NY Islanders Sale Talk ONLY Part IV **Post 400, Isles SOLD**

[periferal]

Such pessimists

We're still arguing about Brooklyn, we should be thankful Chuck will be out in 2 years and that we have a building to play in and that we're not in Kansas.

No pessimist here. Actually a realist who is finally cautiously excited about new ownership, and extremely upset with wang as I believe we were NEVER leaving NY and had we had a more competent owner we'd be going to play in an arena that is built for hockey.

 

[2ndGenIslander]

@DFriedmanOnNYI: Howie Rose with an #Isles interview you absolutely need to listen to: http://t.co/ARqmrVpSPH

slightly emotional listening to howie speak about saluting the fans who have been there through all of the hardships. it's going to be a sad year for us letting go

 

[Felix Unger]

No pessimist here. Actually a realist who is finally cautiously excited about new ownership, and extremely upset with wang as I believe we were NEVER leaving NY and had we had a more competent owner we'd be going to play in an arena that is built for hockey.

You're not a realist. No competent owner with that goal would have purchased that team at that time. Realists don't have that kind of hindsight.

 

[scott99]

slightly emotional listening to howie speak about saluting the fans who have been there through all of the hardships. it's going to be a sad year for us letting go

Yeah, I did get a little emotional listening to Howie speak, it brought back all the memories of all the games I've been to at the Coliseum. Regardless of what kind of dump the Coliseum has become, I still think of it very fondly. I've been going to games since 1978, so LOTS of GREAT memories. I still get that happy feeling walking into the arena and getting that first glimpse of the Coliseum ice. And, though I only go to one game a year, I still cherish every game I go to. Last few have been great for me, Tavares first game in 2009, Tavares hat trick against the Rangers, Tavares hat trick against the Devils, just some great games.

 

[MatthewBarnabysTears]

Yeah, I did get a little emotional listening to Howie speak, it brought back all the memories of all the games I've been to at the Coliseum. Regardless of what kind of dump the Coliseum has become, I still think of it very fondly. I've been going to games since 1978, so LOTS of GREAT memories. I still get that happy feeling walking into the arena and getting that first glimpse of the Coliseum ice. And, though I only go to one game a year, I still cherish every game I go to. Last few have been great for me, Tavares first game in 2009, Tavares hat trick against the Rangers, Tavares hat trick against the Devils, just some great games.

Also, it's worth noting that the current stadium trend is toward amenities that make these stadiums more profitable for owners, not necessarily amenities that make them more fan friendly. As a Mets fan, I'd much rather have Shea stadium — and the option to hop on a train at a whim, take in a game with $6 face-value tickets in the nosebleeds, even if my only food options are a pretzel, a hotdog, or popcorn — than Citi Field with its 15,000 fewer seats, luxury boxes, dining clubs and shake shack. NVMC is a different level of disrepair than was Shea, but I'll still miss the sight lines and cheap tickets.

 

[stranger34]

I still maintain, there is no better place to watch a hockey game than the coliseum. if they would have just upgraded the facilities and vastly expanded the concourse area it would have been just fine. but noooooooo, the need for more luxury boxes and a political pissing match drove them to brooklyn. now i gets no sleep 'til brooklyn.

For watching a hockey game I wouldn't trade the NVMC for any place in the world.

 

[stranger34]

also, it's worth noting that the current stadium trend is toward amenities that make these stadiums more profitable for owners, not necessarily amenities that make them more fan friendly. As a mets fan, i'd much rather have shea stadium — and the option to hop on a train at a whim, take in a game with $6 face-value tickets in the nosebleeds, even if my only food options are a pretzel, a hotdog, or popcorn — than citi field with its 15,000 fewer seats, luxury boxes, dining clubs and shake shack. Nvmc is a different level of disrepair than was shea, but i'll still miss the sight lines and cheap tickets.

this!^^

 

[lorwood]

I don't want them to do much more than sign their own guys and be a mid-range salary team. I'm not one of those that wants us to be the Brooklyn Rangers

I agree. But even mid range comes at a cost. I listen to sports radio and you hear fans (all sports not just hockey) talk about bargain players at 5 million a year or long term contracts at only 10 million a year and how their teams should sign these guys.

