For James Dolan, revenge is a dish served cold.
The billionaire Madison Square Garden CEO defended facial recognition technology and called it “The Godfather” in an interview Thursday – threatening to retaliate against critics who say he came after him for the move.
“People say, ‘You’re too sensitive, you shouldn’t defend yourself.’ It’s like something out of ‘The Godfather’ — like, “It’s just business,” Dolan raged to FOX 5.[But] The garden must fend for itself.
When Dolan said he was trying to turn the tables on the agency and his boss, he was asked about the state liquor authority’s threat to stop alcohol sales on its premises.
He said he’d like to pick a night in the building and stop drinking — while posting signs that say, “If you want to drink at a game, call.” [SLA chief Sharif Kabir]He said.
Dolan’s combative comments came as he doubled down on his policy to remove all of the lawyers accused of using facial recognition technology at MSG Entertainment.
The policy has sparked further lawsuits by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Brad Holman-Sigal, along with legislation that would have barred lawyers from using the technique.
Dolan surprisingly began objecting to a warrant update requested by FOX 5 about the controversy.
He blamed Holman-Sigal and other politicians for being media-hungry and “jumping on it” instead of addressing the real problems of New York.
“Politicians are just jumping on the bandwagon. They love the press. For example, where are they on bail reform?” he said.
“For example, criminals who attack your weatherman go to the police station and get released,” Fox meteorologist Adam Klotz said this week, recalling the brutal beating on the subway.
“Why not [they] Are you doing something about the quality of life in New York? “
Asked whether he plans to continue the controversial policy despite the heat, he said yes.
“If you sue us, we’ll tell you not to come, and if you’re high and threaten our liquor license, I’m going to tell you, you know what, take our liquor license,” he said. “People still come to the games.”
Earlier in the interview, pugilist Fat Cat used a culinary example to drive his point home.
“If you have a bakery or a restaurant and someone comes in and buys bread and sues you the next day, they hate you. Then the next day they said ‘I want to buy more bread’. Would you sell them more bread? he said.
He added: “If you are charged, it is a private matter.”
