WANG REFUSES TO MAKE THREATS
No matter the stakes, owner committed to LI
(Charles Wang, Scott Rechler)
Long Island resident Charles Wang purchased the New York Islanders in April of 2000. Ever since that day, he has steadfastly refused to play political hardball. Since he doesn’t, the plight of the Islanders never gets enough attention, while the owner of the Islanders never gets any credit for his willingness to be patient while working with community leaders.
More than eight years after Wang saved the Islanders, there remains no set date for a groundbreaking ceremony on the transformation of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum property. More than eight years after Wang purchased the team, he has never spoken or leaked through a spokesperson something like:
“If a deal for the Lighthouse Project does not get done soon, it’s the last thing we want to do but the Islanders are left with no alternatives but to start looking elsewhere.”
But Wang won’t do it. Pro sports team owners have been talking this way for the last 20 years, and most of them never came close to absorbing the deep financial losses Wang has over the last decade. To insiders around pro sports, it’s stunning that Wang so far has refused to go public with even the slightest of veiled threats.
Let there be no doubt: this “strategy” has been recommended to him more than a few times over the last eight years. Also this: when I write that he “saved” the franchise, it is rooted in fact. No one else - at least not anyone with actual money to actually own the team - was lining up to buy the Islanders and inherit their significant real estate problems and strangling arena lease. If Wang didn’t buy the team, the New York Islanders would not be around in 2008.
So why does Wang refuse to play the card? That’s a question I asked a few times over the last 4-5 years of my time in the organization. Looked at professionally, cynically and finally with wide-eyed wonder, I’ve come to the conclusion that the answer is simple:
The man, who founded a technology empire on Long Island, raises his family here, has lived here for more than 50 years and bought the NHL team because he was told by powerful politicians it was vital for Long Island, does not even want to think about the alternative.
If I’m right - and I’ve never come across evidence to the contrary - good for him.
But now what? When does his patience officially run out? In an interview on WFAN in March 6, Wang did not hide his frustration when the subject of the Coliseum development was raised. I’ve heard from some readers via email that have bumped into Charles at Iceworks or in other public settings, and he made it clear to them that something needed to be done soon.
If he hasn’t publicly played the relocation card yet, you have to wonder if he ever will. It’s clear he loves Long Island and would be sick over the notion of ever having to hold it hostage.
Unless the plans of Wang and Scott Rechler receive the green light from the Town of Hempstead some time in the next six months, nobody can blame the Islanders owner for whatever he decides to do next.
ETC: In news from Greg Logan in Atlanta, Joey MacDonald starts tonight against the Thrashers. Sean Bergenheim will be held back until Saturday. Thanks to Greg for his plug of Point Blank Night and his rave for Gabrielle’s.
For those of you able to make it to Point Blank Night, I’ll see you in a bit. Please place your game predix and reactions to the above article in
Comments?
81 Responses to “WANG REFUSES TO MAKE THREATS
No matter the stakes, owner committed to LI”
Please Wait
NYI 5, ATL 2
Special teams the difference: Tamby with a PPG, Park with another shorty.
Any truth to this Guerin-Gordon rift referenced on Hockey Night in Canada last week?
I thought we were supposed to have a groundbreaking in July? I never believed it, but that was what I was hearing.
Wang should be more aggressive and start making threats if he has to because it seems this project isn’t getting anywhere.
ATL 4 NYI 3
Islanders 4, Thrashers 2
3 game winning streak! Isles 2 Thrashers 1.
Good man that Wang…
NYI 4 ATL 3. They better not have a hangover from their win against NYR.
This will get done. The development process is a slow methodical process. This is not the time for threats in the porcess. All the studies need to be finalized and presented. Thats when the negotiation will begin. Scott Rechler is a smart real estate developer and will make this happen.
There is no question that the day of reckoning is coming for the Lighthouse project, and therefore the Islander franchise as we currently know it. The Town of Hempstead needs to get off of their behinds and get this moving before the unthinkable happens.
