Comments on: THE TALE OF THE FISHERMAN JERSEYOr, Shame and Mutiny on the Bounty http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/ Independent, Daily Coverage Of The New York Islanders Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:12:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Andre http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-3465 Andre Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:12:13 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-3465 As a longtime Vancouver Canucks fan who had the misfortune of seeing my team get swept by the Islanders in the '82 Final while I was living in the Big Apple, I totally feel for the fans of this once-proud franchise. I know what it's like to see my team have inept ownership and management and to have one of the worst uniforms in pro sports. To me, the Islanders are not just Long Island's team, but they are also New York City's "other" team. They just happen to play outside of Queens. When I first moved to New York in 1981, I hated the Islanders. I resented the fact that they were so great and the Canucks were no more than average and whose existance was the complete opposite of the Islanders'. Fast-forward to 1984, I found myself pulling for the Isles in their Drive For Five, only to see them fall short against Edmonton. They had gained my total respect. Today, I am not just a Canucks fan, I am a HOCKEY fan. I would love to see the Islanders get back to respectability. This includes going back full-time to the uniforms of their dynasty years and having a proven hockey man to guide the franchise without any interference from Charles Wang. I would love to see a future rematch of '82 between Vancouver and the Islanders. If and when the Canucks ever do win their first Stanley Cup, I would love to see them do it against the Islanders. It would be like beating the Rangers or Montreal. Against Carolina, Atlanta, or Tampa Bay wouldn't mean anything other than just winning. So, as a Canucks fan, I am pulling for the Islanders to get their ship sailing in the right direction. Islander fans, who at one time, were spoiled rotten by constant winning, have paid their dues and deserve their long-time loyalty to be rewarded. As a longtime Vancouver Canucks fan who had the misfortune of seeing my team get swept by the Islanders in the ‘82 Final while I was living in the Big Apple, I totally feel for the fans of this once-proud franchise. I know what it’s like to see my team have inept ownership and management and to have one of the worst uniforms in pro sports. To me, the Islanders are not just Long Island’s team, but they are also New York City’s “other” team. They just happen to play outside of Queens. When I first moved to New York in 1981, I hated the Islanders. I resented the fact that they were so great and the Canucks were no more than average and whose existance was the complete opposite of the Islanders’. Fast-forward to 1984, I found myself pulling for the Isles in their Drive For Five, only to see them fall short against Edmonton. They had gained my total respect.
Today, I am not just a Canucks fan, I am a HOCKEY fan. I would love to see the Islanders get back to respectability. This includes going back full-time to the uniforms of their dynasty years and having a proven hockey man to guide the franchise without any interference from Charles Wang. I would love to see a future rematch of ‘82 between Vancouver and the Islanders. If and when the Canucks ever do win their first Stanley Cup, I would love to see them do it against the Islanders. It would be like beating the Rangers or Montreal. Against Carolina, Atlanta, or Tampa Bay wouldn’t mean anything other than just winning.
So, as a Canucks fan, I am pulling for the Islanders to get their ship sailing in the right direction. Islander fans, who at one time, were spoiled rotten by constant winning, have paid their dues and deserve their long-time loyalty to be rewarded.

