Madison Square Garden, an NYC oasis, became the real 'island of garbage' yesterday

Having lived in New York City now for over 30 years, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been to Madison Square Garden. I’ve been to New York Ranger hockey games, New York Knicks basketball games, a Billy Joel concert and others, as well as many events that were held in and around the arena.

And I’ve walked by it countless times — probably thousands of times. And I’ve stood in a smoldering Penn Station more times than I care to remember. It is an iconic destination in Manhattan. It, in many ways, is an island unto itself.

Sunday, that oasis of happiness in the middle of the city became an island of garbage, defiled by 20,000 hateful Americans who cheered at a litany of racist, homophobic, xenophobia, and misogynistic remarks uttered by a string of bigoted, destructive white men vomiting hate at former President Donald Trump’s vanity-fueled “rally.” I quote the word rally because instead of white sheets with holes, the attendees at this simile of a KKK rally were wearing blood-red MAGA hats.

Attendees at the rally lapped up a slew of derogatory comments that stoked racial tensions and reflected the inflammatory tone that is a hallmark at these events. Vice President Kamala Harris said it best during the debate when she challenged viewers to attend a Trump rally and see for themselves the kind of rhetoric that is tossed around like garbage in the back of a sanitation truck.

The pseudo-Klan rally began as it should, with jokes from a twisted comedian who said Puerto Rico was a “floating island of garbage” and he then drifted into stereotypical language that Latine women have too many babies. Then the hate speech escalated, with derogatory use of “watermelon” slung at a Black man in the crowd, Hillary Clinton as a “sick son-of-b--ch.” And Harris obliquely equated to a sex worker and referred to as the “devil” and the “Antichrist.”

And of course, our community gets trashed at these rallies. For example, Florida MAGA Congressman Byron Donalds threw garbage at us, saying, “I’ll be damned if you’re gonna have some school tell my boys that they can now be girls. Not on my watch. Not on the watch of Donald Trump.”

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Then it was Trump’s turn to speak — for 78 minutes — and maybe it was the size of the venue, but his outright and dangerous lies and threats seemed bigger and more ominous than they’ve ever been. Listening to the consummate professional that she is, CNN’s Dana Bash — who was there — talk about what she was hearing and seeing was mind-numbing. You could hear the quiver in her voice.

Watching all the dark, sick, and frightening talk that emanated from such a place that is usually equated with happiness, made me so very, very sad. And angry too.

Madison Square Garden is all about happiness. It’s been home to numerous iconic moments in sports and entertainment over the past 30 years, including Jay-Z's 9/11 benefit concert, a powerful tribute that doubled as a celebration of resilience in New York City. A far, far cry from Sunday.

Kevin Hart broke comedy records with his three sold-out shows in 2012, becoming one of the few comedians to reach that level of success at MSG. In 1994, NBA legend Reggie Miller staged a legendary performance against the New York Knicks, famously taunting Knicks superfan Spike Lee, which remains an unforgettable basketball moment. The Garden has hosted other massive pop culture moments. And while other musicians had residencies in Las Vegas, proud New York native Billy Joel had his at MSG.

I even met Joel on his way to MSG to perform one evening, and I even got a picture with him.

However, MSG's history also includes a much darker chapter. In 1939, a pro-Nazi rally held there brought 20,000 supporters under the guise of promoting "Americanism." The rally featured swastikas and anti-Semitic rhetoric, creating an eerie spectacle that starkly contrasted with the diverse, inclusive image MSG normally projects today. This event remains a disturbing reminder of how influential spaces can sometimes be co-opted for sinister purposes.

That’s what happened yesterday. The same number — 20,000 supporters — also showed up yesterday, to an event that was purportedly “American,” filled with hateful rhetoric that was the very definition of an eerie spectacle.

It will take a while for those of us who live in NYC to forget about yesterday. The Knicks and the Rangers seasons are starting, but before they do, I hope that MSG uses the same protocols that airlines used to do between flights during COVID, disinfecting the entire arena — every seat, nook, and cranny — not once, not twice, but three times.

And I suppose the workers who clean MSG won’t have to take out the garbage, because it was taken out when Trump, his retinue of hatemongers, and 20,000 supporters left the building.

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