I too was born and raised on Long Island, first in Queens then on the north shore of Nassau County. I went to college in St. Louis, moved to LA for a few years, and now attend law school in Texas. Long Island is a part of my life and the Islanders have been integral to that, through the good times (and the mostly bad.)
Now that I’ve got my preface out of the way. Let’s discuss a few things. Charles Wang is indeed the savior of all things Islanders. John Spano can’t carry the 1 and occasionally misplaces his digit columns, so…he certainly wasn’t going to work. Long Island is no longer home to the metaphorical Gatsbys. It is suburbia, tried and true, for sure, and wealthy though it may be, it’s doubtful that a majority of its citizens would vote to spend money to keep the Islanders here. (What percentage of them could even name a player on the team? I’d bet less than 10, but that’s a whole ‘nother issue altogether)
But, and I may get flamed for saying this, and perhaps even barred from this board, he is by no means the exemplary human being and wonderful citizen of Long Island that this blog entry would seem to indicate. Let’s not forget that he narrowly avoided jail time for Enron-related accounting fraud at Computer Associates. I’m sure Mr. Kumar has not forgotten. It is highly likely that Mr. Wang intentionally defrauded investors and the American people.
Nevertheless, Computer Associates, like the Islanders and the hopeful completion of the Lighthouse Project, ambitious though it may be, are truly great for Long Island. I wish all success in the future. When I’m done with law school, I want to be able to afford season tickets to take my children (nonexistent though they may yet be) to see a winning team. I want to see Long Island become a hip, gentrified place for twenty-somethings a la the still improving Brooklyn and Queens. It’s entirely within the realm of possibility, particularly for an area as collegiate and pedestrian-friendly as the area around the current Coliseum.
Islanders 0, Thrashers 3
P.S. I subscribed to Islanders Illustrated a few days after it was announced. I have still yet to receive an issue and haven’t gotten a response to my email inquiring about my subscription. It’s always refreshing to know that nothing really changes…
Hopefully his patience will be rewarded. As for my prediction, since I’m always wrong I’m pretty sure it won’t be Thrashers 7, Isles 2.
It would be hard to start a big project like this in the current economic environment. Even if the project was approved today, it could be a year or more before financing could be obtained. The delay in approval is a good thing in this economy. Patience will win out in the end.
Atlanta 3, Isles 1.
As for Charles Wang, I think even those of us who strongly disagree with his hands-on style as owner wrt hockey decisions appreciate greatly his commitment to Long Island and keeping the Islanders there.
Eric. It took over 3 weeks to get my magazine. It sounds like you’re getting screwed.
isle 4, atlanta 2 w/ another isles short handed goal tonight and goal 4 is an empty net.
6-3 Isles…and Eric, after i subscribed I didn’t receive it for a while and was afraid I wouldn’t/ So I e-mailed them and they responded that I should get it very soon. I happened to get it the next day. So far I’ve gotten 2 issues.
Thank goodness for Mr. Wang. Whether or not there was some shady issues with the business is not relevant to the Isles. They have been given every opportunity to survive by him alone. It is a sad day when this fan says Charles should make demands or move the team. The compassion this man has seems to be limitless as are his pockets. The lighthouse projects or we become the Las Vegas Bandits. It’s that simple.
CB- I love this blog. You do an amazing job.
We need a new arena desperately. I don’t know so much about the topic, but it seems to me that if it weren’t such an ambitious “Lighthouse” project and simply a new arena, maybe we would have something going by now? Sadly, I can see a day when our team moves away…
Tonight: Isles win 3-2!
Sugar Willie, I agree to a point, but it’s a simplistic argument. The Lighthouse as it stands now uses something like 5% in public funds for the whole development, and most of that stems from an old State grant approved years ago. If it was just renovating the Coliseum, it would already be finished, since it’s not new construction and not subject to review. However, and I may get flamed for saying this (though I could care less), why should Wang do that? If taxpayers don’t want to foot the bill, fine, we now have the Lighthouse to make back the money spent for the arena. Wang has at the most conservative estimates lost about $100 million since he bought the team, and any fan thinking he’s sticking taxpayers with a bad deal or doing the fans a disservice by wanting the Lighthouse is delusional at best. Hopefully the project can get approved quickly.
