By Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications
For the fourth year in a row, the New York Knicks have made it to the second round of the NBA playoffs, poised to make what could be a deep run into May and June basketball. But something got lost amidst the celebrations and the frustrations of the NBA playoffs. On the eve of this year’s post-season, Wired released an exclusive article exposing the alleged security controversies of Madison Square Garden, “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” where the Knicks call home. The article reported that for close to a decade, MSG and other venues owned by billionaire magnate James Dolan have been implementing intricate facial recognition technology to keep tabs on guests they consider persons of interest, dangerous, or critical of ownership. Examples of these accusations are wide ranging, from former players insisting rooms at MSG were bugged, fans being subjected to excessive secret background checks for chanting “fire Dolan,” and a transgender woman being stalked by security to ensure that she did not appear on the television broadcast during the Knick’s “Pride Night” to list a few.
I’m not writing this article to litigate every accusation the Wired exposé has laid before Dolan and MSG. As a lifelong Knicks fan, there are few things I want more in this life than a Knicks championship. However, I am also both a PR professional and a New Yorker who cares about MSG as an institution and wants it to do right by its patrons. As such, I believe it is necessary to use this controversy as a case study of brand management and messaging, the ever-accelerating nature of our media cycle, and potential guest experience ramifications worldwide.
For many New Yorkers, the knowledge of being under surveillance at MSG, Radio City, or any other Dolan-owned venue is nothing new. When you enter one of these venues, you are immediately met with signs warning you that advanced security measures are being taken. To most people living in the post-9/11 United States, a strong security presence is an unsurprising and sometimes comforting sight. No doubt knowing this, in the few previous interviews Dolan and other MSG representatives have given on this topic, eliminating terrorist level threats has been cited as the top (and often only) reason for heightened security measures. If the Wired reports are to be believed however, instances of rowdy fans and private citizens trying to enjoy an event do not constitute a terrorist level threat that requires the level of precaution and private data collection alleged.
In any other time of year, on another team, or perhaps in any previous media era, an exposé of this caliber could have been catastrophic. PR consultants would be called in the middle of the night to arrange statements and press conferences, a media tour would have been scheduled, and staff would have been fired. Fortunately for MSG and Dolan, the same sports adage holds true in both public relations and professional sports: “winning fixes everything.” I have experienced first hand how shrewd business decisions and rising share prices have made public relations crises expedite or outright disappear, at least in the short-term. The closest analogue to financial success in professional sports, is of course, winning. The combination of the good grace the Knicks continue to earn Dolan and MSG coupled with a media environment where a once-in-a-lifetime historical event seems to occur every 24-48 hours buried this story quickly and almost completely. If things were different, Dolan and MSG would have certainly received more than what seemed like a few hours of scrutiny from the New York and national press.
Looking forward, it would not be surprising for other venue owners to note what Dolan and MSG are allegedly getting away with and perhaps even look for ways to implement similar systems of surveillance and control in their own facilities. Public and media scrutiny are two of the few tools we can use to fight against abuses of power and make our voices be heard. If stories like these are not thoroughly covered, the public will become more and more conditioned into consenting to give away their rights to privacy and expression while in any privately owned venue. This will become the new normal.
If I were one of the many communications consultants that Dolan would no doubt ignore, I would urge him to rethink his relationship with his customers and former players. If the Wired reports are true, Dolan’s behavior seems to be a product of attempting to control the narrative around MSG, its sports teams, and himself. And as any PR professional can tell you, grasping too tightly for control is a surefire way to lose the narrative.
If the Knicks were to win its first championship in over fifty years, Dolan would undoubtedly be thought of as one of the greatest owners in New York sports history. However, if reports like these keep surfacing, no amount of championships could ever change the public perception of a billionaire with extreme control issues. Dolan would also do well to remember that while he may legally own the team, every fan also holds a deeply personal relationship with the Knicks. After all, they’re called the New York Knicks, not the James Dolan Knicks. New Yorkers aren’t fans of being told what to say, how to act, or how to express themselves, especially about an organization they’ve held dear for eighty years.
The convergence of tech and brands 