Two Men One Vision

Both Gerald Wolkoff and Charles Wang have a vision of building a destination center for Long Island.  Wang's vision was the Lighthouse project, which was shot down in 2009.  While Wolkoff's vision is the Heartland Town Square Project, which was first presented ten years ago.

 Heartland Town Square project he first proposed in 2002 is 451-acre with 8,999 apartments and three office towers, including one 20 stories tall, plus stores, restaurants, convention center and landscaped walkways.  The site for this project is in Brentwood, which is located in Suffolk County.  The local community support the benefits this project would bring, but it is still having difficulty seeing the light of a day.  A major reason for the delays of this project is the financial climate at this time.  Wolkoff says that if he builds the project in three phases like the county and local towns want that gaining the financial backing he needs becomes more difficult.

This leads me to question why can't Charles Wang and Gerald Wolkoff join forces.  Having two billionaires back the project should make banks more willing to back the project.  Both men would be able to accomplish their dream of giving Long Island a destination center and the Islanders could get a new home.  They could make the convention center an arena/convention center, since its the same size and scope in terms of zoning. Another project that could help make this area of Suffolk Long Island's destination center is the  Ronkonkoma train station into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly community.  If Wang still wants to get something built all signs point to Suffolk as the best option at this time.
Additional Reading:
http://www.aaezine.org/articles/vol13/13N3SuffolkCoandCharlesWang.shtml
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4189/is_20060324/ai_n16167900/
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/four-firms-in-running-for-ronkonkoma-hub-1.3284921
http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=5F6B97FDECE128784844.3149?site=newsday&view=search_results_item&feed:a=newsday_5min&feed:c=longisland&feed:i=1.2787520&part=1

John Tavares Says We Need A New Arena

In a recent interview with Damien Cox John Tavares stated that the New York Islanders need a new home.  He believes that a large part of why this organization is looked down upon is due to the arena issues.

Tavares understands why others look at the Islanders and don’t see what he sees, particularly because of the team’s well-publicized arena woes.
“I think a lot of it gets put on the arena, and rightfully so. We need a new arena,” he said. “But it’s not like we have a poor organization. We’re trying to do things the right way, but it’s a process.”

http://www.thestar.com/article/1077385--cox-maturing-tavares-learning-hard-lessons-on-island

I tend to agree with our young star that a new arena would help solve many issues that faces this team.  It would allow them to be able to pursue free agents more easily.  Let's be honest who wants to move their family and commit to a team if they don't know they will be around in the 2015-16 season.  The arena would also offer the organization financial stability, which will allow Wang to spend above the cap floor without going into the red.  If this organization is going to survive and thrive it needs a new home.

Additional Reading:
http://www.thestar.com/article/1077385--cox-maturing-tavares-learning-hard-lessons-on-island

Can Nassau Afford Losing The Islanders?

Edmonton just approved a deal for building the Oilers a new arena where taxpayers will split the bill.  Why is every city and county able to figure out how to finance a new arena, except for the town of Hempstead and Nassau County.  Just ask every city who has failed to keep their sports franchise, how losing a professional sports team has effected their local economy and standard of living.  After the loss of the Browns Cleveland built a new arena and petition the NFL for an expansion team and Seattle is trying to figure out how to get either a NBA or NHL team.  The reason why Seattle are trying to replace the Sonics:

"The lawmakers said beyond a new team, the net positive financial impact for WA State businesses would be helpful during these tough economic times. Seattle city expert economist, Lon Hatamiya, in a 2008 Seattle Times article, estimated that the Seattle Super Sonics contributed $188 million a year to our local economy while they played in Washington."

With all of Nassau's financial problems can they afford to lose the hundreds of millions of dollars the Islanders generate?   In my mind the answer is no and they also can't afford losing the team from a standard of living standpoint as well.  As a country we can't continue to shutdown things and think our economic problems will be solved.  Rather we need to start rebuilding and work towards a  solution.  We need to continue to advance and work our way through this economic recession. Hopefully one day Nassau will realize this, because if they don't someone else, and will land the Islanders.