Also, CB, I apologize for repeatedly asking this, but it’s a very salient issue…They COULD break ground on the Coliseum as soon as the season ends, since the Coliseum renovation isn’t subject to review. At what point would Wang and Rechler do that? Would they start construction as a good-faith measure, or do they wait for full approval to break ground? We almost certainly won’t get full approval by the end of the season, and construction teams need to be booked months in advance. Any insights on this, or do I need to keep haunting the Lighthouse people?
I hope everyone, if they haven’t, clicks on my name and signs the Lighthouse petition I wrote for the non-profit group supporting the project with which I’m involved.
Tonight: Islanders 4, Thrashers 2.
Nick, thanks for the good explanation!
—–
ItsGoodToBe”Rich” on Nov 6th, 2008 16:16:34 said: I thought we were supposed to have a groundbreaking in July? I never believed it, but that was what I was hearing.
—–
Summer of 09 has been the estimated date they came up with YEARS ago- and there hasnt been any change since that time.
sugar willie and others: Its true that there hasnt been news in days. But I dont get why its as if there hasnt been news in years.
http://www.lighthouseli.com/news
No its not everything we want, but things are being done. You can write to the TOH about this as well. I have, and they will wrote back and answer your questions. It is also good for the project because it shows your interest in the community. Here is how to contact Kate Murray:
http://www.townofhempstead.org/content/home/contact.html
Just trying to help
Mr. Leventhal:
I have a question…
I understand that there have been things in CA’s and Mr. Wangs past that although have had him under the microscope, he has never been charged with anything (as far as I know) and is generally revered by many.
I suppose your vision to gentrify Long Island is somehow morally justified?
For who?
You and your lofty lawyer status?
What about the less fortunate and hard working people of Long Island that cannot afford a gentrified neighborhood any longer? Too bad for them… but good for you and your gated house right?
Just wondering…
DOC
IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME.
Mr. Leventhal, in case you haven’t heard of this concept in law school, here in America you’re considered innocent until proven guilty. And no one “narrowly avoids jail time” unless you are charged with and convicted of a crime. Neither of which has happened so unless you have some proof to back up your character assassination, put a sock in it!
To CB:
Who can we email in Hempstead to put pressure on them to get this project moving? Can you post a link? With public works stimulus projects about to be funded from Washington, maybe Hempstead gets some funding. Lord knows the area needs development and jobs.
The Islanders need to let us fans know how they want us to help. Tell us what public officials, local or Congressional, the team wants us to bother. We’re out here, let us help do something.
Isles need to wr
It is sad that the Islanders have such a hard time getting an arena. I know the arena management company was a huge problem for years but think it got better in terms of their 100 million year unreasonable contract they had. I think it got renogiated. Anyway, I see the Mets got a new stadium? Is that because it is in a different county? On a project this big it seems the state and county really has to come together. I was told the state is behind it but county politics is what is messing it up. That is baffling that a man as wealthy as Wang can’t pressure county politicians.
So, you’re against “gentrification” of Long Island? Well, I hate to tell you, but if we want a decent shot of having a hockey team on Long Island, then it is the only way it will happen. Truly, the golden age of LI suburbia has passed. And the days in which sports franchises built big suburban arenas outside the city, with a large parking lot and no public transportation, died 20 years ago. The city, or something close to it, is how sports franchises make money. For nearly all purposes, the Islanders are a relic - a symbol of a 70s-era past where people desired to get out of crumbling, crime-ridden cities and escape to tree-lined streets with a white picket fence. In 2008, it is the complete opposite. People want the city, even if they’re living in what remains of suburbia. For the Isles to compete, and flat-out exist, they need to make the Coliseum area into a mini-city. And to that, you need a redevelopment that is on par with gentrification. It is a necessary requirement for the Isles to be around in 10 years and beyond. So, you may not like the idea, but this isn’t 1972. People aren’t running to LI like they used to. The Islanders need to be viable, and this is the way to do it.
