With the calender year coming to a close we Islander fans can reflect on another failed arena attempt. This was Wang's second attempt to secure the Islanders future in Nassau and both meet the same fate. Unlike the Lighthouse Project, which had massive public support, the referendum was put down by the public. Two people have to take the blame for that Ed Mangano and Charles Wang. When they had the press conference to announce the new plan all of the details should of been worked out and presented on the spot. The fact that both men thought it was a good idea to announce their plan before they had all the facts allowed the opposition to control the debate. They were able to put fear and misinformation into the public, which ultimately led to the referendum's demise.
Looking forward to 2012 Islander fans have to hope that Wang is willing to make a third attempt to build a new arena in New York and that the third time is a charm. If Wang does decide he is done and wants to sell the team, the arena issue could me a major red flag to any potential local buyer, unless they plan to move the team to Brooklyn. I'm sure all interested parties have seen what Wang has gone through this past decade to get a new arena, and have very little doubt things will not be different for them in these economic times. One thing is sure 2012 should be very telling about where the Islanders will be playing in 2016.
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