant crime and homelessness in the city, rather than taking up the cause of a small percentage of attorneys so they can attend Knicks and Rangers games,” CEO James Dolan said in the statement. “These elected officials are exploiting this issue for their own publicity.”
In the bizarre statement, MSG cast aspersion on the scores of attorneys included on its ban list which it described as, “money grabbers whose business is motivated by self-promotion and who capitalize on the misfortune of others.” MSG said it has used facial recognition at its venues since 2018 and believes it is within its right to deploy it against attorneys.