Well, I thank Mr. Wang for buying the Isles & hope that the Lighthouse project does not get built because it will ruin Nassau County as far as traffic is concerned. Traffic is the ruin of suburbia, as long as the team flounders & free agent players decline to come here, the team is doomed. Let ‘um move to Suffolk county in a modern arena without housing & all that glitters. We Long Islanders, with a new arena will come; we don’t need all the surrounding glitter to glow!
Stumpy:
Really….?
The only shot the Islanders have is to have gentrification of Long Island?
The South Bronx is gentrified?
Flushing is gentrified?
Newark is gentrified?
Just asking…
DOC
3-1 Isles, Joey Mac stands on his head again and Park skates circles around the Atlanta D-men.
Regarding the business of keeping the faith (of a new NVMC) the town of Hempstead must aprove the concept and move forward particularly in the economic climate we can see on the horizon. The fallout in terms of lost jobs to the island from the financial sector is not hitting yet, but you can bet it will. When Nassau and the Town are trying to raise taxes on homeowners they will inevitably look to do a project which will bring in tax dollars, it is a must for the town and the county and sports fans.
good point 325cpa…
DOC
If Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead don’t get their crap together and either approve or prohibit this project, Wang should move the team to either Suffolk, or even into Brooklyn, maybe splitting an arena with the Nets. Even though I live in Bklyn, I would love to see the team move somewhere into western Suffolk, this way, crappy Nassau County and crappy Hempstead can not benefit from the Isles’ existence. This ridiculous political power play has got to end.
@Doc
Flushing will be soon enough when the iron triangle gets wiped off the map and redeveloped.
The Rock in Newark is the first piece of the goal to “revitalize” the area, as is the new Yankee Stadium for the Bronx.
It’s not PC to call it gentrification, the buzz word is revitalization, and you hear it quite often with respect to these areas.
This is not AT ALL a political power thing. That stretch of Hempstead Turnpike is already a super high emissions area during rush hour. That is what is holding everything up. Traffic and environmental concerns. The traffic is bad as is. Now add housing and stores and a larger arena to that equation. Not to mention more difficult parking.
Jethro, I know I’ve argued this previously (and more vehemently), but I don’t see Suffolk as a viable option. If the Coliseum as it stands is too far for anyone who lives and works in the city to make it by a 7PM weekday start time, how could moving the arena 10 or 20 miles further east solve the problem? In addition, you would exacerbate the problem of the Islanders not getting any media attention, since they’d be even further out of site than they already are. To me, moving the team to a more sparsely-populated area that’s further away from the city makes the Islanders’ problems worse, not better.
I like Mark Herrmann’s idea of trying to get the Nets to move to Long Island again. The Atlantic Yards project looks dead as a doornail, and a second major-league franchise might motivate the Town of Hempstead to get off its collective rear-end and get something done.
At this point, sadly, the Islanders’ last best shot at staying in existence is the Lighthouse. The best thing the fans can do is support that project, and if you have concerns propose alternatives to work within the system.
just like monday this is a must win for us. We can’t be losing to the jackets and thrashers in this league.
Sure, i am of the variety that think this team can actually make the playoffs. We’ve beaten ourselves in a few games already, but with meyer,witt,martinek, and ricky we would never have these 3 goal let downs in third periods. That’s without question.
as much as gordon is loving gervais, he was on the ice i think for all 3 goals columbus got on monday night.
looks like garth has shut up everyone again with the shrewd signing of joey mac. All some people need is a chance to play regularly, especially a guy who was under osgood and hasek’s tutelage
predic Nyi 5- Atl 1
Nyi: tamb,streit,weight,okposo,nielsen
Atl: Little
snoozefest:
I agree with your point of gentrifying vs. revitilization… it’s really the same thing… but the point was made earlier that without gentrification then the islanders cannot survive. This implies that the getrification/revitilization has to happen first before they will build a new arena.