Additional Reading:
http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/news/lawmakers-to-create-plan-to-bring-back-sonics/
http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/02/report-seattle-building-a-new-arena-to-lure-hockey-team/

Is Wang Still Waiting On Nassau?

A day after Gary Bettman's interview, a question arose, is Wang still waiting on Nassau?  Bettman said that the Islanders need a plan that is a guarantee to happen, but that Islanders fan shouldn't worry because there is still time. Sorry Gary but I am worried!  With time running out on the coliseum lease the team needs to be proactive.  Wang can no longer wait on Nassau County to get their act together and come up with a solution.  All local options need and should be examined seriously right now.  Gary said that the Islander haven't gotten to the point of considering Queen.  If the time isn't now to look at options outside of Nassau when will it be.  Wang has options:  he has Willets Point development, the Barclays Center/Atlantic Yard development, and Suffolk.  He needs to see what these options can offer him and the Islanders.  Wang can still get his new arena and additional development it just might not be in Nassau.

Bettman In His Hearts of Hearts Wants The Islanders To Stay On Long Island

Garry Bettman was a guest on Mike Francesa show today and one of the topic discussed was the Islanders future.  Bettman believes and wants the Islanders to stay on Long Island. I will add the link here when its available, so you can listen to him yourself. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/audio-on-demand/mike-francesa-1/

Three Points:

1) Bettman stated that the Islanders would need approval from the Rangers to move to Queens (I am positive he is wrong)

2) No mention of Brooklyn

3) He does mention Suffolk as a possible option.

Additional Reading:
This articles shows that the Islanders can play in Brooklyn or Queens without approval from the Rangers. http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2010/21/at_islanders_willets_pt_20100520.html

How Will Long Island's Financial Woes Effect The Islanders?

We All know the financial problems that have been facing Nassau County and now it seems like Suffolk isn't too far behind.  According to a Newsday report Suffolk County is going to fail to make its 2012 budget and might run out of money by the middle of the year.

With both counties in financial crisis the odds of either helping the Islanders fund an arena are none.  In order for the Islanders to get an arena in either county state aid is needed, or a private developer. With Charles Wang already saying that he wasn't willing to build a stand alone arena out of his pocket, since it doesn't make financial sense in this economy, the odds of the project being privately developed are slim.  It seems like our two best chances for keeping the Islanders at this time is for Wang to jump aboard with the project that wins the state's money, or a move west to Brooklyn.

 Additional Reading:
http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=5C013C6870D3F469137C.3153?site=newsday&view=politics_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=politics&feed:i=1.3265301

Are You Kidding ???

Hockey Night Live did not air the part of the Bettman interview about the local teams.  Meaning the issues of the Islanders and their future was not aired.  Hopefully MSG will have the clip online, or during the next Islanders game. I have asked Stan Fishcler (twitter) if the segment is going be aired on another date, and I will let you know as soon as possible.

My Wish List For Bettman's Interview On Saturday

Here is my wish list of what I want Gary Bettman to say about the Islanders arena issues.

1) The NHL comment to keep the Islanders on Long Island.  That he doesn't want to lose a historic team like the Islanders, and that the league will explore all local options before any out of state options are even a thought.  That includes new ownership if Wang has given up on the area.

2) State that Brooklyn is a viable option and the fact that its an option the team will not leave the market, or at least comment on the meetings he had with the Barclays Center.

3)  Discuss how the league plans to help the organization gain a new arena and be more profitable.

Do I expect Bettman to mention any of these items? Nope, but we will see on Saturday.

Nassau Still Split

http://www.antonnews.com/floralparkdispatch/opinion/18599-mayors-message-village-of-floral-park-october-20-2011.html

This article point of view is from the communities around Belmont and they want more of a say about what is going be built there.

Latest from Netsdaily

I asked if he was able to talk about the piece of news he had on the Islanders and Brooklyn last week, and this was his response:

@DanburyIslesFan not yet but suffice it to say the CITY has real interest in bringing them in from LI.

Watch Hockey Night Live on Saturday for Bettmen comments of Isles Arena Issue!

@StanFischler Did you talk about the Isles arena issue?
@DanburyIslesFan Absolutely; watch and listen to what he says.

Wang Wants A Guarantee!

