Barclays vs MSG for the NBA All-Star Game: Round 1!
Roshow | Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 2:00PM 
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio fired the first shot in what’s sure to be a long, drawn out battle between Barclays and MSG for the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. In a letter to the NBA Commissioner David Stern, the mayoral candidate and Brooklynite de Blasio argued that “Choosing Barclays would ... ensure that the NBA does not give a tacit stamp of approval to the unfair, anti-worker policies of the owner of Madison Square Garden.”
He is referencing MSG owner and head of Cablevision James Dolan’s recent tangles with unionized workers. Amongst the controversies Dolan has faced in the past year is the firing of 22 Cablevision employees. The union laborers claim they were protesting workplace grievances but Cablevision says they were fired for insubordination. Cablevision is also supporting attempts to decertify the union.
As you can imagine, this makes for excellent fodder that de Blasio has no problem using in the battle for the All-Star Game. He goes on to frame his bid for the Barclay in hyperbolized terms of morality: “We have a responsibility to stand up to such injustices — not reward (Dolan) with the privilege of hosting an event as popular and prestigious as the 2015 NBA All-Star game.”
But at least de Blasio also takes time to break down what this shit is really about: “Brooklyn would make a compelling host for the 2015 NBA All-Star Game, even without these pressing concerns. I urge you to do right by fans in the outer-boroughs.”
It’s on. Stay tuned for the craziness that’s sure to follow in the coming months.
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