Madison Square Garden is playing host to a copaganda campaign that has infiltrated its sporting events and will culminate in a special concert on March 28, exclusively for officers and civilian employees of the New York City Police Department. Surely you can figure out which very rich person is responsible for this idea.
It was only by attending a New York Rangers game Monday night that I became aware of the "Thank You, NYPD" campaign. Compared to the usual ticket price for a hockey game at MSG, it was a relatively reasonable $55 to get in and witness Mika Zibanejad's 1,000th NHL regular-season game, a momentous occasion in which his team, the worst in the East, recorded a historically low total of nine shots on goal in a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators. The following morning, the Rangers were credited with one additional shot. Dignity restored.
During a break in the game, I was distracted by the video display's request that fans turn on their phone flashlights to thank the NYPD—a call to action that felt too stupid for a child to have suggested it. Then a QR code appeared on screen, and reappeared throughout the rest of the game, encouraging those in attendance to scan it and record their own videos thanking the NYPD. Who came up with this?
Well, it appears to be an idea from the one and only James Dolan, owner of the Rangers and Knicks as well as executive chairman of MSG Entertainment. The company announced the initiative on March 18, along with this quote from Dolan:
"There are times in our culture today when the dissenter's voice is louder than that of the majority. Such is the case with law enforcement, and in particular, the NYPD. Cries of 'defund the police' and other negative statements do not reflect the true feelings of New Yorkers. If that is what our cops are hearing and no one steps up to say otherwise, that can be disheartening. This concert to say, 'Thank You, NYPD' is designed to let our police know that we New Yorkers need, respect and appreciate their effort and service. It is not political. Just a sincere 'thank you' to our men and women in blue. New York would not be New York without you! Enjoy the show and know that we appreciate you."
Huh, I wonder what recent development in New York City politics might have led to this totally apolitical movement to tell everyone to love cops more. Since the original announcement, the Garden's social media accounts have posted videos of people thanking the NYPD, including St. John's head coach Rick Pitino and comedian Tracy Morgan. This campaign is running at Knicks games, too: There's a video featuring head coach Mike Brown, players Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns, and Knicks great Patrick Ewing.
During Monday's Rangers game, the jumbotron showed comedian Susie Essman (the only other celebrity announced in attendance was Matthew Modine—a slight crowd for a tough watch). Later in the night, MSG ran an in-studio interview with Essman, in which she promoted Saturday's "Thank You, NYPD" concert. The clip below does not include the part where Essman mentioned that New Yorkers could show support for the NYPD by walking up to an officer, any officer, and telling them they are appreciated. No, really.
Join born and bred New Yorker Susie Essman in showing your appreciation to the NYPD for their service to our great city by thanking the police in-person when you pass them on the street or by submitting your own thank you video at https://t.co/C4eyagGG5I 🗽 #ThankYouNYPD pic.twitter.com/N5U5U16kyX
— MSG (@TheGarden) March 24, 2026
Aside from Essman, this weekend's event will also feature musicians John Fogerty and Cyndi Lauper, who provided her own statement for the press release although it is not interesting enough to include here. Rapper Fat Joe will be there, as will comedians Chris Distefano and Sam Morril. Performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival is arguably more defensible than this; at least it pays really well. Is preference for Knicks courtside seats contingent on participation or something?
Anyway, if you'd like to submit a video thanking the NYPD, you can do so here; just make sure to read the waiver and release before submitting your face for Dolan's panopticon. Some possible things to be grateful for: Thank you, NYPD, for parking your vehicles on the sidewalk like dickheads. Thank you for crying about snowballs. Thank you for always being on your phones. Thank you for covering up crimes committed by your colleagues. Thank you for recently letting someone die in your custody after he allegedly stole incense. If there's any lasting message delivered by this campaign, may it be that we could stand to be meaner to both James Dolan and the NYPD.
Commoners who want to attend the special police concert are out of luck, because tickets are not available for public sale. According to the event FAQ, "alcohol will not be served" at the "Thank You, NYPD" event. Probably a wise choice.
