Rangers fans might find themselves without any alcohol at an upcoming game.
Owner James Dolan is threatening to pick a night at the Garden, possibly a Rangers game, to shut down alcohol sales in response to the New York State Liquor Authority investigating Dolan about his facial recognition technology that has resulted in bans against lawyers suing him.
“They’re being extremely aggressive and they’re saying, ‘We’re gonna take away your liquor license,’ ” Dolan said of the SLA during an appearance on “Good Day New York” on Fox 5. “So I have a little surprise for ‘em. They’re basically doing this for publicity, so we’re gonna give ‘em some publicity. What we’re gonna do, right, is we’re gonna pick a night, maybe a Rangers game, and we’re gonna shut down all the liquor and alcohol in the building. This isn’t gonna bother me because I’ve been sober 29 years. I don’t need the liquor.”
Dolan then held up a sign with a photo of Sharif Kabir, the CEO of the State Liquor Authority, along with his contact information. He said the signs will also ask fans to call Kabir if they want to drink at games.
“Tell him to stick to his knitting and to what he’s supposed to be doing and stop grandstanding and trying to get press,” Dolan said.
The SLA sent a letter to Madison Square Garden on Nov. 29 with a warning that it could be operating as a “non bona fide” premises after receiving a complaint earlier that month that lawyers representing people suing MSG were not being allowed entry into the building and its associated venues, pending resolution of the lawsuits.
All retail liquor licensees, excluding not-for-profit club licensees, must allow the general public access to their premises. Otherwise, they are considered “non bona fide.” The SLA could issue charges if its investigation finds MSG has violated the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law.
“All establishments licensed to traffic in alcoholic beverages by the State Liquor Authority are subject to and are expected to comply with the same laws and obligations, whether they are a small business or a multi-billion dollar corporation,” SLA spokesperson Joshua D. Heller said in a statement to The Post after an attempt to reach Kabir. “After receiving a complaint, the State Liquor Authority followed standard procedure and issued a Letter of Advice explaining this business’ obligation to keep their premises open to the public, as required by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law.”
State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who is part og a group of lawmakers seeking to have a bill passed to block MSG from using facial recognition tech and whom Dolan criticized on Thursday, called Dolan’s Fox 5 appearance a “public meltdown.”
“James Dolan is the poster child of privilege, as someone who inherited his wealth and receives an annual $43 million dollar tax break from New Yorkers,” Hoylman-Sigal said in a statement. “Given Dolan’s condescending attitude towards the rest of us, it’s not surprising that he’s taken to criticizing the ‘Clean Slate’ bill to give New Yorkers with criminal convictions a second chance and publicly humiliating honest and hardworking civil servants like the CEO of the State Liquor Authority.”
Dolan said he believes people will still attend games at the Garden even if it doesn’t sell liquor.
“We don’t make all our money on alcohol,” Dolan said.
