Well they made it sound like it was NEW news. I mean I knew that they were working on getting the arena built but last night/this morning were the first I heard of actually putting a shovel in the ground and a date of when the arena will actually open it's doors. That's been out for a while now? I guess I missed it. Or XM missed it for a few months and just decided to report it.
Like I said in a previous post, I will listen to what you (or anyone else living in Canada) has to say about this first and foremost since you are surrounded by it on a daily basis.
Bob McCowan has been talking about this a lot over the last couple months and it was all known to be happening it just hadn't been made 'official' until the last little while. He's even heard sources that are telling him there are broadcast crews being put together already for next year. To me, the bigger news is that the group there has several million to renovate the colisee as the interim arena. That tells me they aren't waiting for the Isles and that they expect Phx next year.
1. Phoenix has an arena. A brand new one with tons of luxury boxes and POTENTIAL for a big revenue stream.
2. Phoenix is Bettman's "baby" so to speak. His whole thing since he took over was to expand the game to the southern states. In his eyes, if the Coyotes fail, he fails. Atlanta already failed. He's doing everything in his power to make sure that doesn't happen again.
Phoenix having a brand new arena full of suites is more of a disadvantage to them than an advantage. Phoenix has had that new building for quite some time, since before the lockout, and that franchise, with some pretty good teams making playoff runs, STILL loses money hand over fist. They have a new arena with all the amenties, so a new owner wouldnt even have to pay a cent for one, yet still no prospective owner wants to touch that franchise. That says a lot about their viability. It says that there really isnt much that you can do to make that franchise profitable. They have a playoff team in a state of the art building and they lose money, and nobody wants to own them.
The Islanders, on the other hand have NEVER had a building that was up to date with revenue generating amenities. Our building has 30 suites when the league average for the smallest market teams in the league is about 70. Our building has 0 club seats, when the league average is over 2,000. Our building has 0 revenue generating amenities (restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges) on the scale of what newer buildings today have. Our team has sucked balls for nearly two straight decades. There is tremendous room for improvement with the Islanders franchise, especially with the owners of a building 7 minutes from Wall Street publicly courting the team at every possible opportunity. You put the Islanders in that building in Brooklyn, and all of a sudden they go from the suburbs to the most populated area on planet earth. The number of suites expands from 30 to 104. The number of club seats expands from 0 to 3,000. The number of revenue generating amenities expands from 0 to whatever the gaudy number the Barclays center has is. Yes there would be a loss of 1,500 in capacity overall, but losing 1,500 "regular" seats is literally peanuts when youre talking about a massive increase in club seats and suites. Business aimed seating. The sale of one luxury box or 10 season ticket club seat accounts is probably enough by itself to cover the loss of 1,500 seats for regular fans paying regular fan prices. And then finally, there is the ability for this product on the ice to drastically improve. This team being a playoff team obviously means a ton more fan interest, a ton more sellouts, (especially in that building with a tiny capacity) higher prices paid from the first row to the last, more merch sold, etc. Just about every aspect of this franchise has room for drastic financial improvement that can be achieved by staying in the area. What part of the Coyotes can be drastically financially improved staying in Phoenix. They already have all the suites, club seats, and amenities your heart can desire, they have a playoff caliber hockey team, and they still lose money.
Phoenix having a brand new arena full of suites is more of a disadvantage to them than an advantage. Phoenix has had that new building for quite some time, since before the lockout, and that franchise, with some pretty good teams making playoff runs, STILL loses money hand over fist. They have a new arena with all the amenties, so a new owner wouldnt even have to pay a cent for one, yet still no prospective owner wants to touch that franchise. That says a lot about their viability. It says that there really isnt much that you can do to make that franchise profitable. They have a playoff team in a state of the art building and they lose money, and nobody wants to own them.
