before there was even in a shovel in the ground Ratner asked Wang to come join him in Brooklyn and build an arena that sat somewhere around 18,000. Wang said thanks, but no i'm gonna work on a deal in Nassau. He ends up in Brooklyn anyways :fp:.
the blame for all this goes around from Nassau to Wang all the way back to the gang of four ownership. if one of the many ownership got together with Nassau and worked out a deal even if it was just a remodeled coliseum long island would still have a pro franchise. yes Brooklyn and Queens are part of Long Island on a map, but culturally it's different.
Hard to believe at 1 time they were maybe the successful expansion franchise ... now look at them.
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
Wang really has no blalme in this in my eyes. He took on the team that has a brutal lease agreement with the Colliseumand lost a lot of money trying to work out a new arena deal. He did a good service to the folks in Long Island and now it's time to move on. Nassau had every oppurtunity in the world to keep this team. Now go build another mall and enjoy the drive to Brooklyn.
Are those fans going to follow this team to Brooklyn? If not then they might need to think about rebranding this team ... new name ... uniforms the works.
Bettman seems happy they're in Brooklyn ... so you know it'll be hugely successful.
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
Wang really has no blalme in this in my eyes. He took on the team that has a brutal lease agreement with the Colliseumand lost a lot of money trying to work out a new arena deal. He did a good service to the folks in Long Island and now it's time to move on. Nassau had every oppurtunity in the world to keep this team. Now go build another mall and enjoy the drive to Brooklyn.
Are those fans going to follow this team to Brooklyn? If not then they might need to think about rebranding this team ... new name ... uniforms the works.
Bettman seems happy they're in Brooklyn ... so you know it'll be hugely successful.
I think some will follow of course. I mean not every Islander fan lives on Long Island just like not every Devil fan lived in East Rutherford when they moved to Newark.
Wang really has no blalme in this in my eyes. He took on the team that has a brutal lease agreement with the Colliseumand lost a lot of money trying to work out a new arena deal. He did a good service to the folks in Long Island and now it's time to move on. Nassau had every oppurtunity in the world to keep this team. Now go build another mall and enjoy the drive to Brooklyn.
Are those fans going to follow this team to Brooklyn? If not then they might need to think about rebranding this team ... new name ... uniforms the works.
Bettman seems happy they're in Brooklyn ... so you know it'll be hugely successful.
I think some will follow of course. I mean not every Islander fan lives on Long Island just like not every Devil fan lived in East Rutherford when they moved to Newark.
Very few will follow to the seats. They may follow on TV, but I don't see them following with tickets.
Wang has lost 10's of millions of dollars, turned down more lucrative deals from Quebec, KC, Hartford, etc. Nassau County really screwed the pooch on this one. It was put to a vote last year, and folks turned down what would in effect be a $50 increase to property taxes to defray some of the cost. I'm not big on public building buildings for rich guys, but Wang had designed a huge project that would bring both affordable housing and a central HUB for the Island with everything from parks to condos/apartments to shopping (not that we need another shopping mall here) to office buildings that was mostly financed privately. The taxes that would have brought in in the long run would have far outweighed the amount the tax payers were being asked to pay in the short run.
There is little chance this thing gets re-built. It will eventually be torn down and converted into something similar (perhaps on a smaller scale) than the Lighthouse project Wang had offered. And I guarantee it's done at even more taxpayer's expense, as nobody was willing to develop the land a few years ago when the County put it up to bid.
It's really a mess and a shame.
On the re-branding - Wang yesterday insisted he's keeping it the New York Islanders. On one hand, cynical me thinks he's just saying that until they move (or are close to it) to try to keep as many Islanders (the citizens) coming to the games and not totally alienating them before the move. But, I actually believe him. Through this whole process, he has been true to his word. If anything, he's broken his word AGAINST his own benefit. He is from Long Island, and it is very important to him. That's why this has dragged out so long. So, it would seem counter to everything he's done to date to change the name.
As for the re-configuration/add on to make the arena bigger on the one end - it is already shoe horned into that community as is. There's no place for the to build out unless they eliminate the hallways inside, the sidewalk and street outside, so on and so forth. So, they are stuck with that one goal. Now, they will probably do something with the site lines from the upper deck. But, the arena was really poorly designed. You go on line to get tickets to shows, and there are corner seats in the 100 sections across from the stage listed as partial view. Who designs a modern facility that way? I think the space limitation in the area they plopped it down probably had something to do with it.
