Tom Brokaw Slams Cablevision CEO/Knicks Owner's Family: "They Operate As If They Were A Sovereign Country"

Tom Brokaw slammed Cablevision CEO — and New York Knicks owner — James Dolan for poor management of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden that have led him to give up his long-held season tickets.

In an interview with XM Satellite Radio's Jim Gray, Brokaw said, "I won't renew because I don't like the attitude that that ownership has brought to the community. I just think that they have failed their obligation to the city....[Yankees and Mets owners] bring to the community winning teams as best they can and make real statements about being supportive of the community. I don't think that the Dolans have done that, and I think the Garden has lost a lot of its luster....They get these huge prices for people to sit in those seats, all kinds of tax advantages to owning the Garden, and yet they operate as if they were a sovereign country and want to play only by their own rules. So I'm not very happy about that."

via Page Six

Comments

[Peddler]

It is a competitive business, Tom.......­.you should know......­...you made it a career....­....and did very well under a similar system that you know feel obligated to critize. It is all about MONEY Tom.......­money trumphs everything.

[biglover]

The headlines for this story are very misleading. I was hoping Brokaw was talking about MSNBC and the other cable tv stations who do nothing but play the same story over and over and over again, all the time ignoring the real news.

Blahhhh

[AbdulScarface]

Welcome to the Huffpost where you don't take anything at it's face value. You have to read the story to get the full scope of it. Even though i'm a regular on the site because I simply love it, I always fall on the same trap every single time. The good thing is that I've read more story(some of them quite interesting) by being lure like that.
Go huffpost go

[RoseMerry]

Yet another low for HuffPo.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

biglover

I think you read the headlines too fast. It is very clear what Brokaw was talking about. It did not say what you wanted him to say. HuffPost can not please all the people all the time.

I will make a suggestion you might want to consider. First write to MSNBC's Chief Exc. Officer (CEO),
and the other cable TV stations CEOs just what you stated here at the end of your sentence. Also add what you will do unless they provide you with better or quality service you expect. If not do what I do. I never purchased cable or direct TV. I have family and friends playing high prices for poor services.
I didn't want to spend my hard earned money to purchase stress and unhappy times from people who I would be allowing in my home to made me feel this way.
I was right, I hear more people are not happy with the services they are paying for. When they have the power to make a difference.

It is like that in the government. We the people are always looking for others to take the lead, and they keep waiting, and waiting and waiting.

Support your local community organizer if you turn off cable services. That is where the power truly is. You do have a voice.

[kozmik]

When it comes to Brokaw's season basketball tickets...­.

Brokaw is mad as hell, and not going to take it anymore!!!

Corporate media consolidation, not so much a problem for him, as long as the $10 Million checks don't bounce and the hours are good.

[GoreyFantod]

How about giving the Dolans a real incentive to put some money back into the facility. Start by taking away the tax breaks. Then I'd like to see Brokaw renew the tickets and give them away to working-class, life-long fans who would otherwise never be able to afford the seats that his dilettante azz gets to sit in.

I bet the Garden would start to look pretty spiffy in a hurry if there were zero fat cats & celebrities there for the cameras to show on teevee & the Dolans had to demonstrate that they're not just pocketing the public financing.

[kozmik]

I don't care if he has season tickets. Glad he's a fan.

Network news is garbage though. Propaganda and fluff. People wind up less informed and more confused for having wasted the time watching it. Real brain rot.

[NotMyPrez]

Pat Buchanan is a squinty eyed doosh. How he got those votes in Florida in '00 is beyond me...oh wait, voter fraud and alla that.

[magen]

Brokaw is such an idiot.

He only "gets it" if it effects a sports team he likes.

Corporations ARE the new countries.

[piquet]

Why is he an idiot?...h­e was asked a question. He's not blogging this or starting a crusade.

YOU people need to get the fuck off your high horses and allow the same autonomy you enjoy expressing your opinions about things you're passionate about.
The irony is...you probably agree with him. Considering he is a customer of a product that has obviously taken their consumers for grated and dialed down the quality of product for the all mighty dollar.
Hmmmm...so­und familiar( see "Corporation" comment)

[kozmik]

"Corporations ARE the new countries.­"

Exactly. You'll never hear Brokaw crow about media consolidation, continual erosion of journalism and increased sensationalism, the spinelessness of corporate news executives, and so on.

But when it comes to his season tickets, Brokaw is mad as hell, and not going to take it anymore!!!

[TrevorAlan]

He complains about these mega media companies when his poor knicks are doing bad, but where was he when these empires were being created and gobbling up real news coverage and turning it into product that had to produce a profit.

Its not that I don't agree with him, but this is the trivial end of the media empire mess. He'd better be careful or he'll have to start examining his own part in the way the OTHER part of certain media empires let more Americans down, and what part HE played in that.

[aicon]

News & media consolidation cronyism and corruption. Go pay more at the pump and at the games you bunch of idiots. More money into an endless war.

You will never wake up and the next elections will be stolen also, so that the GOP can continue his crimes. Never seen people as stupid. Brokaw is right on target.

http://www.uncountedthemovie.com/trailer.html

[Dunnage]

Knicks tickets go up and a light goes on. Brokaw hasn't lost a step.

[Kungfublood]

Waaa.Beep whaa beep said the robot creep to the robot sheep!

[nellpost]

Who does monitor (and they need it, in my opinion!) the cable news people? Someone needs to.

[NYC80]

Knicks will be a mess for the next 5 to 7 years. Thomas destroyed this franchise which is bad news for the NBA.

[sickofallofit]

You mean like he destroyed the Pacers franchise? If Dolan & the Knicks were blind to this then they got what they deserved. The Pacers are still trying to recover from the short time Isiah was there.

[mariemburns]

Oh, boo hoo. Brokaw should look closer to home at, say, msnbc who continues to employ & give air time to racist commentator Pat Buchanan & whose idea of a fair-&-balanced morning host is a self-aggrandizing Red Neck Riviera Republican who was a vociforous impeachment prosecutor. If Brokaw & Co. want to know why viewership is down, here's one viewer who doesn't watch msnbc or nbc news any more because I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid & I'm not supporting racism.

[rjlwis]

How can you leap from the opinions of a disgruntled former season ticket holder to the hiring practices of a news organization? Where's the connection? Mr. Brokaw wishes to not invest in an organization that has shown no interest in improving their product. that is his right. Mr. Brokaw works for NBC/MSNBC and has no invested interest on its operation. Fact is, MSNBC allows viewpoints from other sides to give a true balanced presentation of issues. Where is that done on Fox snooze? Branding someone as "racist" is a serious charge. It should never be thrown around only on the basis of not agreeing with another's political viewpoint.

[mariemburns]

Obviously you haven't read Buchanan's recent article in which he said 'black folks' should be 'grateful' for all the welfare checks & other great opportunities we nice white people gave them. And that doesn't scratch the surface of all the other racist remarks he's committed to print. Get your facts straight before you criticize others, rjlwis. Opinions are meaningless when not backed up by a solid factual foundation.

[rjean]

pat buchanan is a C R E D I T to keith four eyes bloviating hot air lying blabberman­..........­......

and chrissy i want to be a senator matthews..­......

and that creep david pimped out schuster..­..........­.......

[jkb246]

You tell em Tom. The NBA should force them to sell the Knicks to the citizens of NYC. It can be like the Green Bay Packers