With Nassau unable to find a private developer to build them an arena, Wang's unwillingness to talk to Queens, and nothing coming from Suffolk, is Brooklyn the only real option left in New York. Since the August 1st election Wang has said that he will consider all options that are assured to happen.  After going through the Lighthouse process and the failure of the referendum he is done in dealing with maybes.  If that is truly the case the only location that can promise Wang a new arena is Brooklyn.  The question is after the pain of another failure dissipates is Wang willingness to try again grow?  If it does then Queens, Nassau, Suffolk, and Brooklyn are all in play, but if it doesn't Brooklyn is our last hope.
 check the 7:30 mark for comments about options he will consider.  Sorry about the link but the Isles site doesn't seem to want to link the video I want. Go to the Streit press conference (being named captain) and then go to the 7:30 mark.

Should the Cleveland Barons make the Islanders think twice about Suffolk?

The Cleveland Barons were an NHL franchise from 1976 to 1978.  Due to attendance issues and financial problems the team eventually merged with the Minnesota North Stars.  A big reason for the Barons problems was the location of their arena.  They played in Richfield Coliseum in Richfield Ohio, which was too far from the major markets of Cleveland and Akron to draw fans.  This makes me wonder about Suffolk County as an option.  Is Suffolk too cut off from the rest of New York to support the Islanders?  Will weekday crowds be worse than they are now in Nassau?  This is a serious issue that Wang and the Islanders have to examine.  The team needs to pick the best financial and long term solution so they aren't facing the same issues in the near future.  What are your guys thoughts of Suffolk County as an option?

Are The Quiet Counties The Ones Making The Most Progress?

For over two years Wang has put all arena news in a media blackout.  This makes me wonder if Brooklyn and Nassau, the two counties we hear the most noise from, really are the ones with the best shot of landing the Islanders. 

We know that Wang had a meeting with Suffolk County after labor day, and we haven't heard a peep from either side about it.  Is that a good sign?  Are the two actually working on an agreement and don't want to make it public until things are final?  My guess is that the two sides are talking, and Wang is waiting to see what happens with the state aid that's suppose to be given out in December.

How about Queens?  We know that Wang hasn't talked to the political officals there.  Could he be talking to one of the potential developers of the Willets Point site though?  He could be making sure the people that he wants to align himself with wins the bid.

Just because Suffolk and Queens haven't been as vocal as Brooklyn and Nassau they cannot be ruled out as the future home of the Islanders.

Possible Local Buyers

Just a few years ago Wang said on WFAN that he wouldn't have bought the team if he knew then what he knows now.  In case Wang does give up hope of ever finding a new home for the Isles I have put together a list of local buyers who might be interested.

1) Nelson Peltz:
It was reported in 2010 Brooklyn-born Nelson Peltz was interested in buying the Islanders and moving them to the Barclays Center.  If the league or Wang is ever looking for a local buyer do not be surprise if you here his name come up.

Arena Location: Brooklyn

Additional Reading:
http://www.aolnews.com/2010/12/21/nelson-peltz-kicking-tires-on-potential-islanders-purchase/
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-01-07/local/27086696_1_islanders-game-barclays-center-willets-point

2) The Wilpons:
Like Peltz the Wilpons showed interest in purchasing the Islanders in 2010.  Their plan was to either convince Wang to move the team to Queens or buy the Isles themselves and put them in a new arena next to Citi Field.

Arena Location: Queens

Additional Reading:
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5182924

Mike Repole:
In 2011 on WFAN the founder of vitamin said that he would love to love a local team and the Islanders were one of the teams he mentioned.

Arena Location: New York (Most likely Queens/Brooklyn)

Additional Reading:
http://savetheisles.blogspot.com/2011/06/mike-repole-would-like-to-own-team.html#!/2011/06/mike-repole-would-like-to-own-team.html

Bruce Ratner/Mikhail Prokhorov
Its no secret that the Barclays Center is having a hard time meeting their projections for dates and revenues.  Therefore, if the Islanders became available it would make sense for someone related to the Barclays Center to make a bid, since the Isles would solve both issues.