I only went to a couple games a year. If I'm getting on a train, it's to go to MSG. Not to Brooklyn.
Sorry. The world doesn't work the way you tell it to.
Very few will follow to the seats. They may follow on TV, but I don't see them following with tickets.
Wang has lost 10's of millions of dollars, turned down more lucrative deals from Quebec, KC, Hartford, etc. Nassau County really screwed the pooch on this one. It was put to a vote last year, and folks turned down what would in effect be a $50 increase to property taxes to defray some of the cost. I'm not big on public building buildings for rich guys, but Wang had designed a huge project that would bring both affordable housing and a central HUB for the Island with everything from parks to condos/apartments to shopping (not that we need another shopping mall here) to office buildings that was mostly financed privately. The taxes that would have brought in in the long run would have far outweighed the amount the tax payers were being asked to pay in the short run.
There is little chance this thing gets re-built. It will eventually be torn down and converted into something similar (perhaps on a smaller scale) than the Lighthouse project Wang had offered. And I guarantee it's done at even more taxpayer's expense, as nobody was willing to develop the land a few years ago when the County put it up to bid.
It's really a mess and a shame.
On the re-branding - Wang yesterday insisted he's keeping it the New York Islanders. On one hand, cynical me thinks he's just saying that until they move (or are close to it) to try to keep as many Islanders (the citizens) coming to the games and not totally alienating them before the move. But, I actually believe him. Through this whole process, he has been true to his word. If anything, he's broken his word AGAINST his own benefit. He is from Long Island, and it is very important to him. That's why this has dragged out so long. So, it would seem counter to everything he's done to date to change the name.
As for the re-configuration/add on to make the arena bigger on the one end - it is already shoe horned into that community as is. There's no place for the to build out unless they eliminate the hallways inside, the sidewalk and street outside, so on and so forth. So, they are stuck with that one goal. Now, they will probably do something with the site lines from the upper deck. But, the arena was really poorly designed. You go on line to get tickets to shows, and there are corner seats in the 100 sections across from the stage listed as partial view. Who designs a modern facility that way? I think the space limitation in the area they plopped it down probably had something to do with it.
I only went to a couple games a year. If I'm getting on a train, it's to go to MSG. Not to Brooklyn.
I agree with most of this. Especially any Islander fan who thinks this is somehow because of Wang is majorally misinformed. The guy took a lot less money to move the team 30 minutes away from the shithole they are currently playing in. Islander faithfull should be thankful this isn't the Kansas City Scouts Part Deux.
Wang really has no blalme in this in my eyes. He took on the team that has a brutal lease agreement with the Colliseumand lost a lot of money trying to work out a new arena deal. He did a good service to the folks in Long Island and now it's time to move on. Nassau had every oppurtunity in the world to keep this team. Now go build another mall and enjoy the drive to Brooklyn.
Are those fans going to follow this team to Brooklyn? If not then they might need to think about rebranding this team ... new name ... uniforms the works.
Bettman seems happy they're in Brooklyn ... so you know it'll be hugely successful.
I think some will follow of course. I mean not every Islander fan lives on Long Island just like not every Devil fan lived in East Rutherford when they moved to Newark.
Newark is 10 minutes from East Rutherford
Atlantic Yards is at least an hour with traffic from Nassau Coliseum...
As far as names go, Brooklyn is part of Long Island, no reason to change it.
Bottom line is Wang gave Isalnder fan and Nassau every oppurtunity to keep this team in Long Island. They failed. Go ahead and blame him if you want. He took a leeser deal to keep the team as close as he could. Most people, myself included, wouldn't have given a shit.
I agree with most of this. Especially any Islander fan who thinks this is somehow because of Wang is majorally misinformed. The guy took a lot less money to move the team 30 minutes away from the shithole they are currently playing in. Islander faithfull should be thankful this isn't the Kansas City Scouts Part Deux.
I dont think there was any chance Wang or the NHL would walk away from their completely ridiculous television deal they have for like the next 500 years. Also, the CBA is going to be changed to allow the Islanders to collect revenue sharing, unlike the last CBA that disqualified them due to market share.
I would also bet that the NHL is waiving any relocation fees where a move to KC would have cost Wang a ton... and a move to Kansas City would in all likelihood fail.
This is Nassau County painting him into a corner. Not really Wang's fault other than him being a terrible owner, circumventing the cap floor and not creating enough interest. If the Isles were good/relevant, the Lighthouse project would have been accepted.
