MSG, Cablevision chief Dolan rips Knicks fan for complaining in email

Tom Paine

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James Dolan/
Cablevision website

I had to wait and make sure that James Dolan, CEO of Cablevision Systems and Executive Chairman of MSG (Garden, Knicks, Rangers) actually wrote the email attributed to him in response to the fairly polite complaint of a long suffering Knicks fan. Deadspin first broke the story on Sunday. MSG confirmed that Dolan sent the emsil.

Dolan's response, dated January 23 and sent to retired computer salesman Irving Bierman, read:

"You are a sad person. Why would anybody write such a hateful letter. I am.just guessing but ill bet your life is a mess and you are a hateful mess. What have you done that anyone would consider positive or nice. I am betting nothing. In fact ill bet you are negative force in everyone who comes in contact with you. You most likely have made your family miserable. Alcoholic maybe. I just celebrated my 21 year anniversary of sobriety. You should try it. Maybe it will help you become a person that folks would like to have around. In the mean while start rooting.for the Nets because the Knicks dont want you."


The NBA has indicated it has no plans to discipline Dolan.

Despite the long, sad recent history of the Knicks (I think Jeremy Lin was the only bright spot, and they let him go), MSG has done well financially, and the value of its stock has more than tripled in the five years since it was spun off from Cablevision. And of course, the Rangers actually made it to the Stanley Cup finals last year. And MSG is considering a plan to break up its operations.

Last year, Dolan passed on the  title of President at Cablevision to another while remaining CEO, and his wife Kristin, from who he was separated at last report, became COO. Kristin Dolan is a long-time executive at the company.

When everybody started talking merger in the cable industry last year, there were some murmurs that Cablevision could be a seller at the right price. The most obvious buyer would be Comcast if it can complete the Time Warner Cable deal, since Cablevision would round out its New York metro footprint. But that would be tough to get past the regulators.

I'm sure Dolan won't need a job, but he might fit right in with Comcast customer service.


Update 2/14: Dolan addressed
the incident at a team charity event yesterday, the New York Post reported.

"I knew I shouldn’t have done that, but I did it anyway because it made me angry — it was a personal, hateful attack. Basically it’s over and we got All-Star Weekend. I’d love it if we all just focused on that."