The Islanders, on the other hand have NEVER had a building that was up to date with revenue generating amenities. Our building has 30 suites when the league average for the smallest market teams in the league is about 70. Our building has 0 club seats, when the league average is over 2,000. Our building has 0 revenue generating amenities (restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges) on the scale of what newer buildings today have. Our team has sucked balls for nearly two straight decades. There is tremendous room for improvement with the Islanders franchise, especially with the owners of a building 7 minutes from Wall Street publicly courting the team at every possible opportunity. You put the Islanders in that building in Brooklyn, and all of a sudden they go from the suburbs to the most populated area on planet earth. The number of suites expands from 30 to 104. The number of club seats expands from 0 to 3,000. The number of revenue generating amenities expands from 0 to whatever the gaudy number the Barclays center has is. Yes there would be a loss of 1,500 in capacity overall, but losing 1,500 "regular" seats is literally peanuts when youre talking about a massive increase in club seats and suites. Business aimed seating. The sale of one luxury box or 10 season ticket club seat accounts is probably enough by itself to cover the loss of 1,500 seats for regular fans paying regular fan prices. And then finally, there is the ability for this product on the ice to drastically improve. This team being a playoff team obviously means a ton more fan interest, a ton more sellouts, (especially in that building with a tiny capacity) higher prices paid from the first row to the last, more merch sold, etc. Just about every aspect of this franchise has room for drastic financial improvement that can be achieved by staying in the area. What part of the Coyotes can be drastically financially improved staying in Phoenix. They already have all the suites, club seats, and amenities your heart can desire, they have a playoff caliber hockey team, and they still lose money.
Phoenix's issue is it was incredibly mismanaged by Gretzky and Barnett, the new building was built away from the downtown area and away from the higher earnings income areas of Phoenix, and that Moyles put the team in bankruptcy during the recession.
The biggest factor is the inherent damage done to the team since the bankruptcy and loss of fans appetite when they don't know whether the team is going or staying. Most attend bc they know in short order they will never see a NHL hockey team again once they go. Why? B/c the arena is not a feasible location for consistent activity such as a hockey team. The cardinals play in the same parking lot, but due to footballs limited schedule people don't care about traveling 8 times a season. 41 times plus weeknights? Damn right they do.
The arena is in the wrong area, which is why an ownership wants concessions from Glendale since they are the ones that have by default created this mess.
The Islanders, on the other hand have NEVER had a building that was up to date with revenue generating amenities. Our building has 30 suites when the league average for the smallest market teams in the league is about 70. Our building has 0 club seats, when the league average is over 2,000. Our building has 0 revenue generating amenities (restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges) on the scale of what newer buildings today have. Our team has sucked balls for nearly two straight decades. There is tremendous room for improvement with the Islanders franchise, especially with the owners of a building 7 minutes from Wall Street publicly courting the team at every possible opportunity. You put the Islanders in that building in Brooklyn, and all of a sudden they go from the suburbs to the most populated area on planet earth. The number of suites expands from 30 to 104. The number of club seats expands from 0 to 3,000. The number of revenue generating amenities expands from 0 to whatever the gaudy number the Barclays center has is. Yes there would be a loss of 1,500 in capacity overall, but losing 1,500 "regular" seats is literally peanuts when youre talking about a massive increase in club seats and suites. Business aimed seating. The sale of one luxury box or 10 season ticket club seat accounts is probably enough by itself to cover the loss of 1,500 seats for regular fans paying regular fan prices. And then finally, there is the ability for this product on the ice to drastically improve. This team being a playoff team obviously means a ton more fan interest, a ton more sellouts, (especially in that building with a tiny capacity) higher prices paid from the first row to the last, more merch sold, etc. Just about every aspect of this franchise has room for drastic financial improvement that can be achieved by staying in the area. .
Great post. Explains the situation very well.
Yet, some will wrongly always think it's about tenant only and seating capacity.
Bob McCowan has been talking about this a lot over the last couple months and it was all known to be happening it just hadn't been made 'official' until the last little while. He's even heard sources that are telling him there are broadcast crews being put together already for next year. To me, the bigger news is that the group there has several million to renovate the colisee as the interim arena. That tells me they aren't waiting for the Isles and that they expect Phx next year.