I agree with most of this. Especially any Islander fan who thinks this is somehow because of Wang is majorally misinformed. The guy took a lot less money to move the team 30 minutes away from the shithole they are currently playing in. Islander faithfull should be thankful this isn't the Kansas City Scouts Part Deux.
I dont think there was any chance Wang or the NHL would walk away from their completely ridiculous television deal they have for like the next 500 years. Also, the CBA is going to be changed to allow the Islanders to collect revenue sharing, unlike the last CBA that disqualified them due to market share.
I would also bet that the NHL is waiving any relocation fees where a move to KC would have cost Wang a ton... and a move to Kansas City would in all likelihood fail.
This is Nassau County painting him into a corner. Not really Wang's fault other than him being a terrible owner, circumventing the cap floor and not creating enough interest. If the Isles were good/relevant, the Lighthouse project would have been accepted.
You have seen the lease agreement he inherited correct? He also spent the majority of nine years trying to get a project passed all the while losing money. Far from his fault.
I said it wasnt his fault other than putting an awful product on the ice.
If they would have been a better team, there would have been more pressure and incentive to build the facility.
I think it's a case of the chicken and egg. An owner can only be expected to bleed so much money and they could not lure any substantial free agents to that team at all with the state of the team and it's facility. This is a positive move in my opion for the NHL and Islander fans (if there are any) and they should be happy the team is a train or car ride away.....not a flight.
they are gonna keep the logo..but they need to expand the picture of long island to include brooklyn on the crest
they are gonna lose the old timers who don't want to commute
even though the LIRR stops outside..people don't want to get home midnight on a tuesday
as for attendance ..the only average around 13,000 the past few years....so thats a non issue
me personally i can now go see all 3 games when my NYR play there.....
plus on a boring weekend i would have no problem going to a game involving any team becasue of the closeness to my apt
i post on the board of a band that doesn't exsist anymore .......i need my head examined.......
As for the fans - who can blame them either. What team (other than the Rangers) sell out their arena when the team sucks year after year?
Let me introduce you to the most lucrative team in the NHL - The Toronto Maple Leafs (last cup, 1967).
Sell out every game, with the highest average ticket price in the league. Last time I checked gold circle seats were $450/game + taxes and fees, and that was in 2008....
Sorry, the Habs fan in me just couldn't let that comment slide, even though it was 2 pages and 12-13 hours ago...
Houston, Texas... Believe it or not, there are 7 million people here... must be a couple of fans who'd love to see you play.
DS, Wang is def at fault here. He's been a horrible owner from day one and has poorly run the team. What owner runs Neil Smith, we're talking Neil Smith here, one of the most respected hockey minds. Ontop of that let's not get into the coaching revolving door or the yashin contract or hiring a backup goalie as gm or giving Dippy a lifetime contract. He's also raised ticket prices every year since owning team. Yes the smg deal is horrible, but if you don't put money into the team and make stupid moves people won't care. If Wang put money into the team, people would actually go to games and that dump would rock. Back when the isles played the leafs in the first round in 01, that old barn was rocking and was so loud that even the players on both teams could feel it. Why should Nassau and TOH approve a massive land deal for a bottom feeder team with no hope, I really can't blame. Had this team been in the playoffs year in and year out, Nassau and TOH woulda approved the LHP.
Per Charles Wang: 30% of STH in Nassau, 30% in Suffolk and 40% in Queens, Brooklyn, Westchester, Manhattan, and NJ
Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
DS, Wang is def at fault here. He's been a horrible owner from day one and has poorly run the team. What owner runs Neil Smith, we're talking Neil Smith here, one of the most respected hockey minds. Ontop of that let's not get into the coaching revolving door or the yashin contract or hiring a backup goalie as gm or giving Dippy a lifetime contract. He's also raised ticket prices every year since owning team. Yes the smg deal is horrible, but if you don't put money into the team and make stupid moves people won't care. If Wang put money into the team, people would actually go to games and that dump would rock. Back when the isles played the leafs in the first round in 01, that old barn was rocking and was so loud that even the players on both teams could feel it. Why should Nassau and TOH approve a massive land deal for a bottom feeder team with no hope, I really can't blame. Had this team been in the playoffs year in and year out, Nassau and TOH woulda approved the LHP.
