DOLAN A BULLY, BUT I’M STILL A FAN
Barred from Garden, Knicks loyalist sees win in Miami, has message for boss
You can’t keep a real Knicks fan down. Lawyer Larry Hutcher, a four-decade season ticket holder now banished from Madison Square Garden, was in Miami to watch Jalen Brunson and Co. defeat the Heat last week — and he sent a courtside message to MSG CEO James Dolan.
“Hey Dolan a ban can’t stop this Knick fan,” read a handwritten sign Hutcher hoisted from his seat last Friday.
Hutcher was back in New York and back in court Tuesday in his legal battle to reclaim his perch at the World’s Most Famous Arena after his fifth-row seats were yanked by the Garden last October.
“I’m disappointed,” said Hutcher, who has yet to see the resurgent Knicks live in MSG this year. “It’s incredible that [Dolan] acts in such imperious ways. What I know, what I learned, is bullies always end up getting what they deserve.”
Hutcher, who was booted for representing ticket resellers in a lawsuit against the Garden, watched the red-hot Knicks’ 122-120 victory over the Heat while in Florida for the Coalition for Ticket Fairness Conference.
“I really missed the Knicks and I wanted to go,” he said of his decision. “I’ve been a loyal fan for 47 years, supported the Knicks through thick and thin. And the thing is I should be treated better.”
Hutcher, 71, became a Knicks season ticket holder during the 1975-76 season in his seats behind the basket. But he was barred along with 59 law firm colleagues over the pending legal action and forced to watch Knicks’ home games on television.
His loyalty stood the test of time as the hometown hoopsters struggled for decades, with their last NBA title coming in 1973 during the waning days of Mayor John Lindsay’s administration.
In January, Dolan defended his use of facial recognition technology to bar lawyers involved in litigation against him from the Garden and his other entertainment venues.
“People say, ‘You’re so sensitive, you shouldn’t defend yourself,’ “he said at the time. “It’s like something out of ‘The Godfather’ — like it’s only business. The Garden has to defend itself.”
MSG, in a statement after the ban was imposed, said the organization has “both a right and and an obligation to protect itself during litigation procedures.”
Hutcher remained optimistic that his court battle will end with a win, adding he expects a ruling on the case within the next month. If it happens, he hopes to see the Knicks in the playoffs despite his dispute with management.
“If I fly on the airline JetBlue, they treat me nice,” he said. “American Express, they treat me like a valued member. The Garden is the only place where loyal fans are banned.”