See now that makes perfect sense. And if this does happen next year, that's one step closer to the Isles staying in the area. I wasn't aware that they had a plan in place to renovate le colisee immediately to bring a team in next year. As all signs point to the Coyotes situation getting more dire by the day, the NHL and Bettman might not have a choice come summertime than to let them leave.
You just have to hope this actually happens. Something tells me the league and Quebec have some sort of agreement that NHL hockey will be back in that city in the near future. You don't just go build a $400 million arena without at least a 95% chance of being able to fill it with a main tenant... unless you are Kansas City.
Phoenix's issue is it was incredibly mismanaged by Gretzky and Barnett, the new building was built away from the downtown area and away from the higher earnings income areas of Phoenix, and that Moyles put the team in bankruptcy during the recession.
The biggest factor is the inherent damage done to the team since the bankruptcy and loss of fans appetite when they don't know whether the team is going or staying. Most attend bc they know in short order they will never see a NHL hockey team again once they go. Why? B/c the arena is not a feasible location for consistent activity such as a hockey team. The cardinals play in the same parking lot, but due to footballs limited schedule people don't care about traveling 8 times a season. 41 times plus weeknights? Damn right they do.
The arena is in the wrong area, which is why an ownership wants concessions from Glendale since they are the ones that have by default created this mess.
That is also true. Location, location, location in it's finest example. Put that arena downtown Phoenix and the story would most likely have a different outcome. It's the same reason the Garden is sold out night in, night out regardless of whether the Knicks or rags are any good.
The Islanders, on the other hand have NEVER had a building that was up to date with revenue generating amenities. Our building has 30 suites when the league average for the smallest market teams in the league is about 70. Our building has 0 club seats, when the league average is over 2,000. Our building has 0 revenue generating amenities (restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges) on the scale of what newer buildings today have. Our team has sucked balls for nearly two straight decades. There is tremendous room for improvement with the Islanders franchise, especially with the owners of a building 7 minutes from Wall Street publicly courting the team at every possible opportunity. You put the Islanders in that building in Brooklyn, and all of a sudden they go from the suburbs to the most populated area on planet earth. The number of suites expands from 30 to 104. The number of club seats expands from 0 to 3,000. The number of revenue generating amenities expands from 0 to whatever the gaudy number the Barclays center has is. Yes there would be a loss of 1,500 in capacity overall, but losing 1,500 "regular" seats is literally peanuts when youre talking about a massive increase in club seats and suites. Business aimed seating. The sale of one luxury box or 10 season ticket club seat accounts is probably enough by itself to cover the loss of 1,500 seats for regular fans paying regular fan prices. And then finally, there is the ability for this product on the ice to drastically improve. This team being a playoff team obviously means a ton more fan interest, a ton more sellouts, (especially in that building with a tiny capacity) higher prices paid from the first row to the last, more merch sold, etc. Just about every aspect of this franchise has room for drastic financial improvement that can be achieved by staying in the area. What part of the Coyotes can be drastically financially improved staying in Phoenix. They already have all the suites, club seats, and amenities your heart can desire, they have a playoff caliber hockey team, and they still lose money.
When was the last time the isles sold out or near capacity the suites? In the so-called modern facility era I doubt it. It's partly the team sucks, the building is old, but at the end of the day LI does NOT have the corporate support to sustain the price points required for suite capacity.
Henc, like you, Brooklyn is a no brainer from all directions.
When was the last time the isles sold out or near capacity the suites? In the so-called modern facility era I doubt it. It's partly the team sucks, the building is old, but at the end of the day LI does NOT have the corporate support to sustain the price points required for suite capacity.
Henc, like you, Brooklyn is a no brainer from all directions.
As much as I dont want to agree with this, I do. Nassau Coliseum is simply too far away from where the businesses that can afford the necessary suite sales to be a top tier financial franchise are located. What Manhattan firm is going to buy a box at the NVMC when they have 2 options within a stone's throw of their business with MSG and Barclays, The Mets and Yankees both with easy access to the city, and another option with a Meadowlands box for the NYG or NYJ? Hell, a box in Newark for the Devils makes more sense for a Manhattan based business than one in Nassau. The Isles right now would have to rely on corporations from Nassau to fill their boxes + any new additional boxes and club seats that a new arena would bring. There simply arent enough of them, and the ones that are here arent in the same stratosphere financially as ones in Midtown/Downtown.
