What Happen To Suffolk County ?

We heard that Suffolk County was interested in the team after the failed referendum on August 1st. We even heard about a meeting.  The Suffolk County Executive even had a meeting with Wang and the Isles after labor day. www.fios1news.com/longisland/node/6581 

Since that summer meeting a new county executive has been elected and little news about Suffolk's interest in the Islanders has been heard.  Does the new county executive Steve Bellone have any interest in bringing the Islanders to his county?  If he does he hasn't made it public yet.

Should the silence from him and the Islanders about Suffolk County be seen as a negative? Not necessarily, since Charles Wang had mention several times that he doesn't want to negotiate for an arena through the media.  Wang prefers to have his meeting and options to stay private.  For instance nobody had heard anything about last summer's referendum until the press conference for it.

Would Wang have any interest in moving the team further out on the Island.  Well he did in 2006,  when he and Steve Levy agreed on a memorandum to bring the team to Suffolk County,  if Wang's RFP wasn't picked for the Nassau Hub.  The two side came to agreement in principle to have the Islanders move a little further east on the Island.  The rumored site was Brentwood New York and that piece of land they were talking about in 2006 is still undeveloped.

There are many questions about Suffolk County, but it should not be ruled out as an option.  In my honest opinion it is the teams best option to get their own new arena built for hockey in the area.  If you believe that Suffolk County is a good option for the team I encourage you to contact Steve Bellone and tell him yourself.
http://stevebellone.com/

Brooklyn Twitter Update

Reported by BD Gallof::

 Brooklyn has some work to do in convincing #isles ownership it is viable. This will be more than just preseason game show.

Brooklyn is going to need to come up with something big to sweeten pot, whether it can include Nets equity, dev rights, profit assurance

Like I mention several times I think that Wang getting part of the Atlantic Yards Development is key for the Islanders moving to Brooklyn.

Twitter Update on Nassau Rumor

BD Gallof reported on twitter:

Based on speaking to a Nassau source: renovations to coliseum being discussed... But not a wholesale overhaul. #isles

 These discussion described as rumblings. But nothing far reaching or wholesale renovations is stressed by Nassau county source

I wouldn't put much not it right now, but there is truth to rumors being asked by a few on something afoot. I wouldn't aspect much

https://twitter.com/#!/BDGallof/status/173873962697244672

Rumor About Work Being Done On The Coliseum This Summer

There is a rumor on Islandermania that the 100 sections will be replaced this off-season and that handrails will be added to the 200 and 300 hundred sections.  Apparently Wang went through the lease with a fine toothed comb after the referendum failed to get this work done.  If this rumor is true this might be away for Nassau to get private investors interested in the hub with the arena.  If a developer doesn't have to pay for the entire renovation, since the county is paying for part of it, a group that is able to get Wang involve might be able to develop a plan where they can make a profit with Kate Murray's zoning.  It should be interesting to see if these renovations take place this summer.

http://www.islandermania.com/index.php?showtopic=27197&pid=1224933&st=0&#entry1224933

Bueller Bueller

Edward Mangano's search for a private developer willing to build a new arena at the hub is similar to the scene in Ferris Bueller's day off when the teacher is taking attendee.  Its time for Mangano and Nassau to realize that nobody is going come forward and build them an arena under the current conditions.  That they need to get the town (Kate Murray) to expand her zoning, or be willing to pay for part of the arena.  Sadly neither option seem likely and Islanders fans are left hoping that the team moves to the Barclays Center instead of Canada or Seattle. 

http://www.theislandnow.com/williston_park/news/article_d7c49f0e-5e47-11e1-ab1c-0019bb2963f4.html