Arena Locations: Brooklyn

Additional Reading:
http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/10/15/2486963/netsdaily-off-season-report-27
http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/8/6/2341494/netsdaily-off-season-report-17

From Your Rants ESPN's Cross Check Blog

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/11820/your-rants-lebruns-answers-stars-power-shannys-videos-coliseums-bad-ice
dannyformo: The ice is absolutely TERRIBLE at the Coliseum. Over two games so far, both Islanders games amassed one of the lowest total shots and goals. The puck cannot settle and is bouncing on medium to long passes. I feel bad for the visiting team more than i do watching the Islanders not be able to work (and it's not just the ice that is melting their offense).
LeBrun: Yet another reason to blow this building up and build a new one! Enough is enough; the building is porous and Islanders fans deserve better. The actual team on the ice is improving; I love the young pieces the Isles have in place. But as long as the rink issue is not resolved, there will be a black cloud hanging over this franchise.

In my opinion the only thing the Nassau Coliseum has in the positive column is its sight-lines.  No other arena in the league can offer the view of the ice the old barn does.  Other than that the arena and the uncertainty of the team's futures is a dark cloud as Lebrun suggests.  Hopefully in the near future this will be a mute point because the Islanders will have a new home in New York.

Mangano's Grade So Far Is Incomplete

As a teacher I have decided to grade Ed Mangano on his attempts to save the Islanders, and so far I have to give him an incomplete.  I will breakdown my grading of his two proposals for keeping the Islanders in Nassau.

The Referendum:
Mangano's handle of the referendum was a disaster from the start.  During the press conference he talked about how the plan wasn't going to cost taxpayers a dime, but then when he met with reporters he said he wasn't sure they hadn't worked out all the details.  Before Mangano ever presented this plan to the public all of the details should have been worked out so they couldn't be twisted.  The weeks of silence from him about the facts gave the Democrats the perfect opportunity to kill this proposal.  Another issue with this plan is the lack of organize support.  The opposition made cold calls and got the public scared about their taxes.  What did the supporters do to gain support from the public?  Magano's failure of knowing all the facts before going public is the down fall of this plan.

Grade: D

Accelerate Nassau Now:
I am sad to say that I see history repeating itself with this plan.  It seems like this plan was rushed and a lot of details are up in the air.  Here are a few questions I have for Mr Mangano:

1) Why can't you just pick a site for the arena?  Right now the plan has the Islanders staying at the Hub if there is enough room, but if there isn't they could go to Belmont as part on an entertainment center.  Ed just pick a site and run with it.  If you ask me pick Belmont if you want to make it the entertainment center of Nassau County.  You can have the casino, arena, racetrack, and the minor league baseball stadium all there.  This allows the Hub to be used for the Bio tech industry and connected to the local college.

2) Who is paying for the arena?  If the project is selected by the state all that money is going towards infrustucter.  Do you really think someone is going pay to build the county and Charles Wang a new arena or Wang is going take a plan that he knows isn't going be profitable with an arena in it.

3)  Is this just window dressing and you really have given up on keeping the Islanders?  Are you just throwing out ideas so that it seems like you care and can't be blame if Wang takes the team elsewhere?

Before I can give this plan a final grade I need to see the final result, but my comments on Mangano's proposal is you need to go back and add more facts and details.  Things are too open ended and you leave too many loose ends.

Grade: Incomplete

Nassau's Plan Z

Here we go again!  This is plan Z to keep the Islanders in Nassau County.  In this plan the Islanders could stay at the Hub in the northern end. While the rest of the land will be used for Biosciece research facilties tied to the local colleges, or if there isn't enough room for us there we can be moved to Belmont.  I would like Ed Mangano to pick one site for us, either the Hub or Belmont and make a strong push, instead of of we can be here or there.

What's in the new plan:
Among the proposals in the "Accelerate Nassau Now" plan released Friday are:

A 50-acre Bioscience Innovation Facility -- a research and development park.

A new Nassau Coliseum at the northern edge of the Hub site.

A 6,000-car, $150 million parking garage at the site.

New sports and entertainment options at Belmont Park , including a potential soccer stadium.

Expanding homeland security research facilities and film and television studios at the Grumman property in Bethpage .