Per Charles Wang: 30% of STH in Nassau, 30% in Suffolk and 40% in Queens, Brooklyn, Westchester, Manhattan, and NJ
How much more money did you expect him to invest in the team, or let me rephrase that, lose on the team? 9 years the guy tried to get an arena built. 9 years! Islander fans should be thankful he;s loyal enough to keep the team in the NY. Me personally, would be speaking French in Quebec or eating barbucue in KC (both I hate BTW).
A lot more than what he did. Yes he lost money, but if he put money into the team he wouldn't have ever been in this position. He only wanted this team for his LHP, once that was dead he stopped caring bout this team. He'll still make out pretty nicely once he sells to the nets ownership. No I don't believe they were ever going to move at all. That tv contract is too rich and bettman woulda voted any move. I'm happy this team isn't moving, I just don't like the location where they moved to. I still had hopes of them moving to queens like the many many rumors that were floated around. I've been a fan my whole life and I couldn't be fucked to spend money on this team.
Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
I would say Islander fans only have themselves to blame for the move. If you didn't want the team to move then buy tickets and go to the games and force his hand. An owner isn;t goingto keep investing millions into a product no one supports. Islander fans weren't happy with the product....fine...you stayed away and showed him. He moved the team.
Per Charles Wang: 30% of STH in Nassau, 30% in Suffolk and 40% in Queens, Brooklyn, Westchester, Manhattan, and NJ
This is totally misleading. My brother's company is based in Queens. They have season tickets because of him who lives in....Suffolk County. Will they continue? I'd be surprised. I am sure many of the folks Wang is counting here in Manhattan, Westchester, etc. are businesses with senior executives that live in Nassau or Suffolk County. Some of them, I would guess would continue (As from work it may be more convenient). But, I'm guessing just as many won't because of the "friends and family plan" that most of those things are bought under.
Does anyone really think there's more than a handful of folks that LIVE in Westchester with Islanders season tickets? And are those folks on their way home now going to go out of their way to Brooklyn instead of down the street from their real home in Nassau or Suffolk?
I certainly hope his business plan is better than that.
Sorry. The world doesn't work the way you tell it to.
Bottom line is they averaged 13000 people a game last year. They play in a shithole. They weren't going to continue the lease. They weren't going to get a new building. Any move was a positivemovefor the team.
I would say Islander fans only have themselves to blame for the move. If you didn't want the team to move then buy tickets and go to the games and force his hand. An owner isn;t goingto keep investing millions into a product no one supports. Islander fans weren't happy with the product....fine...you stayed away and showed him. He moved the team.
why should I buy tickets when Wang raised prices year after year for a piss poor product, does that make sense?? As much as I and thousands other love this team, you can't fault us for thinking with our pockets. I still think they'll end up back in Nassau. No contract is ever iron clad.
Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
I would say Islander fans only have themselves to blame for the move. If you didn't want the team to move then buy tickets and go to the games and force his hand. An owner isn;t goingto keep investing millions into a product no one supports. Islander fans weren't happy with the product....fine...you stayed away and showed him. He moved the team.
why should I buy tickets when Wang raised prices year after year for a piss poor product, does that make sense?? As much as I and thousands other love this team, you can't fault us for thinking with our pockets. I still think they'll end up back in Nassau. No contract is ever iron clad.
Islanders had 20th highest ticket prices (top of the lowest third) in the NHL in a region considered one of the top 20 most affluent in the country. And with that, the 2nd half of the season, you could easily get 2 for 1 deals or family deals where you got 4 tickets cheap with food and soda. Your whine has no cheese. It has nothing to do with ticket prices and everything to do with fans only come out for a winner - save for a few professional franchises. And, you can't buy/recruit players when you have the worst financial deal and arena in the league.
However, I do think your last conclusion does hold water. This seating chart makes no sense to go into a 25 year lease on. That is nuts. And Brooklyn is not exactly a hot bed for hockey. It's going to barely support an NBA team. Hockey has little shot at succeeding. Something doesn't smell right here. But, I guess we'll see.
Sorry. The world doesn't work the way you tell it to.
This was done to finally put pressure on Nassau and to a degree Suffolk. I wouldn't be to shocked to see Nassau make changes to the coliseum like the garden or better yet cave in to Wang and give a new coliseum. The politicians of Nassau know its gonna hurt them in the long run. Nassau now has to raise taxes to offset the loss of the islanders and the fact business will hurt big time. Politicians can't really be that off the deep, right?? Long term this move doesn't make sense for Wang. Sure players will play there cause Wang can sell them on it being nyc, but that will wear off once the novelty of hockey in Brooklyn wears off and the crowds are even less than now. people don't support the team cause its gone through head coach after head coach under Wang. Wang looks like a hero for now but people will buy that for so long. Wang has to pump money into this these next 2 years to show he's committed to winning or else this has FAIL written all over it.
Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
I would say Islander fans only have themselves to blame for the move. If you didn't want the team to move then buy tickets and go to the games and force his hand. An owner isn;t goingto keep investing millions into a product no one supports. Islander fans weren't happy with the product....fine...you stayed away and showed him. He moved the team.
why should I buy tickets when Wang raised prices year after year for a piss poor product, does that make sense?? As much as I and thousands other love this team, you can't fault us for thinking with our pockets. I still think they'll end up back in Nassau. No contract is ever iron clad.
Islanders had 20th highest ticket prices (top of the lowest third) in the NHL in a region considered one of the top 20 most affluent in the country. And with that, the 2nd half of the season, you could easily get 2 for 1 deals or family deals where you got 4 tickets cheap with food and soda. Your whine has no cheese. It has nothing to do with ticket prices and everything to do with fans only come out for a winner - save for a few professional franchises. And, you can't buy/recruit players when you have the worst financial deal and arena in the league.
However, I do think your last conclusion does hold water. This seating chart makes no sense to go into a 25 year lease on. That is nuts. And Brooklyn is not exactly a hot bed for hockey. It's going to barely support an NBA team. Hockey has little shot at succeeding. Something doesn't smell right here. But, I guess we'll see.
I would say some would argue that Long Island or NYC itself isn't a hotbed for hockey. The situtation the Islanders arew in 2025 is much certainly a better situation then they are in now.
Me personally, I don't think NYC should have three teams anyway. The Rangers have proved to be the only successful and consistent draw.
Comments
Hard to believe at 1 time they were maybe the successful expansion franchise ... now look at them.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
Are those fans going to follow this team to Brooklyn? If not then they might need to think about rebranding this team ... new name ... uniforms the works.
Bettman seems happy they're in Brooklyn ... so you know it'll be hugely successful.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
I think some will follow of course. I mean not every Islander fan lives on Long Island just like not every Devil fan lived in East Rutherford when they moved to Newark.
Very few will follow to the seats. They may follow on TV, but I don't see them following with tickets.
Wang has lost 10's of millions of dollars, turned down more lucrative deals from Quebec, KC, Hartford, etc. Nassau County really screwed the pooch on this one. It was put to a vote last year, and folks turned down what would in effect be a $50 increase to property taxes to defray some of the cost. I'm not big on public building buildings for rich guys, but Wang had designed a huge project that would bring both affordable housing and a central HUB for the Island with everything from parks to condos/apartments to shopping (not that we need another shopping mall here) to office buildings that was mostly financed privately. The taxes that would have brought in in the long run would have far outweighed the amount the tax payers were being asked to pay in the short run.
There is little chance this thing gets re-built. It will eventually be torn down and converted into something similar (perhaps on a smaller scale) than the Lighthouse project Wang had offered. And I guarantee it's done at even more taxpayer's expense, as nobody was willing to develop the land a few years ago when the County put it up to bid.
It's really a mess and a shame.
On the re-branding - Wang yesterday insisted he's keeping it the New York Islanders. On one hand, cynical me thinks he's just saying that until they move (or are close to it) to try to keep as many Islanders (the citizens) coming to the games and not totally alienating them before the move. But, I actually believe him. Through this whole process, he has been true to his word. If anything, he's broken his word AGAINST his own benefit. He is from Long Island, and it is very important to him. That's why this has dragged out so long. So, it would seem counter to everything he's done to date to change the name.
As for the re-configuration/add on to make the arena bigger on the one end - it is already shoe horned into that community as is. There's no place for the to build out unless they eliminate the hallways inside, the sidewalk and street outside, so on and so forth. So, they are stuck with that one goal. Now, they will probably do something with the site lines from the upper deck. But, the arena was really poorly designed. You go on line to get tickets to shows, and there are corner seats in the 100 sections across from the stage listed as partial view. Who designs a modern facility that way? I think the space limitation in the area they plopped it down probably had something to do with it.
I only went to a couple games a year. If I'm getting on a train, it's to go to MSG. Not to Brooklyn.
I agree with most of this. Especially any Islander fan who thinks this is somehow because of Wang is majorally misinformed. The guy took a lot less money to move the team 30 minutes away from the shithole they are currently playing in. Islander faithfull should be thankful this isn't the Kansas City Scouts Part Deux.