Mangano’s primary objective for the Hub development remains retaining developer Charles Wang and his New York Islanders NHL hockey team to anchor the new coliseum needed to keep them there.
“We continue to work with the Islanders to achieve that purpose,” Mangano said. “No one has come forward with a privately financed deal.”
Wang has said he would move the New York Islanders hockey team at the end of the team’s lease in 2015 unless a new arena is built. He has estimated that construction of a new arena would take 30 months.
Speculation has centered on Wang moving the Islanders to Canada or to the new Barclays Center, which will house the New Jersey Nets NBA team next season.
“We continue to talk to anyone,” Mangano said.
At a press briefing last month, Mangano said he was on the verge of revealing a new plan to develop the 77-acre Hub site, which he has called the centerpiece of his plan to spur economic development in the county.
He shifted gears to seek a private company or companies to develop the site after a referendum to fuel development of the Hub with public funds was soundly defeated in August.
“The coliseum plan has been the victim of ‘No’,” he said this week, referring to both the referendum and the much earlier rejection of the original Hub development plan by the Town of Hempstead under Mangano’s predecessor Thomas Suozzi.
Mangano’s office has fielded informal proposals for various commercial projects on the Hub property since he issued the invitation to all comers in August, according to Mangano spokesman Brian Nevins.
But responses to the RFP for the expo center would be the first formal proposals of any kind received for the Hub property since voters rejected the notion of using public money to keep the Islanders on ice in Nassau County.  

Wang and Barclays Center Have an Open Line of Communication

Barclays Center's CEO Brett Yormark called Islanders owner Charles Wang "a friend,'' and added, "We have an open line of communication with him.'' But for now Yormark positioned the October game primarily as a "sampling opportunity'' for all concerned. "We'll see where it goes,'' he said.

Evident around the perimeter of the arena floor in the heart of Brooklyn is the outline of a hockey rink, the one that on Oct. 2 will host the first sports event in the building -- an Islanders preseason game against the Devils.


The complications are above the playing service, where an emphasis on the most intimate, symmetrical seating bowl for basketball means some seats on one end would not be suitable for hockey because of obstructed sightlines.

That will limit the capacity for hockey to about 14,500, smaller than any current NHL arena. The basketball capacity is about 18,000.

Arena officials hope most people use mass transit; parking in the vicinity is limited. But many Long Islanders comfortable with taking a train to Penn Station and Madison Square Garden will require education about reaching Brooklyn.

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;jsessionid=471F385D505BD574F2BA.3216?site=newsday&view=sports_item&feed:a=newsday_5min&feed:c=sports&feed:i=1.3550252

Hey Nassau the clock is ticking and the next move is yours.

Update On Wang's Options

With the Islanders lease getting closer to expiration the amount of options Wang has for the Islanders continue to grow.  We already know that the current arena in its current condition is not an option Wang will consider.  Some people still wonder why this is the case.  The answer to this question is simple the Nassau Coliseum is an antiquated arena that does not offer Wang the revenue streams he need to keep the Islanders competitive.  Reports has shown that in his ten plus years of owning the team he has lost close to 250 million dollars.  In t  his post I will list the possible municipalities Wang could move the Islanders to.

Local Options:

 Nassau County: 

Is still Wang's first choice, but time is running out.  Either the county has to be willing to pay for part of the arena or the Town of Hempstead has to increase their zoning for the hub to keep the Islanders.  I don't find either of these things likely to happen, but would love to be proven wrong.  Kate Murray has made it clear that she does not want a large mix use project in her town, and Nassau residents have also made it clear they don't want to spend their money to keep the team.

 Brooklyn:

Of all the local options Brooklyn is probably in the lead to get the Islanders.  Even with the Barclays Center small capacity for hockey it offers Wang amenities and revenue stream the Coliseum can't. Other positives Brooklyn has in its favor is that the arena is already being built, and if Wang still wants a development deal he can jump aboard the Atlantic Yard Development. This may not be the dream situation for Islander fans, but we'll take it if it means keeping our team.


 Suffolk County:

We know that Wang and Suffolk County have been talking since the August 1st let down, but beyond that we have no clue.  There isn't enough information for a plus/minus, but whatever keeps the Isles in NY is fine by me.  The question is how have the recent political changes in Suffolk County effected the negotiations.  In my mind Suffolk County could be the dark horse that comes out of nowhere to land the team.  However, one has to wonder how Suffolk would fund an arena.  My guess is that the county might be more receptive to a Lighthouse type project than Nassau, but still consider Suffolk County a long shot.

