The perma-ban was a bit harsh, but posting that in the middle of integrity crisis probably wasn't the best idea. I'm sure Tony intentions were good, but there should be a clear separation between fans and the industry. Especially in a site with traffic like Neogaf.
No it wasn't. He was on thin ice the entire time he was here (as awesome as his customer service is/was), it was just a matter of time and that happened to be the breaking point.