I agree with you… let the Islanders new coliseum be the first step in the revitilization of the area…
call it semantics but I don’t disagree with you…. I think.
DOC
isles 3 -atl 2
I predict more of a dominant display tonight…
Islander 5 Atlanta 2.
Doc:
I hear ya. Revitalization has to start with a focal point. In this case it would be the development of the property around the NVMC, anything else would spread from that area.
The difference I see with the Lighthouse project as opposed to Newark, Flushing, or the Bronx is that this project will fit everything in to the existing empty property. Other than the traffic and the view, the surrounding areas really won’t be affected.
I don’t really see it as a Gentrification issue with the surrounding communities as some people may worry, they are in effect building a gated community confined to an existing empty space. I doubt people in West Hempstead or Uniondale will need to worry about being forced out of their communities, because their neigborhoods will go untouched. The Lighthouse project is creating an Oasis from an otherwise barren landscape.
The surrounding communities should, however, benefit from the tax dollars generated.
Wow, never in my life did I think I would spur this much debate. I would never attempt to character assassinate Mr. Wang. I am very grateful to him, which I thought I made clear in my initial post. The fact of the matter is, while I certainly have no proof of anything, I spoke to a person with knowledge of the situation who said that it’s extremely unlikely that Mr. Wang didn’t know what was happening. Regardless, that’s totally irrelevant.
I wasn’t trying to morally justify anything. I’m a pretty staunch Atheist, so morals definitely don’t enter the equation, at least not in that sense. I only made the point cause I thought it needed to be made. Gentrification, or as political correctness would have it, revitalization, as Stumpy argued, is necessary to keep the Islanders a viable commodity and marketable franchise.
No matter how many times the short dude on Entourage or Tina Fey’s boyfriend on 30 Rock wear Islanders merchandise, it’s still not bringing fans to the building. We need to consistently win and compete. To do that, short of a Tampa Bay Rays style miracle, we need to attract free agents, which requires a new facility, which requires the aforementioned revitalization.
I meant no disrespect to the affordable parts of Long Island, of which there will still be MANY if the Lighthouse Project takes effect. I’m only 24, I certainly don’t speak for anyone other than myself, and I apologize if I sounded presumptuous. That was definitely not my intention. I just meant that I’m broke and in debt right now, and ideally, a decade or so down the line, that won’t be the case, and I’d love to have the Islanders to share with others…
I also would like to go on the record officially by saying that if the Nets move back to Long Island, I will officially cut ties with the Knicks. I’m sure I’m not the only Islanders fan (nor the only Long Islander) who would agree. More accessible and more affordable public transportation would probably help this idea out.
The Lighthouse does seem a bit ambitious though, especially for a team that hasn’t really projected an aura of “winning” since Ferraro hit Volek when I was 8.
Thanks for the clarification Eric.
Gentrification happens… but to want it for our own benefit at the expense of others just sort of leaves a bad taste.
DOC
Click here to write a letter of support to put pressure on the elected officials:
http://www.lighthouseli.com/support
it will be good that the lighthouse will create jobs for the economy. 1-1 game right now but i predict isles win 5-2 . also, fritz and boulton go and thompson and thorburn.
billy was that you writing on hockeybuzz with the same prediction or did you or did they steal the prediction from you
rickyd something??
I talked to Wang the day he and Sanjay Kumar (remember him?) bought the team. His rationale for buying (I’m paraphrasing slightly) is that having a sports franchise is as important to a city/region as having museums, orchestras, etc. — that it was part of the cultural life of the community, and that he felt strongly enough to invest.