Atlantic Yards is at least an hour with traffic from Nassau Coliseum...
As far as names go, Brooklyn is part of Long Island, no reason to change it.
I dont think there was any chance Wang or the NHL would walk away from their completely ridiculous television deal they have for like the next 500 years. Also, the CBA is going to be changed to allow the Islanders to collect revenue sharing, unlike the last CBA that disqualified them due to market share.
I would also bet that the NHL is waiving any relocation fees where a move to KC would have cost Wang a ton... and a move to Kansas City would in all likelihood fail.
This is Nassau County painting him into a corner. Not really Wang's fault other than him being a terrible owner, circumventing the cap floor and not creating enough interest. If the Isles were good/relevant, the Lighthouse project would have been accepted.
You have seen the lease agreement he inherited correct? He also spent the majority of nine years trying to get a project passed all the while losing money. Far from his fault.
If they would have been a better team, there would have been more pressure and incentive to build the facility.
I think it's a case of the chicken and egg. An owner can only be expected to bleed so much money and they could not lure any substantial free agents to that team at all with the state of the team and it's facility. This is a positive move in my opion for the NHL and Islander fans (if there are any) and they should be happy the team is a train or car ride away.....not a flight.
they are gonna lose the old timers who don't want to commute
even though the LIRR stops outside..people don't want to get home midnight on a tuesday
as for attendance ..the only average around 13,000 the past few years....so thats a non issue
me personally i can now go see all 3 games when my NYR play there.....
plus on a boring weekend i would have no problem going to a game involving any team becasue of the closeness to my apt
Let me introduce you to the most lucrative team in the NHL - The Toronto Maple Leafs (last cup, 1967).
Sell out every game, with the highest average ticket price in the league. Last time I checked gold circle seats were $450/game + taxes and fees, and that was in 2008....
Sorry, the Habs fan in me just couldn't let that comment slide, even though it was 2 pages and 12-13 hours ago...
"change at jamiaca "
only LIRR customers will get that joke
Jamiaca is not a nice place to be...ever.
Per Charles Wang: 30% of STH in Nassau, 30% in Suffolk and 40% in Queens, Brooklyn, Westchester, Manhattan, and NJ
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
How much more money did you expect him to invest in the team, or let me rephrase that, lose on the team? 9 years the guy tried to get an arena built. 9 years! Islander fans should be thankful he;s loyal enough to keep the team in the NY. Me personally, would be speaking French in Quebec or eating barbucue in KC (both I hate BTW).
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
This is totally misleading. My brother's company is based in Queens. They have season tickets because of him who lives in....Suffolk County. Will they continue? I'd be surprised. I am sure many of the folks Wang is counting here in Manhattan, Westchester, etc. are businesses with senior executives that live in Nassau or Suffolk County. Some of them, I would guess would continue (As from work it may be more convenient). But, I'm guessing just as many won't because of the "friends and family plan" that most of those things are bought under.
Does anyone really think there's more than a handful of folks that LIVE in Westchester with Islanders season tickets? And are those folks on their way home now going to go out of their way to Brooklyn instead of down the street from their real home in Nassau or Suffolk?
I certainly hope his business plan is better than that.
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
Islanders had 20th highest ticket prices (top of the lowest third) in the NHL in a region considered one of the top 20 most affluent in the country. And with that, the 2nd half of the season, you could easily get 2 for 1 deals or family deals where you got 4 tickets cheap with food and soda. Your whine has no cheese. It has nothing to do with ticket prices and everything to do with fans only come out for a winner - save for a few professional franchises. And, you can't buy/recruit players when you have the worst financial deal and arena in the league.
http://nhl-red-light.si.com/2012/10/24/ ... &eref=sihp
However, I do think your last conclusion does hold water. This seating chart makes no sense to go into a 25 year lease on. That is nuts. And Brooklyn is not exactly a hot bed for hockey. It's going to barely support an NBA team. Hockey has little shot at succeeding. Something doesn't smell right here. But, I guess we'll see.
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
I would say some would argue that Long Island or NYC itself isn't a hotbed for hockey. The situtation the Islanders arew in 2025 is much certainly a better situation then they are in now.
Me personally, I don't think NYC should have three teams anyway. The Rangers have proved to be the only successful and consistent draw.
granted the arena is 10 minutes from NYC..but they are all jersey
Right.