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April 2, 2012

Stan Fischler Talks About Brooklyn


In the New York Hockey Journal Stan Fischler talks about Brooklyn as an option for the Islanders.  Below is a piece of the article and a link to the entire piece.

The New York Islanders will play an exhibition game at Barclays Center, the new arena in Brooklyn, on Tuesday, Oct. 2.
So, what?
That, my fine feathered friends, is the question. Or, to put it another way, should a big deal be made about a game from which a win does not even produce two points in the standings?
And the answer is …
Truth be told, nobody really knows. And in this case, ignorance produces blissful speculation that often is so far off base it hardly merits discussion so let's examine the exhibition match for what it's worth:
* What Charles Wang wants: A former Newsday reporter, who has followed the Isles’ pursuit of a new arena, puts it this way: "No owner in the history of sports has been so badly treated by his home county and his surrounding town than Wang. Charles has spent a fortune to keep his team in Uniondale and has gotten no respect, no satisfaction, nothing in return from Long Island politicians."
The man is right and I speak firsthand, having covered the club's pursuit of a new facility for almost two decades. Over the years, Nassau County politicians merely talk about helping the Islanders while Kate Murray, who runs the Town of Hempstead, has deposited endless roadblocks in front of Wang's attempt to build a Lighthouse development, including a new arena, on her turf.
Without question, the Islanders owner wants his club to remain precisely where it is.
"I live on Long Island and I love Long Island," says Wang, with the utmost sincerity, and his words are precisely true. But there's just so much frustration that even a wealthy executive can tolerate and Wang has been doing a lot of tolerating for a long time. Too long.
Bottom line: If the City of Newark could generously fund what emerged as the magnificent Prudential Center for the Devils, Wang has reason to wonder why the County of Nassau -- with the help of New York State and, perhaps, private investors -- cannot do likewise for his Islanders.
 http://www.nyhockeyjournal.com/news/2012/03/30_the_hockey_maven_dont_sleep.php

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