The Barclays Center will be the first choice of businesses in Lower Manhattan, and Downtown Brooklyn, two absolutely gigantic business districts that Nassau has nothing to compete with. It's something that I dont like saying because I LOVE a sellout crowd at the NVMC. There are few places like it in the league. When that place is sold out its die hard fans from row 1 to the back of the 300s. The atmosphere is nothing like the lower bowl and suite suits at MSG. But after watching the same thing year after year, eventually you have to accept that those suits are paying Gaborik and Richards, while us "real fans" are paying Jay Pandolfo and Steve Staios and the rest of our lovable cap floor circumventing cast of characters. Enough is enough after a while. Brooklyn offers us the opportunity to add that Suter type player in free agency instead of crossing our fingers that our 38 year old PTO can turn back the clock and then play over his head on top of that. I want the opportunity to be a real, legitimate NHL team that makes real legitimate moves to improve itself. Even if it means that the real fans have to get pushed upstairs, and we will no longer be able to get into the games by donating 3 cans of beets purchased on sale at Waldbaum's on the way to the arena.
As much as I dont want to agree with this, I do. Nassau Coliseum is simply too far away from where the businesses that can afford the necessary suite sales to be a top tier financial franchise are located. What Manhattan firm is going to buy a box at the NVMC when they have 2 options within a stone's throw of their business with MSG and Barclays, The Mets and Yankees both with easy access to the city, and another option with a Meadowlands box for the NYG or NYJ? Hell, a box in Newark for the Devils makes more sense for a Manhattan based business than one in Nassau. The Isles right now would have to rely on corporations from Nassau to fill their boxes + any new additional boxes and club seats that a new arena would bring. There simply arent enough of them, and the ones that are here arent in the same stratosphere financially as ones in Midtown/Downtown.
The Barclays Center will be the first choice of businesses in Lower Manhattan, and Downtown Brooklyn, two absolutely gigantic business districts that Nassau has nothing to compete with. It's something that I dont like saying because I LOVE a sellout crowd at the NVMC. There are few places like it in the league. When that place is sold out its die hard fans from row 1 to the back of the 300s. The atmosphere is nothing like the lower bowl and suite suits at MSG. But after watching the same thing year after year, eventually you have to accept that those suits are paying Gaborik and Richards, while us "real fans" are paying Jay Pandolfo and Steve Staios and the rest of our lovable cap floor circumventing cast of characters. Enough is enough after a while. Brooklyn offers us the opportunity to add that Suter type player in free agency instead of crossing our fingers that our 38 year old PTO can turn back the clock and then play over his head on top of that. I want the opportunity to be a real, legitimate NHL team that makes real legitimate moves to improve itself. Even if it means that the real fans have to get pushed upstairs, and we will no longer be able to get into the games by donating 3 cans of beets purchased on sale at Waldbaum's on the way to the arena.
Just to add. Consider the difference between Brooklyn and Newark. Newark does not have 'spending' residents. It's really a pass through. Brooklyn? Umm... the other way around. Brooklyn has the residents, the train route in/out, touch points to NYC and LI, and etc.
People in NYC and surrounding areas are willing to travel Yankee Stadium and Citi and return to the city or use an alternative method to get home. Consider Brooklyn is a closer train ride than both Citi and Yankee from midtown...
As much as I dont want to agree with this, I do. Nassau Coliseum is simply too far away from where the businesses that can afford the necessary suite sales to be a top tier financial franchise are located. What Manhattan firm is going to buy a box at the NVMC when they have 2 options within a stone's throw of their business with MSG and Barclays, The Mets and Yankees both with easy access to the city, and another option with a Meadowlands box for the NYG or NYJ? Hell, a box in Newark for the Devils makes more sense for a Manhattan based business than one in Nassau. The Isles right now would have to rely on corporations from Nassau to fill their boxes + any new additional boxes and club seats that a new arena would bring. There simply arent enough of them, and the ones that are here arent in the same stratosphere financially as ones in Midtown/Downtown.