Make no mistake, though: People don’t come to the Coliseum because the team hasn’t been good, not because of the building. When the team is winning (see 2001-02), people come. But you don’t rebuild a fan base easily, as Chris well knows. The biggest mistake Charles made was jacking up ticket prices after 2001-02’s small burst of success. When the team struggled and wound up going backwards, fans got PO’d and stayed away. Many of them haven’t come back.
If I were Charles, I’d have my eye on Suffolk. There’s nowhere to build in Nassau if the Lighthouse Project isn’t OK’d, Brooklyn will never happen and Suffolk is closer to Wang’s base (and there’s room to build). The current lease runs till 2015; he could buy out the last couple of years and wound control the building as the Devils do in Newark (that’s how they make money despite drawing crowds equal to the Islanders on most nights).
stumpy almost 4 million between both counties… ????
Reagradless.. the building can be filled on any night by many different appearences..
By far not the determining factor whether or not the Ny Islanders Survive!
Hint… It’s all about the headline at the top of this column!
wow.. that was left field-ish! Sorry I politely disagree with that!
lets go Isles… lets Go Islanders!
Frans and Hunter look good.. And even though Okie hasn’t put up much points, I think we’re noticing him on the ice a lot more..
Charles Wang… Quirks & all….
Have always Believed and appreciated his effort!
It’s like many of us have already said…
The Politicans should get off their collective a** & get it done…
I believe as long as the reviews are still on target for mid to late January ?
CB is this still the plan with kate murray and her colleagues?
If so, i think we should be okay
Beauracratic red tape & all)..
“It Has To Get Done”.
Lets go Isles.. Lets GO Islanders!!
Another 3rd period melt down right now, from 3-1 to 3-3 in very short order. Fn A! Come on!
Outscored 10-2 in the last 62 minutes of third period time. I’m sorry but the coach needs to rethink the gameplan
This team needs to step it up in the 3rd period.. ha
11-2….overskate!
Are the Islanders totally exhausted in third periods or no? Opposing teams see the blood in the water…now its 4-3 Thrashers. Just a shame.
talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I hope the Point Blank Night went better than the game, CB.
Who was running that clock in Atlanta. There were several times the clock kept running after the whistle. At the end of the game with the power play. about 2 seconds ticked off after the whistle and it was never corrected
We have blown 3,3, and 2 goal third period leads in our last 4 games.
CB please beg the game ops not to start Saturday night by showing highlights of the Ranger win
All the good feeling of the last few days out the window.
disgusting ending
btw fritz only had 41 seconds of ice time. i wanted him to hav a go with boulton and orr in the previous game. that disapointing
I would look to Flushing, Suffolk is just to far from those of us in Western Nassau and Queens not to mention you are moving to far from the City itself.
lol… yea’ steve hear ya.
Yet another defensive collapse , please
call the cops as well… The reason..
somebody stole the Islanders legs in the third.(AGAIN)….
some of it is the older vets.
(strange third periods & becoming a pattern as well)
Stuck with contradicting opinions,
from a bit’of a Jekyl & Hyde team right now?
maybe they should get more Ice-time in the third with guerin & weight getting a little less!
still feel that gordons system workes.. yet puzzled on how the wheels & minds of the Young appear to fail as well?
CB & a Few Regulars here touched on this,
Maybe the vets of this team run out of gas in the third and the burden becomes too great on the Youth to step up and finish a complete game ?
I think its a combination of both…
(The youth on this team may need more time & patience as they await the other components to help shape & complete this re-build)
I think the organization knowes this as well.
So as they plan for the future they
figure…..
Okay Gordons system although not complete, does work for 2 periods..
So with this train of thought
(just an Opinion)…
The GM says to the owner…
Okay there is a fundamental foundation & Philosophy here that can work.
(thus far it appears to work for 40 mins)
Snow speaking….
“Now we just need to get that one centerpiece next year taveras & hegman…
infuse another youngster attract a vet that is still in his prime… and BOOOOM there ya go Charles”.
well at least it soundes good fella’s
Hope some kind of scenario like this can play out!
actually i think more then hope , that it can!