OUT OF STATE  


Seattle:

They have plan for a new arena and a person interested in bringing hockey to Seattle. According to SportsNet  Don Levin the owner the AHL Chicago Wolves has expressed interest in owning a NHL team in Seattle.  Seattle is currently working on getting a new arena to bring both the NBA and NHL back to their city.  The city knows that it a huge mistake to let a sports franchise walk and they seem willing and ready to correct that mistake.  In addition, out of all the potential markets Bettman and the NHL seem to be most intrigue by Seattle.


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.



 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?

The arena situation still hasn't hit its lowest point yet. Sadly I don't see a deal being reached in Nassau, but I still believe the team will stay in New York by moving to the Barclays Center. Either Wang moves the team there himself and gets a sweetheart from the Barclays Center, and if he wants a piece of the Atlantic Yards Development. If he wants to sell I don't see a local buyer buying the team and building the arena right away. I could see someone buying the team moving them to Brooklyn (with a favorable lease). The goal of the owner would be to turn the team into a winner, and try to get the city to build the team a new arena in Queens, or get the Barclays Center renovated and a larger portion of the profits.

Coyotes Are Staying Put

http://www.king5.com/sports/Coyotes-may-no-longer-be-option-for-Seattle-NHL-team-139562608.html

PHOENIX -- An investor may have stepped up to buy the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, potentially preventing a possible move to Seattle.
Dave Zorn of Metro Networks Arizona reports, former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison has been approved by the NHL to purchase the Coyotes.  Former Coyotes star, Jeremy Roenick, is reportedly part of Jamison's group.
The Coyotes are no longer financially supported in Glendale, where they are losing money.  Seattle sports fans saw the team as a potential tenant of the city's newly proposed NBA/NHL arena.
Members of the Phoenix Coyotes Coalition told KING 5 News they will celebrate when they hear it from the NHL, the current owners of the team.
An announcement from the NHL is not expected until Monday at the earliest.

 With the Coyotes off the open market for cities who want a sports team, the Islanders are going become those markets first choice.  Don't be surprise to see a hard push from Seattle and Quebec to land the Islanders.  If this doesn't put more pressure on Nassau nothing will, and sadly I think that is the case.  The Islanders fate in New York will most likely come down to if the NHL and Wang considers the Barcalys Center a suitable NHL arena.

Seatttle's Arena Plan

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/News/2012/02/16/19391076.html

SEATTLE - Political leaders unveiled a $500-million proposal Thursday to build a new arena in Seattle, paving the way for a possible return of an NBA franchise as well as an NHL team.
Details of the arena proposal by billionaire San Francisco fund manager Christopher Hansen -- including a public-private financing deal -- were released by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and King County Executive Dow Constantine, a regional government leader.
Hansen and an unidentified group of investors will raise $290 million to acquire an NBA team and line up a partner to try for an NHL team -- in apparent competition with Quebec City.
Governments will own the land and the arena and put up $200 million.
The public debt would be recovered by charging the pro sports teams rent to use the arena and by charging fans new taxes.

Hey Nassau that notes from the Seattle situation.  They were dumb enough to let the Super Sonics walk away a few years ago and now they are begging for a new team to fill the financial  gap. Don't make the same mistake they did.  Seattle seems like they will be lucky enough to get new teams, but Nassau won't have the same luck, since the market is already jam packed with sport teams.  If Nassau County truly wants a sport team they need to come up with a solution now, but if you don't tell us now.  If you don't envision the Islanders as part of the county's future let them move on and work with other local options while there is still time.  

Seattle has Someone Willing Bring Hockey Back

 According to SportsNet  Don Levin the owner the AHL Chicago Wolves has expressed interest in owning a NHL team in Seattle.  Seattle is currently working on getting a new arena to bring both the NBA and NHL back to their city.

