Is the Barclay's Center going to be used for hockey too? I haven't kept up on it at all.
They have the Isles preseason game scheduled in October but that probably won't be played because of the lockout and they're hosting two KHL games in January.
As far as the interior goes I like MSG. It has more seats and the seats it does have don't look like they were placed together by a child who designed the building with lego bricks. Barclays has those press seating areas and funky sharp angles between sections, I'm sure it works for basketball but just doesn't look as good as a smoothly graded bowl.
As far as the interior goes I like MSG. It has more seats and the seats it does have don't look like they were placed together by a child who designed the building with lego bricks. Barclays has those press seating areas and funky sharp angles between sections, I'm sure it works for basketball but just doesn't look as good as a smoothly graded bowl.
Yeah I'm not really digging the interior of Barclays, it does look minor league. But the bowl (octogon?) is wrapped so tight that you'll probably be right over the action so it's probably going to be a decent place to watch a game
Yeah I'm not really digging the interior of Barclays, it does look minor league. But the bowl (octogon?) is wrapped so tight that you'll probably be right over the action so it's probably going to be a decent place to watch a game
The Barclays Center looks weird from the outside. I'm not too crazy about the inside either.... it's like the Prudential Center. Don't get me wrong... the Rock looks nice with the bright lights and wide concourse, but I hate how the upper deck is so high up where you're above the scoreboard. Barclays Center is the same. MSG is just right... they made the upper bowl a bit steeper to and 7-10 feet closer, but not as high. MSG will be amazing when it's done. Knicks & Rangers all the way! Screw the Nets, Devils, and Islosers!
Its nice. But it's capacity for an AHL affiliate, not an NHL club, within the city limits of one of the largest NHL hockey markets. If the Islanders move there, IMO they are commiting suicide.
There is no way the Islanders can compete with that.
Look how close that is. That is right in Rangers territory. Islanders would be commiting suicide.
What could be a very wise thing would be for the Rangers to leave Hartford as their AHL affiliate, put an AHL club in Brooklyn, a short cab ride back and forth for players being promoted and demoted. Brooklyn Wolfpack. "Come see the Rangers of tomorrow, today!".
Even further, when the ice facility in the Bronx is done, move the ECHL affiliate to the 5000+ seat arena there.
Practice facility in Tarry Town, NHL facility in Manhattan, AHL facility in Brooklyn, ECHL facility in Bronx.
Last edited by SupersonicMonkey*: 09-09-2012 at 01:02 PM.
I think if the Islanders permanently commit to Brooklyn they'll undergo an offseason renovation to bump its capacity up a few thousand. It's not outside the realm of possibility. This is just a trial. And they're barely selling out the 16k+ coliseum. It'd look better if they sell out an arena with 2000 less seats then having 2000 empty seats.
Barclay's Center is (approximately) the same footprint as US Airways Center in Phoenix. The seats at one end (up high) will be obstructed view. The lower arena will be a mess.
the colisseum is such a dump at this point anyway that I'm pretty sure in a couple years the islanders will have no choice but to move out of it... I know their lease goes till 2015, but I don't think the building will even be deemed usable by then. its the OLDEST NHL facility in the league... Perhaps the league can assist them with moving.
MSG is going to kick ass... until the bridges get put it in.....
What could be a very wise thing would be for the Rangers to leave Hartford as their AHL affiliate, put an AHL club in Brooklyn, a short cab ride back and forth for players being promoted and demoted. Brooklyn Wolfpack. "Come see the Rangers of tomorrow, today!".
Even further, when the ice facility in the Bronx is done, move the ECHL affiliate to the 5000+ seat arena there.
Practice facility in Tarry Town, NHL facility in Manhattan, AHL facility in Brooklyn, ECHL facility in Bronx.
There is no way Prokhorov lets the Rangers minor league team play in Barclays. No way in hell.
The upper deck looks pretty steep going off of this pic:
Yeah it looks pretty good. The layout plus the steepness of the upper level remind me a lot of Arthur Ashe. It does seem a little weird they have to shift the ice to one side for a hockey configuration though.
I do think they missed a huge opportunity by not going with the original Frank Gehry designed arena. That would've been the only facility like that in the world, with a rooftop ice rink with views of the skyline...It'll still probably be pretty good, but like a lot of modern arenas - nothing special. Still excited to check it out when it opens though.
The outside of Barclay's looks like the Brady Bunch house.
__________________
"Trust me I'm an expert, I watched 13 rangers games on NHL center Ice this year through streaming." -Starburst
"I don't even understand what the point of all this arguing is. Are you guys hoping that the other side is going to have an epiphany and go 'Oh, OH! You're right, we ARE going to lose this series!'" -Crease
Barclay's is nothing more than leverage for a new building in either Nassau or Flushing.
I think for Wang, it's Nassau or bust. He's using the Islanders to get his way with Nassau county politicians. If they ever get a new, publicly funded (or partially aided) arena, I would bet Wang would sell the team a few years afterwards. Right now, the value is very low, whereas a team in a new arena would bring top dollar.
Good luck selling your franchise to folks who, if they are hockey fans, are undoubtedly Rangers fans.
The Americans in an attempt to save themselves changed their name to the Brooklyn Americans, to try to appeal to Brooklyn-ites. They were already Rangers fans. They still played in MSG. But had they physically moved to Brooklyn nothing would have changed.
Who honestly believes a move several miles deeper into the Rangers market is wise for a team that can barely draw while they are in their own market on the Island.
This isn't like NFL or MLB where the two teams are in separate conferences or leagues. The NHL is one league.
Its suicide.
Basketball is an inner-city sport. NYC can support two teams.