Of course a beer is going to cost 10 bucks and parking is going to be 20 bucks. And yes these teams need stadium/arena amenities that pay.

 

[periferal]

For watching a hockey game I wouldn't trade the NVMC for any place in the world.

...I would agree if you could guarantee me that my bladder wouldn't need any attention for 3 hours. Literally worst bathroom situation I've ever been a part of and that includes Mardi Gras.

 

[Sorge Georos]

As long as the ice on TV looks no different and the Isles are making more money...then again I have low standards.

 

[periferal]

It's ok to be disappointed, but seems like 95% of the league got new buildings in the last 15 years. It takes owners/politicians/sometimes voters. It didn't happen, move on. Nobody else stepped up as other options. It is what it is.

The islanders will go more corporate, less family circus, less kids. The tix prices will be 2,3,4,5x their cost at NVMC. Your burbanite team is toast...

I would love to "move on," but because I think wang made every wrong move in his quest to get an arena (and build a winner), I still cannot get over my anger with him. It won't happen until way after he's gone.

I honestly believe if we had a competent owner since 2000 that instead of being "horse-shoed" into Barclays, I honestly believe one of the following three things would have happened:

1. A brand new Colesium right next door to the current one
2. A new arena next to Citi Field
3. Barclays would have been built as a dual-sport arena

In any of those examples happened we wouldn't be debating seating/atmosphere and would feel like the arena we're playing in is actually our home, instead of feeling like we're sleeping on our friend's couch.

 

[Strummergas]

Time isn't the issue here since they will never fix Barclays to fully accommodate hockey the way it should be - With full 360 seating and no partial-view seating. The only way to do that is to literally knock down the eastern wall of the arena and move it out about 30-50 feet and rebuild.

Since that will NEVER happen, any change they make by October 2015 or after will be small potatoes - Minor cosmetic changes that won't alter the fact that you will never be able to sell seats behind the eastern goal. That means a quieter arena, less home-ice advantage, and a sub-par experience for the fan overall.

This should appear under your user name.

 

[periferal]

This should appear under your user name.

Nah. Not clear enough. I'd much prefer, "wang f*&^#d us."

 

[doublechili]

I will say that those corner sections are made of some moveable material, I know because my tickets for the Nets are right there. If they move them for concerts, etc... I imagine it would not be a feat of engineering to have another set of seats, facing properly, for the hockey setup.

I'm not an engineer though so I may be way off-base.

I've been saying they can fix the "wrong way" sections relatively easily. We went to Disney World a couple of years ago, and there was one ride at Epcot where everyone sits down in a large auditorium to watch an opening presentation, and then the walls open up and the seating breaks up into separate cars seating maybe 50-100 people and those then move through the ride separately.

So, I'd say having a couple of sections that can be rotated a bit should be within the realm of possibility.

 

[stranger34]

I would love to "move on," but because I think wang made every wrong move in his quest to get an arena (and build a winner), I still cannot get over my anger with him. It won't happen until way after he's gone.

I honestly believe if we had a competent owner since 2000 that instead of being "horse-shoed" into Barclays, I honestly believe one of the following three things would have happened:

1. A brand new Colesium right next door to the current one
2. A new arena next to Citi Field
3. Barclays would have been built as a dual-sport arena

In any of those examples happened we wouldn't be debating seating/atmosphere and would feel like the arena we're playing in is actually our home, instead of feeling like we're sleeping on our friend's couch.

Points 2 and 3 he really does deserve more blame for than he gets. He stuck his head in the sand for a long time and missed out on doing a local non-Nassau option correctly.

