I just cannot hold back on this because I still see people blaming Spike on this one. While I will acknowledge that Spike may have been upset that he was asked to go to the VIP entrance that was not the driving force behind this. Spike Lee was already inside MSG. He had already gotten his ticket scanned, and then after he gets on the elevator, security stops him and DEMANDS THAT HE LEAVE TO MSG and THEN COME BACK TO THE VIP ENTRANCE. What fcking logic does that make? yeah, if the policy actually changed, you stop him and say Mr. Lee we cannot let you in that way any more and then let him go to his seat. Then the next game you don't scan his ticket at that entrance and you don't let him in at that entrance. To demand that he go back outside and then try to come in at another exit after his ticket had already been scanned is insane. Plus, there is no way that happens without Dolan's knowledge. No way. Do you really think that a security guard would have the balls to just on their own decide they are going to demand that Spike Lee leave the arena and come back through another door. No way that happens on its own, when Spike had been using that same entrance for over twenty years. This came straight from Dolan as payback for Spike being critical of the team, which is why you had that unprofessional PR statement shortly thereafter. THat PR statement had to be at Dolan's behest because I could not imagine any competent PR person issuing that statement on their own unless their boss demanded. So I look at this whole thing as a silly power play from Dolan to try to send a message to Spike that if he wants to continue to be treated like a superfan, he has to stop criticizing the team, which is just insane.
Spike even said that if they had not put out that PR statement, he would not made anymore out of it. But once the Knicks tried to put all the blame on him, then of course, he is going to fight back and share his viewpoint. The Knicks are woefully incompetent when it comes to PR issues with their fans.
I have never heard of any team trying to censor their fans or kicking their fans out of the arena for "sell the team" chants. I have seen crowds with fans with bags over they heads and other such things in protest in other arenas and never heard of the owner ejecting them. Most competent teams understand that you cannot really stop fans from protesting, and if you want it to stop, then you need to put a better product on the court.