A $7 million state-funded research and development exposition center at Mitchel Field.

A minor league baseball park and track and field facility at Mitchell Field.

Additional Reading:
http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=F19E29C9D7E0CDC28AAC.3149?site=newsday&view=top_stories_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=topstories&feed:i=1.3246749&nopaging=1

Could A New Arena Change The Battle For New York!?

What impact could a new arena have of the Islanders Rangers rivalry?  In this post I will examine how I think each possible location could effect one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports.

 Out of State:
If the Islanders were to ever leave New York the rivalry between them and the Rangers would be done.

 Nassau:
If the Islanders were to stay in Nassau County either at the Hub or Belmont this rivalry would remain unchanged.  It will still be the suburbs vs. the City, the little guys vs. the big guys.   The meaning of the game and the fans of the game would be untouched.

Suffolk:
In my mind if the Isles were to ever move to Suffolk County it would have little to no impact of the rivalry with the Rags.  It would still be Long Island vs. New York City and all of the other things I mentioned in the Nassau section.

Brooklyn:
For better or worse in my mind a move to Brooklyn would change this series.  It would become Brooklyn vs. Manhattan instead of Long Island vs. New York City.  In addition, it will also become the Barclays Center vs. Madison Square Garden.  The us against the big bad guys from the city would be lost forever and replaced with blue collar Brooklyn vs, white collar Manhattan.  Like I mention at the beginning of this section a move to Brooklyn will for better or worse change this rivalry forever.

Queens:
While a move to Queens will impact on this game it will be far less than Brooklyn.  It will still change the series to New York City vs. New York City and lose that little guy vs. the big bad city.

Update on Brooklyn Might be a Little Longer

@NetsDaily Any updates with that Islander news you mentioned?
http://twitter.com/#!/DanburyIslesFan/status/124930699617767424

@DanburyIslesFan not yet...not a big deal, but interesting.
http://twitter.com/#!/NetsDaily/status/124955232491933696

"All good things comes to those who wait"

Video Tour of the Barclays Center

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=588643117477
http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/10/14/2490800/nets-offer-new-video-tour-of-barclays

Is Anyone Out There?

Its no secret that the Islanders  have had attendance issues,since the end of the lockout.  In four of the five past seasons the Islanders have finished dead last in league attendance, and last night's game just drew over 9,000.  We all hope a quick start and a promising future will turn this issue around soon.  However the question has to be asked. How do these numbers effect the Islanders quest for a new home?  Does it make other local counties question the economic impact the team can have on their economy?  Does it allow Nassau politician to over look the team, because they know there aren't enough passionate fans to vote them out? Does it make us look crazy about only having a 14,500 seat arena, since we have only averaged between 11,000 and 12,000 fans at games over the last several seasons. I know that Islander fans are passionate and intelligent, because of my increased activity with them through social media.  I even think there are enough of us to save the team, but the past twenty years have turned many away from attending, but the team needs you more now than ever.  If the Islanders are to be saved the coliseum needs to packed and rocking to show the league and local politicans we care.  United we can keep our Islanders on Long Island!

Would Islander Fans Use Public Transpotation?

Over the past 40 years Islander fans have been slaves to their cars.  The Nassau Coliseum doesn't provide the option for fans, but if the new arena did would they use it?  In my opinion it depends on the location of the new arena.

1) Nassau: 
If the teams end up staying in Nassau at either Belmont or the Hub I don't think fans will flock to public transportation.  let's face it Long Islanders love their cars and have panic attacks if they go somewhere with out them.  Another factor is going be the availability of it.  If the team some how stay at their current location public transportation will not be an option.  Residents from the surrounding communities such as Garden City will fight it tooth and nail.  If the teams goes to Belmont Racetrack it will be an option, but I can't see many fans using it.

2) Suffolk:
Even if an arena in Suffolk County had public transportation I can't see it being in high demand.  Like their Nassau counterparts the people of Suffolk are addicted to the automobile.  Even for fans off the Island public transportation may not be a realistic option.  It would depend on how far out in Suffolk the team moved out and if they would have express service for the games.

