October 3, 2007
N.Y. FANS MAY SAY: 'NO MSG' - The New York Post
Source: The New York Post
By: Peter Lauria
October 3, 2007 -- The New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden can expect to see declining ticket sales and a loss of advertisers thanks to the embarrassing sexual-harassment scandal, sports marketing pros told The Post.
"It was clear from the stuff that came out in the deposition that [Knicks coach Isiah Thomas and Cablevision CEO James Dolan] don't care about the Knicks fans," said Robert Tuchman, president of TSE Sports & Entertainment.
"There's just so much not to root for there that I'd be surprised if people weren't giving away their season tickets."
Tuchman said MSG could be much more profitable to Cablevision's shareholders but the Dolans run it very inefficiently because they view it as a little piece of the company's overall pie.
The verdict against Thomas, however, could finally force CEO Dolan to re-evaluate how MSG is run - and the Knicks coach's employment.
"Isiah has thought of every possible way to lose money for MSG, and this could be the final straw for him," Tuchman said.
Officially, the NBA's policies do not encompass civil litigation, so Thomas won't face any sanctions from the league. And for its part, Cablevision seems to be standing by the coach, saying in a statement that it would appeal the court's ruling and that the normal operations of MSG and the Knicks will continue.
The bad publicity for the Knicks and MSG has ramifications for two other local teams in Cablevision's cross hairs: the Nets and Yankees.
According to Tuchman, the verdict presents a huge opportunity for the New Jersey Nets to steal fans and advertisers from the Knicks ahead of their much-anticipated move to Brooklyn.
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