Brooklyn and the Barclays Center can be the Islanders saving grace when all is said and done. Gary Bettman is on record as saying that the league will avoid relocation at all cost. That the league will go out of their way to keep a team in their current market if there are people willing to own them and an arena suitable for hockey (Just look at how the league is fighting for the Coyotes). The Barclays Center offers an arena that will be suitable for hockey, and if Wang doesn't want to own the team in Brooklyn there will be others willing to give it a try. There are three possible ways that Brooklyn can end up saving the Islanders. Two involve Wang and one doesn't:
1) Brooklyn becomes a temporary home for the Isles and Wang continues his search for a new arena in the area when the economy recovers.
2) Wang moves the team to and gets the three things I mentioned in my previous post on the topic to make it the Isles permanent home.
3) Wang sells the team to someone willing to move the team to Brooklyn or the league takes over and looks for an owner in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn is the Islanders safety net that will prevent them in my move from going to Quebec, Kansas City, or Seattle.
Brooklyn is a good choice however this is a tough sell to die hard fans who live on LI. Yes, Brooklyn is part of the 'island" that runs from NYC to the twin forks...but Brooklyn is in NYC. NYC already has a hockey team and that team will have to give it's blessing for them to play in the same city. Yankees had to do it with the Mets. (The Rangers really didnt care what was happening between 1970 - 1972. They went to the semi finals in 71 and they just came off a final loss in 72. So when the Isles pulled off the upset of the Rangers in 75, they beat a team 3 years removed from the finals) back to the topic....I feel if the Islanders do not go deep into the playoffs in the next 3 years and fan attendance is more than 13,000 for games during the weeknight...they are gone.
ReplyDeleteIslanders and Rangers have handshake working agreement that Rangers WILL NOT BLOCK Islanders from moving to Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and/or Suffolk.
ReplyDeleteThere is LIRR that is located right across the street from Barclays Center. There is mall above the LIRR hub for fans to eat out before the game. There will be something to do for the fans at that area. It can be done.
But will it happen?
1) The territorial fees the Islanders paid the Rangers in 1972 allow them to play in Brookyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk (the entire Island)
ReplyDelete2) I think Brookly could happen if its the last option to keep the team in NY
Danbury Islanders Fan