Don Levin, owner of the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves, has expressed interest in bringing an NHL franchise to Seattle, according to a report in the Globe and Mail on Thursday.
Chris Hansen, who is a prominent hedge-fund manager in the San Francisco Bay Area, is reportedly working on a deal to build a new sports arena in the city of Seattle.
If Hansen is successful in the arena project, Levin would love to get involved with the ownership of an NHL franchise.
"If he's successful, I'd be very happy to be involved," Levin told the Globe and Mail. "I told [Hansen] if he has something put together I would be interested."
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed to Dave Shoalts of the Globe and Mail and Chris Daniels on KING TV in Seattle that the NHL will be closely watching what transpires in the arena announcement on Thursday.

 http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2012/02/16/seattle_nhl_levin/

A Great Article on Today's Meeting

Below is just a small sample of the article from savetheisles.blogspot.com I recommend that you read the rest.

 Financing Discrepancy?

At the hearing today, Deputy County Executive Robert Walker was the first person to speak and he spoke for upwards of 90 minutes. One of the points he stressed was that the Coliseum would be 100% privately financed. However subsequent speakers said the ROI (Return On Investment) on such an investment wouldn't be great enough for a developer to actually take something like that on so some sort of public element would be needed.

They said that the state could pay that part, however Kevin Law who is the Co President of the organization who handles that which was created by Governor Cuomo said the biggest award issued last year to a single place was 6 million dollars. Now 6 million dollars is a lot of money, but no where near the amount that would put even a small dent in something like this.

Both Walker and Mike Picker said that talks were ongoing between the County and the Islanders, and I have a feeling this is something being talked about because they have two totally different views on this and beside getting the approvals this is the most important thing so your not going to go anywhere without it.

 http://savetheisles.blogspot.com/2012/02/recap-of-my-afternoon-at-legislature.html

Wang Will Get First Shot At The Hub

According to Newsday Ed Mangano will give Charles Wang a time period to come up with a private development for the site.
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano has offered Islanders owner Charles Wang an exclusive period to come up with a privately financed plan to redevelop the 77-acre Nassau Hub before the county seeks other options for the site.

"I look forward to receiving a privately financed plan for a new Coliseum from the New York Islanders ," Mangano said.

In the absence of such a plan, "we will have no choice but to go in a different direction," said Deputy County Executive Rob Walker.

Islanders Senior Vice President Michael Picker told a county legislative committee Tuesday that he hopes the county and the team can develop a plan for a new arena funded with public and private money.

But Picker said in an interview that if the county were to put the site out for public bidding, Wang likely would not participate. "We would have to evaluate it, but I don't think so," Picker said in an interview.

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;jsessionid=39F8AE72748D67622241.3216?site=newsday&view=business_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=business&feed:i=1.3530452

Live Link Hub Meeting

http://nassaucountyny.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx

Key Facts

1) New Arena over renovated because it would be cheaper.

2) County Legislators does not want use any Nassau Public Money

3) Picker says public/private partnership needed

4) Nassau still Islanders first choice

5) Kevin Law says town needs to expand zoning to get site built and everyone needs to meet.

6) Arena first and rest development should be consider second stage.

7) Walker says Nassau needs plan by end 2012, because Islanders will most likely make decisions by then.

8) County Legislators keeps saying they don't want to give a dime towards the projects.

The main thing I take from this meeting is that Nassau wants everything for nothing. They want the Federal Government, State, private investors, and the Islanders to pay for it, and at the same time reap all the benefits. If they really want this done they need to give their ounce of blood as well.

Is Nassau Ready To Move On From The Islanders

 According to BD Gallof several developers are preparing plans for the Nassau Hub without the Islanders/Coliseum included in them. 

