James Dolan CEO of MSG Sports and MSG Entertainment, as a pirate. He has produced a contentious blacklist of people prohibited from all Madison Square Garden locations. This list prominently features those who have encountered legal disputes with Dolan and his companies, leading to their exclusion from various events at one of New York City’s most iconic venues. The policy has been subjected to fierce and sustained criticism. Many New York Knicks and New York Rangers season-ticket holders learned that they, too, had wound up on the blacklist.
Former Knicks player Charles Oakley’s physical altercation with MSG securities in 2017 made international headlines. This event became the catalyst for national conversation and outcry. Oakley was previously banned from the Garden after his contentious physical removal from the Garden that included him making pro athlete of color statements about Dolan. This high-profile case triggered a public outcry, prompting an art director at Hot 97 to design a T-shirt that read “BAN DOLAN” in protest.
In 2021, the issue erupted. A dollar bill doll fan wearing a “BAN DOLAN” shirt gets forcibly removed from Madison Square Garden during a Knicks game. Many local citizens, both motorists and cyclists, are raising alarm bells about Dolan’s aggressive enforcement of the ban. It’s just common sense, he argues.
On January 24, 2023, the New York attorney general’s office sent a warning letter to MSG Entertainment Corp. They asked questions about the ban and noted risks of civil rights violations. The letter outlined that due to ongoing litigation, certain attorneys were forbidden from entering MSG venues, stating, “Due in part to the adversarial nature inherent in litigation proceedings… this letter shall serve as notice that you and all attorneys at your firm… may not enter the MSG Venues until the subject litigation has been resolved.”
MSG Entertainment’s controversial use of facial recognition technology has created a firestorm. This system helps to identify those already on the exclusion list. This practice was spotlighted by a New York Times article that went viral last December. This caused many lawyers, who unknowingly went to events at MSG, to be subjected to excessive security measures and denied re-entry without refunds.
As we’ve seen with players as well as fans, lawyers have been unhappy about their bans. Mark Seitelman, a New York attorney, voiced his concern over the arbitrary nature of the exclusions, stating, “That type of staff keeps changing. What kind of adverse statements are we going to get from anyone? That’s the grounds for why they’re banning us?”
Joseph DePaola, another attorney representing the plaintiffs, piled on Dolan’s policies, saying they are meant to scare attorneys away from bringing lawsuits against MSG. He noted, “It’s basically designed to chill litigation against MSG — to scare lawyers away from taking any case against Madison Square Garden or any of their entities.”
Nicolette Landi talked about her experience while going to events at MSG. Despite having no issues during one visit for a concert, she faced overwhelming security presence during a subsequent Knicks game. “As soon as my bag was going through the conveyor belt, there were 10 security guards around me,” she recounted.
Dolan and his representatives have vigorously defended their policies when pressed on their surprise administrative practices. They argue that people with complaints about him or his business should be able to enter MSG venues. “If there’s someone you don’t want to serve, you get to say, ‘I don’t want to serve you,’” they stated. Dolan added, “If there’s somebody who is suing you and trying to put you out of business or take your money from you… You have a right to be a little unhappy about it.”
The current controversy surrounding James Dolan’s bans raises critical questions about free access to public venues. It raises broader questions about the use of technology to enforce or implement these kinds of policies. As discussions around civil rights and access continue, many are left wondering if there is any way back for those excluded from Madison Square Garden.
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