3) Brooklyn:
Public transportation would be a must if the Islanders moved to Kings County.  Considering the amount of traffic and the limited parking the Barclays Center will offer most fans will have to take the train to games.  Luckily 11 of the 12 LIRR lines go to the Atlantic Yard Terminal, but you have to make the connection from the Jamica Station.  For Islanders fans off the Island their are several subway options they can take once they are in the city.  This senerio may cause the Islanders to lose fans working on the Island on weeknights, but they can makeup with fans from Long Island who work in the city.  They would be able to take the subway to the game and the train back home.

4) Queens
Luxury that would be used similary to the way Mets fan use it,  The majority of people would drive most nights, but people will have the option to use mass transit.

Additional Reading:
http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/8/10/2355014/could-atlantic-terminal-lure-isles

Let's Talk About Hockey Layouts!

The above picture is the layout of the Conseco Fieldhouse, which the interior of the Barcalys Center was designed to emulate.  As you can see that one end of the arena has horrible sight lines, that the Blades don't even sell tickets for when they play there.  Does this mean the Barclays Center is going have the same issues with their hockey layout?  I can't give you a truthful answer at this point, since they haven't released their layout, but they say they can host NHL hockey.  As reported by Netsdaily before the Barclays Center made their statement of being able to host NHL hockey they conducted a study on the topic.  The results of the study were never released, but I am assuming that they have found a solution to this problem, if their claims of being able to house the Islanders are true.

Additional Reading:
http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/9/3/2398278/netsdaily-off-season-report-21
http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/8/11/2357507/barclays-analyzes-nhl-capacity-issues
http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/9/22/2441745/yormark-barclays-can-host-nhl-mma

Is Wang Waiting to See Where the Money will go?

New York State is trying to jump start their economy through smart developments.  Regions all over the state are competing for state aid that will allow them to build real-estate developments that will create jobs and help their local economies. 

How does this effect Charles Wang and the Islanders?  Wang might be waiting and see if one of the projects being proposed in Nassau or Suffolk will win the 200 million dollars, or at least part of the funds.  Why would he want to wait until December to see who New York will pick?  There are several reasons why:

1) A project that has New York State and local backing plus money will have a much actually being completed.  After August 1st Wang is done in dealing with maybes and wants a slam dunk if he is going put his neck out again.
2) State funding will offset a lot of the risks of trying to develop something privately.
3) Local officials will be able to honestly tell Wang that they have the green light to get something done.

Some of the project competing for these funds that the Islanders could jump in on:
1) The Heartland Project (Brentwood NY, Suffolk County)
2) Ronkonkoma Transportation Hub (Ronkomkoma NY, Suffolk County
3) Belmont Entertainment Center (Elemont New York, Nassau County)
4) Nassau Hub (Uniondale New York, Nassau County)
5) Barclays Center (Brooklyn New York, Kings County)
If one of these projects gains states support and fund the Islanders might follow.

Additional Reading:
  http://atlanticyardsreport.blogspot.com/2011/10/cuomos-new-regional-economic.html
http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=5B5BAA4047214C12CAC7.3149?site=newsday&view=search_results_item&feed:a=newsday_10min&feed:c=opinion&feed:i=1.2997564&part=1
http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=5B5BAA4047214C12CAC7.3149?site=newsday&view=search_results_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=business&feed:i=1.3222843&feed:tag=newsday_1min,newsday_5min,newsday_10min&feed:max=50&feed:search=ronkonkoma
http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=5B5BAA4047214C12CAC7.3149?site=newsday&view=search_results_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=business&feed:i=1.3225629&feed:tag=newsday_1min,newsday_5min,newsday_10min&feed:max=50&feed:search=Shinnecock
http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=5B5BAA4047214C12CAC7.3149?site=newsday&view=search_results_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=breakingnews&feed:i=1.3228392&feed:tag=newsday_1min,newsday_5min,newsday_10min&feed:max=50&feed:search=Shinnecock

Expect News About Brooklyn later This Week

http://twitter.com/#!/NetsDaily/status/124100935550111745

@

"@DanburyIslesFan look for some news on this later in week. NOT big news but news."

As you can see Netsdaily will have news on the Islanders and Brooklyn, so keep an eye out for it.