 CBS 2 has learned several developers are drafting proposals that imagine Long Island’s future without the Islanders.
Hockey fans in Nassau don’t like the idea of their island without the Islanders, which at one time was the greatest U.S.-based franchise in the National Hockey League and has been a source of suburban pride since 1972.
“Moving them is a big mistake,” one Long Islander told CBS 2’s Carolyn Gusoff.
“I would be very upset if they left. I hope they don’t,” another added.
But some heavy hitter developers say get used to the idea. In fact, they are developing Plan B — Long Island’s future without the franchise that has won four Stanley Cup championships during its up-and-down existence.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/02/13/long-island-developers-planning-to-develop-nassau-hub-with-or-without-the-islanders/
 It kills me to say this, but it looks like the door on Nassau is closing.  Of course the politicians like Jay Jacob and Ed Mangano say they want to keep the Islanders, but what do you expect them to say.  Nassau has fumbled this issue for so long that they don't know how to come up with a solution.  The private option is dead because Kate Murray and the town of Hempstead had to kill the Lighthouse Project.  How that project failed, which could of done so much economic good for Long Island will always be a sore spot to me.  In addition to the private option being dead, the public private partnership is dead thanks to Jay Jacobs and the Democrats using scare politics to get the referendum defeated.  Long Island politicians seem to be great at killing ideas and terrible at creating them.  With the private option gone and the public/private as well what is left?

The only real option on the table for keeping our beloved Islanders in New York is Brooklyn.  I admit that Brooklyn does have its negative aspects: arena capacity, lack of parking, and who wants to drive in Brooklyn, but its still better than Quebec and Kansas City.  In my mind the Islanders fate in New York is going come down to weather or not Wang can get the deal he wants from Brooklyn.    
http://newyorkislandersadrift.blogspot.com/2012/02/14500-can-work.html
http://newyorkislandersadrift.blogspot.com/2012/02/10-reasons-why-i-think-move-to-brooklyn.html
http://newyorkislandersadrift.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-brooklyn-can-become-permanate-home.html
http://newyorkislandersadrift.blogspot.com/2011/11/is-brooklyn-our-only-real-option.html

Chris Botta's Article

According to Chris Botta, Charles Wang is listening to all offers in and out of New York.  This should not come as a shock to anyone who has payed close attention to this situation.

http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2012/02/while-nassau-fiddles-with-another-meeting-wang-is-listening-to-offers-from-municipalities-in-new-york-and-elsewhere/

The One Man Who Can Keep The Islanders In Nassau

The one man who holds the Islanders fate in Nassau in his hands is Ed Mangano.  Mr Mangano needs to create a plan that will allow owner Charles Wang to get a new or renovated arena and make a profit.  At the same time he has to take in to account the town of Hempstead's zoning for the site and the revenue the county can get from the development.  This will not be an easy task for him, but one that he needs to accomplish if he wants his time in office to be successful.  This upcoming Tuesday Mr. Mangano has a meeting with Governor Andrew Cuomo.  This meeting his going go a long way in deciding the Islanders future in Nassau, since the county will most likely need  state money to revamp the Coliseum.  Whatever Mangano has planned he needs to get it motion soon and make sure it all comes together, since this will be Nassau last chance to keep the Islanders.

Barclays Center's Head of Construction Team Talks Hockey

 Mike Barry interviewed Bob Sanna the head of construction about the Islanders and hockey at the Barclays Center.  Below is a small piece of that interview.  Click the link to see the entire article.

The media coverage last week on the prospect of the Islanders moving to Brooklyn in 2015, after their current lease expires at the Nassau Coliseum, focused on the logistical hurdles Barclays Center would purportedly face in accommodating an NHL franchise. That’s not the case.
“We have a complete ice floor in the building,” Sanna stated. “The format of the ice floor actually becomes the format for every other thing that goes on in the building, including concerts.” Barclays Center can, however, only seat 14,500 hockey fans whereas it will house up to 18,000 for basketball when the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) New Jersey Nets move to Brooklyn in the fall of this year.
Sanna added that FCRC has examined closely how facilities such as Bankers Life Field House in downtown Indianapolis adjusted to allow both the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the U.S. Hockey League’s Indiana Ice to play there.

 http://www.antonnews.com/columns/barry/20884-islanders-plan.html

Barclays Center Falls Behinds Schedule

According to Netsdaily the Barclays Center has fallen behind schedule, but it shouldn't effect the opening events for the arena.

