What's ironic about that? Just log in (it's even free). It would be ironic if you couldn't read the article because the NYT went out of business.
I'd vote for the irony because I can't opt out of signing in, I can't sign in with fbconnect, I can't use OAuth, I can only enter the walled garden that is NYT for no apparent benefit.
I guess it could be worse - all the NYT content could be paid subscription.