The Barclays Center will be the first choice of businesses in Lower Manhattan, and Downtown Brooklyn, two absolutely gigantic business districts that Nassau has nothing to compete with. It's something that I dont like saying because I LOVE a sellout crowd at the NVMC. There are few places like it in the league. When that place is sold out its die hard fans from row 1 to the back of the 300s. The atmosphere is nothing like the lower bowl and suite suits at MSG. But after watching the same thing year after year, eventually you have to accept that those suits are paying Gaborik and Richards, while us "real fans" are paying Jay Pandolfo and Steve Staios and the rest of our lovable cap floor circumventing cast of characters. Enough is enough after a while. Brooklyn offers us the opportunity to add that Suter type player in free agency instead of crossing our fingers that our 38 year old PTO can turn back the clock and then play over his head on top of that. I want the opportunity to be a real, legitimate NHL team that makes real legitimate moves to improve itself. Even if it means that the real fans have to get pushed upstairs, and we will no longer be able to get into the games by donating 3 cans of beets purchased on sale at Waldbaum's on the way to the arena.
Great posts, 102. You should really have more than 870something posts in 6 years. Get to work on that.
Essentially, folks are speculative on the success of the arena and some residential adjacent to the property has stalled. Not a good sign, but have another tenant at the arena increases traffic aka demand and desire to build. Good sign for Isles.
Again, the Isles are part of a real estate grab...but that's ok. Brooklyn, IMO, would be lucrative beyond Nassau.
See now that makes perfect sense. And if this does happen next year, that's one step closer to the Isles staying in the area. I wasn't aware that they had a plan in place to renovate le colisee immediately to bring a team in next year. As all signs point to the Coyotes situation getting more dire by the day, the NHL and Bettman might not have a choice come summertime than to let them leave.
You just have to hope this actually happens. Something tells me the league and Quebec have some sort of agreement that NHL hockey will be back in that city in the near future. You don't just go build a $400 million arena without at least a 95% chance of being able to fill it with a main tenant... unless you are Kansas City.
I posted a link to Bob McCowan's interview with Bill Daly earlier in this thread (http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh...1&postcount=47). It sounds pretty clear, reading between the lines, that Phx is pretty much done for and Quebec is the logical location. Daly stated they will not be there next year without a new owner.
That statement alone means there is an alternative. The alternative is Quebec. Daly doesn't admit that, but it's the only logical outcome. And Daly talks "theoretically" about playing in a renovated Colisee until the new building is done.
Barring a last-minute miracle owner in Phx, I'm pretty sure Quebec gets the Coyotes (likely as soon as next year) and won't be shopping for the Isles in 3 years.
Essentially, folks are speculative on the success of the arena and some residential adjacent to the property has stalled. Not a good sign, but have another tenant at the arena increases traffic aka demand and desire to build. Good sign for Isles.
Again, the Isles are part of a real estate grab...but that's ok. Brooklyn, IMO, would be lucrative beyond Nassau.
All real estate everywhere is struggling, but I am not concerned one bit about the success of the arena, or any of the potential tenants. The luxury suite and club seat sales are all going to be to existing businesses in Brooklyn or Manhattan. Theyre already there, and there's a ton of them. Whether it be the Nets or the Islanders, all either team has to do is put a somewhat desirable product on display and the customers are already there.
The real estate part of the equation is a nice extra for ratner, but none of the teams that will play in that building will depend on it for success. Quite unlike the Lighthouse Project which would have been an unmitigated disaster had the real estate and business portion of the project not sold.
All real estate everywhere is struggling, but I am not concerned one bit about the success of the arena, or any of the potential tenants. The luxury suite and club seat sales are all going to be to existing businesses in Brooklyn or Manhattan. Theyre already there, and there's a ton of them. Whether it be the Nets or the Islanders, all either team has to do is put a somewhat desirable product on display and the customers are already there.
