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Two Barclays Center stories: celebrity justice & an "exclusive" straw ban

As the New York Post put it yesterday, Conor McGregor dodges jail in Barclays Center bus attack. Bleacher Report called it a "slap on the wrist."

Yes, after tossing a hand truck at a bus after a Barclays Center promotional event last April, breaking glass and injuring people, Irish MMA fighter McGregor pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct--a violation, not a crime--a significant step down from initial felony counts of assault, criminal mischief, and reckless endangerment.

In case you don't remember, there was video. (And he also was accused of hitting a security guard.)
“Thank you to the District Attorney’s Office for allowing me to move forward,” McGregor told fans and media, reported the Post. “I want to say thank you to my friends, family and my fans for allowing me to move forward.”

His lawyer claimed McGregory didn't get special treatment. A spokesman for the Brooklyn District Attorney claimed, “This is a fair resolution that holds the defendant accountable, ensures restitution for the victims and requires the defendant to perform community service where he can reflect on his conduct and give back to society." The five-day community service component is unclear as of now.

A commenter on Bleacher Report put it plainly: " I never consider myself perfect, if I were to throw a trolley through a bus and cause that scene, guranteed I would go to jail. My money and status would not save me but it did to Connor. That is what my issue is, if you have money, you can get out of anything."

Indeed: #celebrityjustice.

An exclusive on straws

Bannered as a "Metro Exclusive," the New York Post yesterday reported Barclays Center banning plastic straws in first for NYC venues. In this case, "exclusive" meant an early look at a press release.

So Barclays Center will ban straws by the end of the year, ahead of any city requirement. That's a good thing, but it's also a media opportunity. Which might have helped distract people from some other Barclays news, right?

The press release

July 26, 2018
BARCLAYS CENTER AND NYCB LIVE TO ELIMINATE USE OF PLASTIC STRAWS AT ALL EVENTS
BROOKLYN (July 26, 2018) – Barclays Center and NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum will eliminate single-use plastic straws at all events by 2019, becoming the first sports and entertainment venues in the New York area to make this commitment. The move will divert from landfill the combined 5.5 million straws used annually by the two venues. Levy Restaurants, the venue’s food and beverage provider, will offer guests a strawless lid or alternative-material straw option, which will be compostable, upon request.

“Since opening Barclays Center, sustainability has been a priority and a core value for our company,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of BSE Global. “I want to thank BSE Advisory Board member Adrian Grenier, co-founder of Lonely Whale, for inspiring us to be a leader in this movement.”

This initiative is an added facet to the already robust sustainability platforms at both venues. Barclays Center was the first arena in New York to be LEED® Silver Certified and, in partnership with waste management technology company Recycle Track Systems (RTS), uses composting and single-stream recycling solutions in the venue. The arena’s culinary paper products, provided by Eco-Products, are compostable, and the venue’s green roof, the largest on any entertainment venue nationwide, reduces the amount of storm water runoff from the building by close to two million gallons per year.

In 2013, the U.S. Green Building Congress awarded LEED® Silver Certification for New Construction to Barclays Center for its sustainable design and construction methods. Barclays Center was recognized in five environmental categories, including: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality, along with innovation and design.

NYCB LIVE, which reopened in April 2017 after a $180 million renovation, features a striking steel façade that is made of nearly 100% recycled material, while some 50 percent of the demolition material from the renovation was diverted, sorted and recycled. The venue worked with Ecologic Solutions to install electro-chemically activated cleaning technology, utilizing salt water and electricity to produce an all-purpose cleaning detergent and sanitizer disinfectant onsite, reducing the amount of packaging and waste associated with these purchases.

National Grid is the presenting sponsor of the Barclays Center Green Program, which reemphasizes Barclays Center’s commitment to the beautification of Brooklyn communities through a variety of events.

AEG 1EARTH, AEG’s leading company-wide sustainability program, has served as an advisor on this initiative for both venues. Today, more than 80 sports and entertainment venues, teams and festivals around the world track monthly environmental performance metrics through the AEG 1EARTH program.

BSE Global will be eliminating single-use plastic straws in its corporate office as well.

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