Now I know what the Ole’ timers from 72 - 74 felt like.. its all good I’m still in the pit!
Tough loss..
even tougher chore on saturday!
Irregardless,
Lets go Isles… Lets Go Islanders!!
Islanders1984.. great point.. at first i was going nuts..12.4 seconds on clock!
Then thought hmmm… nobody on bench is saying anything?
Now this is just a thought..
maybe its the schleppers we had producing our game tonight .. the tv guys a 2nd string bunch if you will considering that dolans
msg #1’s where doing the ranger game??
I point this out because if you remember at the end of the second.. they showed the graphic for time was at like 5 or 6 seconds when the horn sounded ending the period!
Just another reason why we need to escape from MSG & the yoke of thead Rag himself J.dolan…
lets Go Isles!
lets go Isles lets go Islanders
I am trying to be fair, we also don’t have an NHL starting goalie. That does not help matters. Star goalies earn their money in the third period, maybe DP blows one of these games but not all three
I don’t understand why all the studies. This is a commercial area. It’s not like they’re building something in the middle of the residential part of Garden City. Hofstra and Mitchel Field are to the west. NCC is to the north. The last remaining natural strip of the Hempstead Plain (which will always be protected) and the Meadowbrook Parkway are to the east. Hempstead Tpke and Rexcorp Plaza are to the south. What’s holding this up–the 75 homes behind the Coliseum Deli? They’ll get the benefit of a state of the art entertainment complex within walking distance (I presume there will be pedestrian bridges across Hempstead Tpke) and the value of their homes will increase while their tax burden will likely decrease. Look, as a good friend of mine is fond of saying, someone will develop that land. It will not stay as a huge parking lot for much longer. It may as well be Charles Wang, who at least has a vision of giving back something to the community. Otherwise, all we’ll get are more strip malls. Enough!!! Denver, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and now a new arena and three brand new stadiums in our backyards. Build it already!!
“Hear”, hear Mrlbem….
Agreed 100%!!
lets go Isles!
Look at it this way, DiPietro, Witt, Martinek and Meyer in the lineup and they probably beat either Atlanta and Montreal if not both. Granted, injuries are part of the game, but at least this team isn’t get blown out of buildings like everyone thought they were even with the injuries. And the offense is better than most thought it would be.
last point for those who think its a difficult enviroment right now, (economically) for this to get done?
It is a Valid point.
Yet after further thinking on both sides of this, how about this point as well…
Why not do it as soon as possible… It will bring jobs, Commerce as well as stability to what is a Long Island Tradition!
we are talking about parking lots (primarily) right now…
(most of the space that will be used)
How does the overall scenario not offer a brighter future for not only
Nassau County, ALL OF L.I.as well!
Also lets remember the majority of this will be from private funding!
(Wang&rechler’s pockets)….
smaller funding would come from state..
Which after the bailout comes that Gov. Patterson is looking for& will no doubt recieve
im sure the state would be able to squeeze out funding to a worthwhile cause…
(knowing they will see revenue short & long term as well)….
which should make the gov’t happy as well, no?
I think so.
In the End a No Brainer to me… whether or not I am even a hockey fan!!
Build it!
Lets Go Isles!..lets Go Islanders!!
MRLbem.. great read was not aware of some the small circumstances (detailed) behind the hold-up??
Dare I say lets hope its nothing personel against Charles Wang, the Man?
for any reason.
I’m just saying…
That would be politics of the 20th century.. no?
Again I agree with you & your friend… someone will get this land some day, why not Wang, why not ‘NOW”!
Lets Go Isles!… Lets Go Islanders!!
Fella’s see ya saturday night
go Isles!
will stick around to read CB’s re cap and curious as to how the night went?
good topic tonight one that we all know means so much to us & this franchise!!
I remain extremly hopeful!!