]]> By: Jim Cayon http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-3334 Jim Cayon Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:02:36 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-3334 Chris, it's been too long! Wanted to weigh in with my thoughts concerning the classic Islanders uniform in contrast to the newest variation - I do like some elements of the latter very much, INCLUDING the faux shoulder piping a.k.a. 'water wings' (if I'm not mistaken, the Isles were the first professional sports team to introduce such a concept - with the blue uniform wave stripe motif - and I always liked it a lot). I've always felt that the original jersey design lacked something and such a change balances it better. Secondly, as someone who felt for a long time that the team didn't utilize orange nearly enough (and BTW, it should ABSOLUTELY stay with the current shade even if reverting back to royal blue - original orange presented wayyyy too often as brick red in photos) I really appreciated the blazing bright 3rds; only mistake there was in trying to introduce an incongruent design element such as the huge blue arrow flares to follow the logo Y's angle - should've just made it a straight and wide vertical blue flare with white border piping. I never liked the white and orange elbow stripes motif on the blue - then away - unis; also appreciate how the RBK design rectifies that, on both the sleeves and socks - do believe the hem stripes are too narrow, though. And it remains a mystery to me why, what with all this talk about a Lighthouse project, the obvious wasn't incorporated into the standard Islanders uniform design since Wang first proposed it, or to the best of my knowledge, even recognized by anyone else: I presented a design to Steve Ellers of STIC back in 2000 when I came down from Western MA for a game, which simply took the 4 Cup stripes and incorporated them into a 2-dimensional lighthouse shoulder patch much more reflective of the team's roots than the nondescript design of the last decade, but it never made it to the front office and Ellers couldn't tell me what happened to it when inquiring a few years later (I never made a copy, unfortunately.....) I did an interesting alternative logo incorporating the added wave colors, as you yourself may recall, that eliminated the redundancy of the word Islanders, what with Long Island having been clearly represented in the classic logo, replacing it with a much more dynamic puck skipping off a similarly-styled wave and gave more of a 3-dimensional feel to the NY - it looked very attractive to a lot of observers.....but management could be forgiven for being gun-shy about any more new design elements after the fisherman debacle! Finally, I'm wondering if anyone else has ever commented on just how terribly inconsistent were the Islanders logos from 1974-1982; some of them looked unbelievably amateurish, especially the 1980 and 1982 entries - my favorites remain the inaugural style, the one worn in the 1976-1977 playoffs which featured predominantly in the following season's yearbook and inexplicably disappeared forever afterwards, and the ones worn from 1997-2000, as well as the orange 3rd - I talk to Josh Bernstein from time to time and suggested last year that the same logo be used with the blue home jerseys, gave it much more pop..... Anyhow, those are my thoughts.....don't know how active this thread will continue to be, but.....a very interesting story you've written here - I have one of my own in which I got a sneak peak at the fishies when touring the Coliseum for the first time in 1995...... Jim Chris, it’s been too long! Wanted to weigh in with my thoughts concerning the classic Islanders uniform in contrast to the newest variation - I do like some elements of the latter very much, INCLUDING the faux shoulder piping a.k.a. ‘water wings’ (if I’m not mistaken, the Isles were the first professional sports team to introduce such a concept - with the blue uniform wave stripe motif - and I always liked it a lot). I’ve always felt that the original jersey design lacked something and such a change balances it better.

Secondly, as someone who felt for a long time that the team didn’t utilize orange nearly enough (and BTW, it should ABSOLUTELY stay with the current shade even if reverting back to royal blue - original orange presented wayyyy too often as brick red in photos) I really appreciated the blazing bright 3rds; only mistake there was in trying to introduce an incongruent design element such as the huge blue arrow flares to follow the logo Y’s angle - should’ve just made it a straight and wide vertical blue flare with white border piping.

I never liked the white and orange elbow stripes motif on the blue - then away - unis; also appreciate how the RBK design rectifies that, on both the sleeves and socks - do believe the hem stripes are too narrow, though.

And it remains a mystery to me why, what with all this talk about a Lighthouse project, the obvious wasn’t incorporated into the standard Islanders uniform design since Wang first proposed it, or to the best of my knowledge, even recognized by anyone else: I presented a design to Steve Ellers of STIC back in 2000 when I came down from Western MA for a game, which simply took the 4 Cup stripes and incorporated them into a 2-dimensional lighthouse shoulder patch much more reflective of the team’s roots than the nondescript design of the last decade, but it never made it to the front office and Ellers couldn’t tell me what happened to it when inquiring a few years later (I never made a copy, unfortunately…..) I did an interesting alternative logo incorporating the added wave colors, as you yourself may recall, that eliminated the redundancy of the word Islanders, what with Long Island having been clearly represented in the classic logo, replacing it with a much more dynamic puck skipping off a similarly-styled wave and gave more of a 3-dimensional feel to the NY - it looked very attractive to a lot of observers…..but management could be forgiven for being gun-shy about any more new design elements after the fisherman debacle!

Finally, I’m wondering if anyone else has ever commented on just how terribly inconsistent were the Islanders logos from 1974-1982; some of them looked unbelievably amateurish, especially the 1980 and 1982 entries - my favorites remain the inaugural style, the one worn in the 1976-1977 playoffs which featured predominantly in the following season’s yearbook and inexplicably disappeared forever afterwards, and the ones worn from 1997-2000, as well as the orange 3rd - I talk to Josh Bernstein from time to time and suggested last year that the same logo be used with the blue home jerseys, gave it much more pop…..

Anyhow, those are my thoughts…..don’t know how active this thread will continue to be, but…..a very interesting story you’ve written here - I have one of my own in which I got a sneak peak at the fishies when touring the Coliseum for the first time in 1995……

Jim

]]> By: John http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-2518 John Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:22:32 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-2518 Excellent piece, but I'm curious to know what you think about our current Frankentstein jerseys, Chris. Excellent piece, but I’m curious to know what you think about our current Frankentstein jerseys, Chris.