 

Will the Nets Failure to Meet their financial committment Help Wang?

Netsdaily.com just reported that the Nets are not meeting their projections for revenue created by the Barclays Center. 
"The Nets have already admitted they will not meet promised funding levels, things like suites, sponsorships by time arena opens. Lockout?"
http://twitter.com/#!/NetsDaily/status/123954211712020480
In my mind this news gives Wang more leverage in his dealings with the Barclays Center.  Since they and the Nets need added dates to create more revenue to meet their projections.  The 41 dates (plus possible playoffs) the Islanders could provide would go a long way in helping the Nets/Barclays Center reach their goal.  This means that the ability for Wang to get a favorable lease just got a little bit easier for him if he is interested in Brooklyn.

Nassau Better put all their Chips on Belmont

If Nassau county wants to keep the Islanders the only option they have left is moving the team to Belmont Park.  The Nassau Hub is no longer an option for the team for two reasons.

1) The Zoning:
The zoning Kate Muarry created for the site in 2009 just isn't large enough to support an arena economically.  The town of Hempstead has been and is unwilling to let Wang build an development large enough to support the Islanders.
2) August 1st:
The results from the election made it clear to the local politician and the Islanders that using public money for an arena is not an option at.  With the lack of public aid it does not make sense for Wang to build a stand alone arena of the site.  If he went in that the direction he will be back in the same financial situation he is today.

However, it seems like Nassau hasn't given up on keeping the Islanders.  Their newest plan is to build an entertainment center around the Belmont racetrack.  The development will have a casino, arena, hotels, shops, and restaurants.  This plan has the potential to be a win win for everyone involved.

1) Islanders
This plan allows the Islanders to stay in Nassau where they have been for the past 40 seasons.  it also offers something the Islanders have never had in that time public transportation to the arena.  The location and development also offer Wang many great opportunities to make money, and try to recover some of his 234 million dollars he has lost since owning the team.

2) Shinnecock get a great location that can attract tourist from New York City as well as residents from around the tri-state area.  Also by having the Islanders on their site it gives them an advantage over other local casinos.  What other casino could offer NHL hockey and a state of an art venue that holds 20,000 people for concerts, family shows, and so on.

3) Nassau/ New York State:
They would get a ton of money from the Shinnecock and the arena as well.

Belmont:
Having a world class casino and arena will save the struggling race track and keep a great piece of American history alive.

This plan makes so much sense and will benefit everyone involved.  Let's just hope Nassau politicians don't prevent this from happen like they have with every other innovated idea presented to them.

  

Brooklyn can be the Anchor that keeps the Islanders!

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.

What if the Island Finally Sinks?

What happens if the Islanders can't get an arena on Long Island?  There are several markets that would love to add NHL hockey to their sports scene.  In this post I will review  the possible locations outside of New York that could land the Islanders.

1) Quebec:
Ever since Winnipeg has come back into the league this has become the trendy and sexy pick for the next city to get a team.  The fact that funding for a new arena has been worked out already doesn't hurt that opinion either.  If you want to hear something really scary they plan to have their new arena built 2015.  When does our lease end again? Oh yeah 2015!  Make no mistake about Quebec is pushing hard for a team and they have their eyes on the Islanders.  They came to Long Island last year and now they are invading Boston this year to see the Islanders again.

Additional Reading:
http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/14/former-nordiques-owner-says-nhl-is-returning-to-quebec-city-soon/

2) Kansas City:
Since the death of the Lighthouse project, Kansas City has been chanted at Islander fans.  We have given KC little thought, since their poor preseason showing a few seasons ago, but KC just doesn't seem to go away.  I guess selling out a preseason game this year has brought life back to this option, but can they really support a team for 41 home games?

Additional Reading:
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/09/27/3171831/hockey-fans-pack-sprint-center.html

Seattle:
The home of the first American city to win the Stanley Cup wants hockey back.  Ever since local politicians realize how much revenue the city lost with the relocation of the Sonics they have been trying to get a NBA or NHL team.  They even have a plan to fund a new arena if they can find a team willing to move their.

Additional Reading
http://www.komonews.com/sports/sonicsstorm/17191786.html