Madison Square Garden: Sort of like Italy in the 1930s

January 22nd, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

The life of a New York Knicks beat reporter is pretty brutal these days. (If you remember, this was brilliantly detailed back in November by the New York Observer.) So brutal, in fact, that a reporter simply trying to you know, report and do his job, is a difficult task. For shame. Take what Newsday’s Ken Berger encountered yesterday at MSG when some Giants players attended the Knicks-Celtics tilt: (warning: super long, yet super important blockquote to follow)

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.

A reporter getting his credential torn off his neck? Why, that’s like a kindergarten teacher taking away Timmy’s gold star; it’s all they’ve got, man. In any event, I am now wholly convinced MSG in 2008 is no different than Italy under Benito Mussolini. Watch out Albania, the Knicks Army is coming for you!

{HT: Can’t Stop the Bleeding.}