The real estate part of the equation is a nice extra for ratner, but none of the teams that will play in that building will depend on it for success. Quite unlike the Lighthouse Project which would have been an unmitigated disaster had the real estate and business portion of the project not sold.
VERY unheralded point.
The safest road IMHO was the ABLI proposal. I think fans would like that one the most as well, as you leave the Coliseum and have a nightlife area outside.
And a very valid point that the building is not the reason the team succeeds, the attendance is. The Isles have to draw fans and convert the locals in Brooklyn, which would be easier than elsewhere because, well, it's Brooklyn.
BD Gallof, a regular schmo posting on the HF Isles' board, becomes a blogger. A CBS blogger picks up on something the ex-HF Isles guy writes, and then an NBC blogger quotes that. Then somebody on the HF Isles' board quotes the NBC blogger and links to it, and now we're talking about it here on the HF Isles' board. But, if BD Gallof was still on this board and posted it, we'd all tell him he didn't know what the hell he was talking about.
The NHL just can't survive in the suburbs (at least of the US). It's just the way it is. Other than winning (being the most important thing), look at the teams that are on the bottom of attendance. Their arenas are all located further away from cities.
For example Tampa's team has never really had attendance issues recently (even when the team is bad-they do "ok"). It's not because Tampa is a big hockey market, or only because of having star players-it's because their arena is VERY easy to get to and from, as well as being situated in down-town Tampa (and that's without any real mass-transit). You can literally hop on one of two interstates to get there (depending on where you live), or take other main roads through the city which don't take that long. (for interesting comparison-take a look at the Rays, who're located in a terrible location to get to, and their attendance suffers from it).
Anyways my point is that the suburbs/Nassau isn't fit for the NHL-especially after all of the growth in late 80's/90's to today.
So then root for Wang to sell the team, (hint: he probably is when they get their arena business settled, hence his array of backloaded contracts that he wont be around to pay) we ALL hate him, but to say you hope that us fans lose our team that we have watched fail for 20 ****ing years in hopes that one day we will see it turn around, a day you now hope never happens, thats just, WTF dude.
And please dont give me the "he deserves a fanbase that will pack the house for him". I sat in that building EVERY night for every year of this "rebuild" watching crap in hopes that when the **** storm settles I can be sitting in those same seats when this team is a legitimate NHL franchise again. Am I not good enough to have a hockey team? Are the thousands of other people that do the same thing and suffer through the same garbage every night in the seats and sections next to me not a good enough fanbase to still have a hockey team? The last time this team finished higher than 8th place in the conference, or in other words, above mediocre, 22 of 41 home games sold out. The momentum of that year led to 30 of 41 sellouts next year, even though they slipped back to mediocrity. So a fan base that sells out a majority of the games when given ONE TINY GLIMMER of the success that other franchises and their fans enjoy on an annual basis, theyre not good enough to deserve a hockey team either? Or how about the fact that this franchise is one of a legitimate handful of non-Canadian franchises to have EVER had a season ticket waiting list. So the fanbase that has shown that it will come out of hibernation in droves if the Islanders are merely ABOVE AVERAGE is not good enough to still be able to watch the players we drafted as a "reward" for being tortured by the WORST NHL product in the last 20 years bar NONE be a part of this team as it hopefully gets better. Or the fans that have paid their dues and gone to the Coliseum to watch year after year of torturous losses and meaningless March hockey while fans all over the league geared up for another spring run, we're all fans that "arent as good" as the starving fans in Quebec? Um, WHO IS MORE STARVING THAN US?
Sorry if this is all over the top, and if it comes off as personal, I really am. As an Islander fan for my entire life, I am used to anything anyone says about this organization and its fanbase. Most things said about the organization are true. But when another Islander fan says that another group of people somewhere else with no ties to the history and the struggles of this team whatsoever deserves OUR team more than the group of fans down here who are DYING to come out and fill this building if the franchise would ever give them a reason to, well I'm sorry, but that frankly doesn't sit well with me.