With the Grand Opening of Barclays Center scheduled for September 28, it looks like things will be a little tight. The latest report by engineering consultants for the arena bondholders is projecting a completion date of September 5, a little more than three weeks before the Jay-Z concert.
The next significant milestone in the construction timetable is installation of the arena scoreboard and video boards which is expected to start March 6 and the installation of ice rink systems starting 10 days later.

 http://www.netsdaily.com/2012/2/9/2787981/arena-falls-a-bit-behind-schedule-scoreboard-ice-rink-next-on-list

14,500 Can Work

EVAN WEINER of the NEWJERSYNEWSROOM.COM wrote a must read article explaining how a 14,500 seat arena could work in the Islanders and ownership favor.  Below are just a few pieces from the article.

a professor at the University of Central Florida and sports economics consultant, coined the phrase the "Fenway Principle," to describe how a ballpark or arena with reduced capacity can create a shortage of tickets, forcing customers to purchase tickets months in advance if they want to attend a game. Sutton based his theory on Fenway Park, the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox.

Fenway Park has one of the smallest seating capacities in Major League Baseball which makes getting a ticket to a Red Sox game difficult if a purchaser doesn't buy a ticket plan prior to a given season.
Red Sox tickets become subject to the law of supply and demand. If you want a ticket you better buy them in advance and be willing to pay up front a pretty good price because of scarcity. Of course tickets are available on the secondary market but a team wants to sell all tickets in advance and not deal with a walk up crowd.
Depending on how a deal is structured, Wang might be better off with a smaller ticket inventory than what he presently has at the Nassau Coliseum. The Fenway Principle could play out in Brooklyn, where Islanders fans will not only vie for fewer seats, but will pay more for them

The on-field, on-ice product drives ticket sales. Wang's Islanders have been terrible and need to get better.
If the team does improve, there figures to be more interest and a small seating capacity might cause businesses and corporate interests to have a sense of urgency to buy the Islanders product up front in Brooklyn and improve Wang's bottom line.

http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/professional/will-the-islanders-follow-the-nets-to-brooklyn

Queens Twitter Update

 

BDGallof BDGallof

  @randimarshall i always wondered on Cuomo where he wants casinos at Aqueduct. Can a sports team fit there?

 @BDGallof Cuomo has no plans to include sports team at Aqueduct.

https://twitter.com/#!/randimarshall/status/166035268531535872 

4 Memebers of a Better Long Island Have Plans for the Hub

Four developers who are part of The Association for a better Long Island plan to joint together to develop the hub.  They said that they are willing to do so with the Islanders part of the site or without them.  This should come as no surprise to anyone, since the main reason this organization opposed the August 1 referendum was to get their hands on the hub.

  The quartet -- which met with County Executive Edward Mangano last week -- plans to craft a plan to revamp the Nassau Hub, regardless of whether the New York Islanders stay at the Coliseum, said Garden City developer Vincent Polimeni.

"It could be a tremendous home run," Polimeni said of the plan, which will be formulated if and when a request for proposals to develop the site is filed by Nassau County.

Mangano will discuss his plans for the Hub at a meeting with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in the next two weeks, although he declined to elaborate. The county executive said last month that he would produce a new proposal in coming weeks.

"The clock is ticking," Mangano said. "We are at another crossroad to bring people together to build up the Hub."

Separately, the county issued an RFP last week to build an exposition center at nearby Mitchel Field in Uniondale .

Polimeni is partnering with Garden City developer Jan Burman, Syosset developer Ed Blumenfeld and Jericho developer Mark Hamer. All four are members of the Association for a Better Long Island, the real estate group that opposed a failed referendum last year to build a publicly funded Nassau Coliseum. Polimeni, Burman and Blumenfeld bid on the Coliseum property in 2005, but lost to New York Islanders owner Charles Wang .

" The Hub with the Islanders and with the Coliseum is a needed thing on Long Island," Blumenfeld said. "The Hub without the Islanders can be an economic engine also."

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=DB8411570C8BCB184C1F.3220?site=newsday&view=business_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=business&feed:i=1.3505257&part=0
 They accused Charles Wang of trying to pull a land grab on August 1st, but The Association for a Better Long Island was really the group attempting the land grab, with their all out attempts to prevent the arena deal.  The sad part is that they might succeed and reap all the rewards of their plan.   