 

[MatthewBarnabysTears]

I love it when fans moan about ticket prices, luxury boxes,concession prices, parking prices and then shout how their team should be signing the big free agents.

You can't have it both ways.

I vehemently disagree. Two main points, the second of which I think is more important:


1. There are many drivers of team revenue that have nothing to do with gouging fans on concessions, parking, and tickets. Raising the price of concessions another $5 negatively affects fans way more than it actually benefits a team's budget.

2. We're talking about fantastically wealthy people who own sports teams as basically uber-expensive toys. Except for a few aberrant holdovers like Al Davis (or, I guess, the Yankees, which can basically mint their own money), modern sports franchises are not owned by entities or people that depend solely on the team for their wealthy/stability. Evaluating sports team decisions from a revenue/profit/loss standpoint misses the point. These aren't typical businesses. When Larry Ellisons spends millions on a new boat for the America's Cup or whatever, no one asks whether he made a profit from the venture. While I'm not saying that sports franchises must be run completely on behalf of the public, there's a middle ground that doesn't require us getting gouged in order for the team to have a normal budget.

 

[The Underboss]

http://islanderspointblank.com/isla...atulates-ledecky-malkin-on-purchase-of-isles/

 

[stranger34]

...I would agree if you could guarantee me that my bladder wouldn't need any attention for 3 hours. Literally worst bathroom situation I've ever been a part of and that includes Mardi Gras.

Go downstairs in between periods. It works like a charm

 

[BroadwayJay*]

Go downstairs in between periods. It works like a charm

Don't give that secret away!

 

[IslesRock4]

Don't give that secret away!

Only one year left, might as well let others in on it.

 

[MJF]

That 1975 team put them on the hockey map. Denis Potvin, Clark Gillies, Bobby Nystrom, Gary Howatt, Gerry Hart, Bert Marshall, Jeep, Billy Harris, Chico, Smitty et al.
Should get recognition from the fans on LI and at the Barn.

The fact that Wang will still be in the ownership/control mix is disturbing. Wang has to be given a job that will take p his time and not allow him to do any damage to hockey operations. If each owner was to have an operational position, Ledecky and Malkin would be executives on the corporate level but not the operational level, which would mean hiring a President or VP of hockey ops to be above the GM. Where does Wang fit in here?
I fear he believes he is a hockey genius with new and innovative ideas. Barclays will be handling the marketing and sales, so Wang needs to be assigned a job where he can't screw things up.
He is like genital herpes, never goes away. Grrrrrrrrr.

I guess I should load up on penicillin before I head to the Coliseum this season.

 

[MJF]

No pessimist here. Actually a realist who is finally cautiously excited about new ownership, and extremely upset with wang as I believe we were NEVER leaving NY and had we had a more competent owner we'd be going to play in an arena that is built for hockey.

Seconded!

 

[MJF]

I would love to "move on," but because I think wang made every wrong move in his quest to get an arena (and build a winner), I still cannot get over my anger with him. It won't happen until way after he's gone.

I honestly believe if we had a competent owner since 2000 that instead of being "horse-shoed" into Barclays, I honestly believe one of the following three things would have happened:

1. 
   [*]A brand new Colesium right next door to the current one
2. A new arena next to Citi Field
3. Barclays would have been built as a dual-sport arena

In any of those examples happened we wouldn't be debating seating/atmosphere and would feel like the arena we're playing in is actually our home, instead of feeling like we're sleeping on our friend's couch.

Seconded!

 

[stranger34]

Only one year left, might as well let others in on it.

Yes, sadly!

it's served me well over the years. Anyone who happens by the secret on this message board buried under 30 pages of Charles Wang is welcome to it.

 

[Strome18]

Who was paying for this brand new arena, right next door to the current one?

Not the County, which rejected both the privately financed proposal and publicly funded proposal.

Nassau did not want the Islanders. Crew has stated that perfectly. I like MJF and Perifal but what has happened has happened. It is time to bury that like the Coliseum.