I also think the Islanders are destined to leave NY, but I 100% agree with this guy above. It was way overboard to say that we don't deserve a franchise here. This guy above is not a minority in what he's gone through. There are lots of die hards out there like him and as a fan base we deserve to have the Islanders.
And Nabby's leaving. Lavy has to go. DP will retire one of the greats. Blah blah blah.
Anyone can write anything and posters sway like a flag in the breeze.
What happens between now and 2015 will happen. Nassau can't afford to lose the tax revenue of an operational building that can tax so, so much. The Marriott can't survive. Local businesses will be hit. Now what of their taxes?
Nassau knows this. They're buffoons. Wang knows this. He's (unable to spell it for decency's sake).
So what will happen? The right thing or.....the white knight. Brooklyn will be the hero to keep us here. MSG wants us to remain, fans do (though they won't pay to see sucky hockey from joke franchise here, there or in Manhattan).
I don't get the drama - unless one likes to hammer nails into their wrists while self crucifying over this BS drama works.
Quebec? Bettman won't let it happen to a storied franchise. He has said so (like it matters to the drama enthusiasts).
Nassau, maybe Queens, but if all else fails, Brooklyn.
And even then, barring a binding lease, they could sign on as a temp home until Nassau gets a real government.
I couldn't disagree more. He's abused the club while owner from day one. He's like one of those city bumpkins who retire a millionaire at age 50, move to the country side, buy a farm complete with livestock and row crops, then instead of hiring people who know how to properly take care of it all, proceed to give it the "Old Harvard try."
In the process they splurge on the best bermuda grass they play on at the country club for the hay eaters, who slowly wither and die because their tracts aren't able to digest it. He throws the best steak money can buy on the hen house floor, so of course they perish... Hires a tin man to hang in the crops where he really needs a scarecrow so the birds tear his corn apart...
Then one day when the whole thing is a mess he blames all of his woes on the soil, the animals' lack of appreciation, and the village idiot he hired as his his right hand man.
And here's where people such as yourself step in and say, "Well, he did have his heart in the right place so we shouldn't feel bad for the ruins he leaves behind."
The guy trashed the team, and in the process came up with one universally bad idea after another, embarrassing us in front of the hockey world again and again and again.
Yeah, we really just don't appreciate him enough, huh?
Wasn't this roughly the plot of a crappy Chevy Chase movie?
Right back atcha. You know my post wasn't really about you so much as it was about the irony of the situation. To the extent it was about you, it was a sideways compliment. In the old days we could directly tell you we agreed or disagreed. Now we have to do it a few steps removed when someone links to something you write. It's kind of like talking to the Wizard of Oz.
BTW, any thoughts on the draft this year? I'm pretty sure I know who the Isles are picking.
The NHL just can't survive in the suburbs (at least of the US). It's just the way it is. Other than winning (being the most important thing), look at the teams that are on the bottom of attendance. Their arenas are all located further away from cities.
For example Tampa's team has never really had attendance issues recently (even when the team is bad-they do "ok"). It's not because Tampa is a big hockey market, or only because of having star players-it's because their arena is VERY easy to get to and from, as well as being situated in down-town Tampa (and that's without any real mass-transit). You can literally hop on one of two interstates to get there (depending on where you live), or take other main roads through the city which don't take that long. (for interesting comparison-take a look at the Rays, who're located in a terrible location to get to, and their attendance suffers from it).
Anyways my point is that the suburbs/Nassau isn't fit for the NHL-especially after all of the growth in late 80's/90's to today.
Exactly. NYI will NEVER thrive in the suburbs as there isn't enough revenue or corporate support. This is a suburban franchise that relies on family sales not business sales. Always has been. That doesn't work in 2012.....or since 1994. A renovated Coliseum does nothing but put lipstick on a pig in the same useless location. The Capitals, Kings, Lakers and Cavaliers all left the suburbs for the city for more revenue and a chance to compete. NYI needs to as well.