Twitter Update on Suffolk

@BDGallof Have you heard anything about Queens and Suffolk joining the mix with Brooklyn and Nassau
 @danburyislesfan nothing. Suffolk has new exec. one thinks they might at least kick a tire or two. have to do more than that really.

I have also asked the Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone if he is trying to get the Isles to his county.  We just have to wait and see what his response is

Suffolk Want The Shinnecock

Suffolk County Executive commented saying that he wants the Shinnecock to build their casino in his county.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Legis. Wayne Horsley (D- Babylon ), chairman of the county's gaming task force, held an hour long meeting with tribal officials Wednesday over the possibility of opening a casino in Suffolk. "That's a conversation we're open to," said Deputy County Executive Jon Schneider. "It's a Suffolk County tribe; I'd think they would want to be in Suffolk County." 

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=2F7B0013C0368F8B5421.3216?site=newsday&view=top_stories_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=topstories&feed:i=1.3505128&part=1

The question is could this lead to a push for the Islanders in Suffolk. Suffolk may try to create their own entertainment district with the Shinnecock and the Islanders. The casino and arena combination is a solid plan for a economic dynamo whether it is in Nassau or Suffolk. Time will tell if the tribe will be interested in Suffolk County, and if that will lead to both parties trying to convince the Islanders to join.

A Great Article on the Brooklyn Option

 

Tony Stabile wrote a great article on Brooklyn and how it plays into the Islanders arena situation.  I without a doubt recommend you take a look at it.

 In a move that finally has pushed the leverage into the office of Charles Wang, the Islanders have agreed to play the first NHL game in the brand new Barclays Center next October 2nd. This is huge that the announcement comes now as the Islanders are heading into the most important summer in its history. If the Islanders are to stay in Nassau County (which I don’t see being at all possible), the county and team must come to an agreement, get the plans and financing in order and have a shovel in the ground by next June 1st. Anyone who knows anything about Nassau politics knows that nothing happens that fast. Until now, the County has held all the leverage as there had been no opposition, it was either you do things our way, or they won’t get done. Now with genuine interest from a location just 25 miles west of the Coliseum, from a brand new state of the art facility, the power shifts all to Wang. If Nassau refuses to work with him, he can now take his team and simply move them to the Barclays Center for the 2015 season. No construction costs, no political headaches, just a thanks for the memories and see you soon. The County would then be on the hook for a useless facility (funny this all sounds familiar), and with the economy in its current state, that land would become the new Roosevelt Raceway.

This is just a small sample here is the rest http://hockeythisweek.com/the-brooklyn-islanders-by-tony-stabile/

 

Brooklyn's Interest is Real

According to B.D Gallof and his sources the Barclays Center are going go all out to get the Islanders to be full time tenants.

 
According to sources, including one within the NHL and another with knowledge of the Barclays Center, the venue is making an “aggressive sales pitch.” In addition, the league source said “the chances of the New York Islanders to Brooklyn are actually pretty good.” The preseason game, sources said, is being viewed as a chance for Wang to get a sense of what life would be like in Brooklyn.
Barclays Center officials have been using the Islanders as an enticement to lure corporate sponsors, another source said.
As for the territorial issue that some media outlets have been citing as an issue for the Islanders, who originally paid the Rangers $4.5 million in 1972 for permission to take root in Nassau County, an NHL source said: “… 99 percent certain the Isles wouldn’t have to pay the Rangers a dime if they moved to Brooklyn or Queens. … There is no fee, but the Rangers wouldn’t be happy about it. But there’s not much they could do.”

 This news does not surprise me at all.  It is clear that the Barclays Center need/wants the additional dates the Islanders can add to their arena.  The questions are going be if both sides can make a deal that will be profitable for everyone, and if Nassau can get there act together.

Cuomo On Belmont Casino

In an interview with Newsday Governor Cuomo made it clear how he feels about a casino at Belmont.

"My instinct is it would not make sense to have two [casinos] back-to-back at Aqueduct and Belmont," Cuomo said in a meeting with Newsday's editorial board. "My guess is that it would not make sense . . . from a planning point of view."