]]> By: Charlie http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-2416 Charlie Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:47:53 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-2416 I guess the Buffalo Sabres learned some things from the Islanders here. Number one, they learned also how to make a terrible logo when the slug was brought into the world. The Sabres instead tried to avoid the negative reaction all together and hope the slug hate would go away. I guess the Buffalo Sabres learned some things from the Islanders here. Number one, they learned also how to make a terrible logo when the slug was brought into the world. The Sabres instead tried to avoid the negative reaction all together and hope the slug hate would go away.

]]> By: Mikko Makela http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-2398 Mikko Makela Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:44:59 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-2398 Thanks CB. I just feel better knowing you read something I posted, even if it was lifted from Witty. Thanks CB. I just feel better knowing you read something I posted, even if it was lifted from Witty.

]]> By: Nick http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-2397 Nick Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:36:15 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-2397 On the uniform issue itself - I'd be fine with returning to the classic layout, be it in royal blue or the navy, which I thought was a tad more striking. A friend of mine once suggested that the Isles should give a nod to the geography by having 2 patches on the shoulders: the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Lighthouse, to show the east and west boundaries of Long Island. CB, can we suggest that to some higher-ups and make that happen? The chevrons are nice but I don't think removing them would lead anyone to forget the dynasty. Now, onto the soapbox...While I completely understand the desire to see the old uniforms come back, I have to agree with Rich on this one. Yes, the fisherman logo was hideous and I threw the jersey out when someone gave it to me as a gift. Yes, a return to the vintage uniforms would be nice. However, it seems to me that my fellow Islander fans pick some odd things to complain about given the state of the franchise. Rich is absolutely right - the Town of Hempstead is currently evaluating the Lighthouse Project, which, if it fails, will likely lead to the end of the Islanders. Suffolk County, for all the press it gets from some fans, is a wholly unrealistic option, and the Brooklyn project looks so dead the Islanders might benefit from talking Ratner and the Nets into joining them in their quest for the Lighthouse. Let's try to attend the public hearings, which are currently on for January, and make this a voting issue at the local level. Our team needs us to rally behind it and ensure its ultimate survival, and something tells me complaining about the uniforms isn't exactly the most productive use of our time. Rich, if you want to get involved in supporting the Lighthouse, I sit on the board of a small community group that's committed to supporting the Lighthouse. Go to www.lilighthouse.com and shoot us an email to let us know you want to get involved...we need as many people as we can get. On the uniform issue itself - I’d be fine with returning to the classic layout, be it in royal blue or the navy, which I thought was a tad more striking. A friend of mine once suggested that the Isles should give a nod to the geography by having 2 patches on the shoulders: the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Lighthouse, to show the east and west boundaries of Long Island. CB, can we suggest that to some higher-ups and make that happen? The chevrons are nice but I don’t think removing them would lead anyone to forget the dynasty.

Now, onto the soapbox…While I completely understand the desire to see the old uniforms come back, I have to agree with Rich on this one. Yes, the fisherman logo was hideous and I threw the jersey out when someone gave it to me as a gift. Yes, a return to the vintage uniforms would be nice. However, it seems to me that my fellow Islander fans pick some odd things to complain about given the state of the franchise. Rich is absolutely right - the Town of Hempstead is currently evaluating the Lighthouse Project, which, if it fails, will likely lead to the end of the Islanders. Suffolk County, for all the press it gets from some fans, is a wholly unrealistic option, and the Brooklyn project looks so dead the Islanders might benefit from talking Ratner and the Nets into joining them in their quest for the Lighthouse. Let’s try to attend the public hearings, which are currently on for January, and make this a voting issue at the local level. Our team needs us to rally behind it and ensure its ultimate survival, and something tells me complaining about the uniforms isn’t exactly the most productive use of our time.

Rich, if you want to get involved in supporting the Lighthouse, I sit on the board of a small community group that’s committed to supporting the Lighthouse. Go to http://www.lilighthouse.com and shoot us an email to let us know you want to get involved…we need as many people as we can get.

]]> By: Bklyn333 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-2378 Bklyn333 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 04:00:13 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-2378 ‘There is no reason to wear anything else’. Chris, I could not have said it better. As you might have noticed, I REFUSE to buy that disgusting Reebok joke of a sweater. And I agree 100% with the poster who said the Isles should care about the real fans, not the 8-18y/o demographic. Isles need to go back to the TRUE design. ‘There is no reason to wear anything else’.
Chris, I could not have said it better. As you might have noticed, I REFUSE to buy that disgusting Reebok joke of a sweater. And I agree 100% with the poster who said the Isles should care about the real fans, not the 8-18y/o demographic. Isles need to go back to the TRUE design.

