http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/basketball/nba/blog/2008/01/newspaper_reporters_vs_garden.html

Newspaper reporters vs. Garden security: no contest
Ken Berger

Only the Knicks could turn a potentially feel-good story about the Giants in the Super Bowl into an embarrassing confrontation with the media.

I joined a group of several reporters who waited under the stands to speak with Plaxico Burress, R.W. McQuarters, Aaron Ross and Steve Smith during halftime Monday. The four Giants sat in the prime celebrity seats in the front row opposite the Knicks’ bench, but had gone to the VIP area upstairs during intermission.

As the players headed back to their seats, McQuarters stopped to take a couple of questions. By the time the second question got out, a member of the Knicks’ media relations staff whisked him away, saying McQuarters had to be back in his seat – perhaps to be shown on GardenVision.

As we headed back toward the tunnel to continue watching the game, two other reporters and I noticed security guards arguing with a fan in a Yankees cap. The fan evidently was being ejected for unruly behavior and was quite vocal in proclaiming that all he said was, “Get Jeffries off the court.”

A couple of ushers began escorting the man toward the exit, and we reporters followed, hoping to do what reporters do – interview a member of the public.

Several ushers began shouting at us to stop, telling us we weren’t allowed back there. (Even though we were in an area where celebrity interviews are conducted all the time during Knicks games.) Ozzie Jones of Brooklyn – hardly a celebrity – was about 50 yards away but was able to shout his cell phone number to one of the writers despite the best efforts of the Garden gulag to shout over him.

I would estimate that a dozen ushers surrounded the three reporters, including myself, physically blocking our path and berating us for not listening to their orders, not “respecting” them and not letting them do their jobs. I explained that, in truth, it was the other way around. The security staff was keeping us from doing our jobs.

One reporter was physically restrained and had his credential torn off his neck. The apparent leader of the turquoise-clothed brigade took all of our names down, and within a few minutes, a Knicks P.R. executive sought me out in my seat behind the basket to ask what happened.

The security staff evidently felt that we had been impeding the ejection of the fan, which of course wasn’t true. We got nowhere near the fan, thanks to the overzealous security staff. The P.R. executive explained that the fan had left his assigned section, 342, and had taken up residence in section 27, where he became unruly and used obscene language.

If only the Knicks were as persistent in defending Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett as the Garden security staff were in taking care of Ozzie Jones and three newspaper reporters.

I’ve gotten to know a few ushers and security people at the Garden over the past couple of years, and like them. But I don’t envy their jobs. I don’t envy anyone who has to work in this place, under these conditions. It’s sad, really, is the best way I can put it.

This is just crazy.

Also remember Isola's near 30 minute rant on WFAN where he spilled the beans on how the Garden wants him gone and makes his job as impossible and miserable as they possibly can - purposely not telling him when it's time for the media to meet with the team - locking him out of practices, etc.

He also divulged how the entire garden is bugged. Every room....so that Dolan and MSG can listen in on every conversation that execs or players or others are having.


It's really a huge joke how things are run.

Sad

Posted by Cosmic:

This is just crazy.

Also remember Isola's near 30 minute rant on WFAN where he spilled the beans on how the Garden wants him gone and makes his job as impossible and miserable as they possibly can - purposely not telling him when it's time for the media to meet with the team - locking him out of practices, etc.

He also divulged how the entire garden is bugged. Every room....so that Dolan and MSG can listen in on every conversation that execs or players or others are having.


It's really a huge joke how things are run.

Yeah I remember that. I got my wires crossed between this feed and the story that broke from what Isles posted last night about media treatment at MSG.

When can we talk about basketball with this crazy organization?

Geez man......there needs to be a nba investigation of the entire operation.....maybe even outside of the nba.

MSG has rights to do this stuff by low and will node on security concerns to justify this.
The problem is that by having this stuff in place they testify that the organization has a lot of dirt which must be hidden form general public. This degrades the organization and all people associated with it. In some respect all Knicks fans included.


[Edited by - arkrud on 01-23-2008 3:08 PM]