Knicks owner claims he 'doesn't really like' owning teams

In an interview with the New York Times, Dolan discussed the possibility of buying more sports franchises, but ultimately decided not to. "I don't really like owning teams," Dolan said, adding that he thought sports business was "kind of sleepy."

Who else doesn't like Dolan owning teams? A sizable number of Knicks fans. But in the interview, Dolan reiterated that anyone who holds up a sign urging him to sell the team would be ejected. Because those hurt his feelings.

Signs like "Sell the Team" — a rallying cry from long disgruntled fans — are "directed at, on a personal basis, the guy who's in charge — me."...

"If you held up a sign that says, you know, 'Play better, this team sucks,' you can do that. That's part of being a fan." 

The reason it is permissible to criticize the team but not the owner, Mr. Dolan said, is because insulting a group is different from insulting one person.

What Dolan seems to like is litigation. He recently settled two cases about allegations he'd deceived investors and spied on employees while building the MGM Sphere in Las Vegas. Dolan also banned attorneys from a whopping 90 firms engaged in lawsuits with his companies from entering Madison Square Garden — and uses facial recognition to track them.

They don't even have to be in legal battles. Dolan maintains a list of "offenders," ranging from Code 2 to Code 5 (Code 1 means VIP). Director Spike Lee is reportedly a Code 2, because he was critical of the team, but the Knicks got bad press for harassing him. 

A Merril Lynch stockbroker is a Code 3 because he once posted "Sell the team" on Dolan's band's Facebook page. Actor/podcaster Michael Rapaport is a Code 5, which means he's completely banned.

Dolan may find team ownership sleepy, but he's clearly energized by avenging perceived personal slights. It may be the only thing keeping him from selling the Knicks is to rub his continued ownership in the faces of everyone who told him to sell the Knicks.

He doesn't like owning teams, and his fans don't like him owning the team. Dolan and Knicks fans are a match made in hell.