The governor said last month that he was negotiating with the Genting Organization, a Malaysian company that operates theme parks, casinos and seaside resorts, to build a $4 billion, 3.8-million-square-foot convention center at Aqueduct to replace the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

Cuomo said Belmont needs an economically viable redevelopment plan, but declined to offer suggestions.

Shinnecock officials disagreed with the governor's assessment.

"The idea that the world's largest market can only support one facility at Aqueduct makes no sense," said tribal spokeswoman Beverly Jensen. "Belmont could bring in hundreds of millions in revenue in Nassau County without losing one single job in Queens."

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano said Thursday that he is pursuing sports and entertainment options for Belmont, located in Elmont .

"Nassau County has received interest from a developer with the financial means to establish a soccer stadium complemented by mixed-use development, which would enhance the current raceway," Mangano said.

 http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;jsessionid=1CA979935C934C1B5050.3216?site=newsday&view=business_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=business&feed:i=1.3500493
things look bleak for a Belmont development.  One has to wonder if that investor Mangano mention still has interest in the site without the Casino.  If he does, who knows maybe someone could twist his arm to adding a hockey arena to his sports entertainment mix-used development plan.

10 Reasons Why I Think A Move To Brooklyn Would Work

1) Corporate Revenue: As I mention in a previous post in today's sports world teams make a large portion of their revenue from corporate sponsorship.  A move to Brooklyn would increase this revenue to levels that Nassau could never reach.  Being part of New York City and more importantly Brooklyn would open new avenues of revenue for the team

2) Public Transportation: The Barclays Center is going be one of the most accessible arenas in the country through public transportation.  One of the majors complaints of the Islanders current location is a lack of public transportation.

3) Increased Media attention: A moved to Brooklyn would increase the amount of media coverage on the team and put pressure on ownership to get results.

4) Loyal Fan base: I know many Islander fans may be turned off by the idea of the Islanders playing in Brooklyn , but the of the base will stick by them.  They have been through too much to let a move twenty miles west on the Island turn them off.  Plus the majority of the base knows that time is running out tom get a deal and Brooklyn sounds a lot better than Quebec, Seattle, or Kansas City.

5) Cablevision Contract: Being able to continue to collect one of the best cable deals in sports won't hurt one bit.

6) The potential for development: I am not saying that Wang still wants to get involve in a major development, but a move to Brooklyn still provides him with the opportunity to do so.  He could jump aboard Ratner's Atlantic Yard Development if he has any desire to do so.

7) State of the art arena:  Even with its low capacity and possible horseshoe like layout the Barclays Center will offer revenue streams that the Nassau Coliseum just can't anymore.

8) Partnership with Ratner:  Wang and Ratner are close friend and they both need each other.  Wang needs a state of the art arena to provide stability to the Franchise and to stop bleeding money.  Ratner needs the 41 or more dates the Islanders could offer him to generate revenue in his new arena.

9) Politics: Brooklyn politicians actually want the team and won't play politically football with the team like Nassau has for three decades now. 

10: To quote An Officer and a Gentleman "We got nowhere else to go" at least for the moment.

The Hockey Configuration of the Barclays Center

]This post has been edited to add the official picture of the Barclays Center hockey configuration.  It doesn't look like the horseshoe design mention by Frank Sanna below.

According to Robert Sanna, Forest City Ratner’s executive vice president for construction and design development, the seating capacity will be reduced to 14,500 from 18,000 for basketball, which would make it the league’s smallest rink. Retractable seats will mostly be collapsed on one end, closest to the Atlantic Terminal side, and therefore the alignment around the rink will resemble a horseshoe.

Mr. Sanna said the construction team would also have to design additional locker rooms for hockey players.

The ice, which will be manufactured in July, will stay underneath the basketball floor permanently. Whether this leads to an N.H.L. franchise that will wear Brooklyn on its jerseys, Mr. Sanna could not say.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/nyregion/at-barclays-center-islanders-to-play-where-hockey-was-an-afterthought.html?_r=1
 Before we make a final judgement on the arena and it configuration lets see how October 2nd goes.