]]> By: Marc http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-2373 Marc Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:07:51 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-2373 The return of the classic uniform makes so much sense I don't see how they cannot do it. For a team starving for positive publicity this move would be a slam-dunk move with the fans. The return of the classic uniform makes so much sense I don’t see how they cannot do it. For a team starving for positive publicity this move would be a slam-dunk move with the fans.

]]> By: admin http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-2369 admin Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:32:09 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-2369 Mikko: I saw that theory by Witty on Islandermania, too. I don't compare the team completely changing its logo and uniform to the changing of a goal song. The goal song can be altered or outright obliterated over the next 10 games. The NYI didn't have that option with the fisherman logo...CB Mikko: I saw that theory by Witty on Islandermania, too. I don’t compare the team completely changing its logo and uniform to the changing of a goal song. The goal song can be altered or outright obliterated over the next 10 games. The NYI didn’t have that option with the fisherman logo…CB

]]> By: Snowman39 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-2365 Snowman39 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:14:58 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-2365 There seems to be a lot of people who want a return to the 1973-1995 uniforms, and I am definitely one of them. The Fisherman uniforms were obviously awful, but I will echo the sentiments of many who have already said that we have only one true uniform. I like the 72 jerseys in comparison to the ones we wear now and the others from this team's past, but this organization has only one true uniform. Other than the hockey operations, the main priority of the ownership and front office has to be the arena. After that's settled, there should be a big time push from this fanbase to go back to the uniforms that involve so much tradition and winning. There seems to be a lot of people who want a return to the 1973-1995 uniforms, and I am definitely one of them. The Fisherman uniforms were obviously awful, but I will echo the sentiments of many who have already said that we have only one true uniform. I like the 72 jerseys in comparison to the ones we wear now and the others from this team’s past, but this organization has only one true uniform. Other than the hockey operations, the main priority of the ownership and front office has to be the arena. After that’s settled, there should be a big time push from this fanbase to go back to the uniforms that involve so much tradition and winning.

]]> By: Mikko Makela http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-2364 Mikko Makela Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:55:57 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-2364 Point Blank: "It was my clever way of staying away from all the reasons it made me and just about everyone else sick. I didn’t write that it was amazing or that fans should line up to buy it. Imagine that: the best I could do was write why people should give it some time. You know you’re in for a disaster when that’s all you got." Kinda like what you wrote about the new goal song, no? Point Blank: “It was my clever way of staying away from all the reasons it made me and just about everyone else sick. I didn’t write that it was amazing or that fans should line up to buy it. Imagine that: the best I could do was write why people should give it some time. You know you’re in for a disaster when that’s all you got.”
Kinda like what you wrote about the new goal song, no?

]]> By: Isles75 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/10/the-tale-of-the-fisherman-jerseyor-shame-and-mutiny-on-the-bounty/#comment-2358 Isles75 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:54:49 +0000 http://www.islanderspointblank.com/?p=1774#comment-2358 First of all, I thick it's safe to assume that the current NY Islanders are never going to fall through the ice, so the water wings included on the current clown suit jerseys are really pointless. In fact the whole current uniform it pointless, ugly and must be disposed off ASAP (League rules allow). If Charles Wang and Chris Dey really wanted to pay tribute to this teams glorious past, they would simple return this team to it's real uniforms with the royal blue full time. Then once the 1979–1995 uniforms with the royal blue are reinstated full time, LEAVE IT ALONE!!!! No more changes or experiments. Also, If Charles Wang really wanted to pay tribute to this teams glorious past he would telephone "Bow-Tie" Bill and ask for a recommendation on a competent reasonably experienced and promising candidate for the Islanders team President/GM position. So we can really start building a contender again. As fans, we all recognize a rebuild is necessary, but when you have a GM who passes on better first round talent to acquire two later round picks, you began to wonder what are we building toward. More mediocrity or greatness? First of all, I thick it’s safe to assume that the current NY Islanders are never going to fall through the ice, so the water wings included on the current clown suit jerseys are really pointless. In fact the whole current uniform it pointless, ugly and must be disposed off ASAP (League rules allow).

If Charles Wang and Chris Dey really wanted to pay tribute to this teams glorious past, they would simple return this team to it’s real uniforms with the royal blue full time. Then once the 1979–1995 uniforms with the royal blue are reinstated full time, LEAVE IT ALONE!!!! No more changes or experiments.

Also, If Charles Wang really wanted to pay tribute to this teams glorious past he would telephone “Bow-Tie” Bill and ask for a recommendation on a competent reasonably experienced and promising candidate for the Islanders team President/GM position. So we can really start building a contender again.

As fans, we all recognize a rebuild is necessary, but when you have a GM who passes on better first round talent to acquire two later round picks, you began to wonder what are we building toward. More mediocrity or greatness?

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