Want to see one more Championship before I die as well
never thought, as far back as 94′ that I would be repeatibng the words of a Rag’s fan…
“now i can rest in piece”..
(great one cup… now beat it..lol)
YAll Good In The End….
still feel Great in knowing they will never know what its like to be a fan of a (DYNASTY-80,81,82,83,NYI Hockey)…
As we await the return of the
Pride -N-Passion!!
Good night all!
Chris, you put on a great show tonight! Kudos to Gabrielle’s for the venue, great apps and comp wine. Nice raffle prizes too. It seemed like everybody enjoyed themselves.
Thomas Pock is having a great season so far… 3 goals this year… too bad they’re all against his own goalie.
DOC
Gentrification is a word that scares a lot of Long Island residents because they feel that it means higher prices, but it doesn’t necessarily have to mean that. It can also mean making Long Island a “hip” place to live. I was born and raised in Nassau. Every single one of my friends either lives in Brooklyn or New Jersey. That’s the way it goes. They look at Nassau as a Suburban dead end.
They want hip places to shop, eat, and hang out. None of my friends want to come to Nassau and hang out at a Home Depot or Bed Bath & Beyond. By “Gentrifying” this part of Nassau, there will be cool places for these young people hang out at. Check out some Islander forums when out-of-towners ask where they should eat and hang out before and after a game when they come to visit. Do you know what gets the most responses? Hooters. How embarrassing is that? I have nothing against boobs, but that is pretty tacky.
That being said - if the team ever moved to Suffolk then my friend who lives in Jersey and has Season tickets with me would not be able to go to games anymore because Suffolk would make his horrible commute even harder.
The team needs to stay right where they are. It is the perfect balance between NYC and Long Island. They need to work on a better transportation hub - including some sort of Public Transportation. Lets face it - the Devils moved to Newark because it’s easier for NYC folks to commute to the games. I wish the Isles had such luxury.
As far as traffic is concerned - part of the plan includes an express tunnel that completely bypasses the area altogether. If anything, traffic might be better on game nights.
of and Flushing is going to be Gentrified as soon as they Iron Triangle is redeveloped and it’s happening right now.
and if you don’t think Jersey wants Newark to be Gentrified then you are living in a bubble.
For someone smarter than me - There has to be a compelling business reason which would point out that job creation could take place - if this Lighthouse agenda gets approved sooner rather than later. There is the likelihood that this complex could reduce property taxes in Uniondale for sure - and perhaps the surrounding communities. The construction industry gets a needed immediate boost and jobs get created in the not too distant future.
This is the path I would go down with the media and the NIMBY’s.
If I am an unemployed Uniondale resident who has resisted this project in the past wearing the NIMBY hat - perhaps their attitudes can be changed.
Also, is 09 an election year for the Town and for the County ?
I approve of Wang’s quiet diplomacy. While I have not liked a lot of what has happened at Chez Islanders over the past 10 years with some weird decisions,etc. - I do appreciate that he has good intentions towards the team as its steward who has kept the team on LI.
Even if the team meant nothing to him - but as a means to get the Lighthouse Project approved………I can sort of live with that….so long as the team stays and improves.
Duly noting the writer that has brought up Wang’s CA past, etc……I am limiting my interest in Wang’s overall situation to the completion of the Lighthouse project and to the development of the Hockey Team. I think that we need the Lighthouse in order to compete going forward.
I will worry about how my seat at the game will be bumped further upstairs and the likely costs of owning seats will rise - for when that time comes.
Pat
“Pro sports team owners have been talking this way for the last 20 years…”
CB I agree totally, Wang saved the Isles from death, however the franchise is STILL in a coma. I can’t pat Charlie on back for failure. He has FAILED at getting the Isles a new arena. I repoted your quote because how many of the pro sports team owners have been able to ‘get the job done’? Wang has failed at getting in done. I will continue to judge the Islanders as a PROFESSIONAL organization. Even though evrybody else treats them mickey Mouse by making excuses, I will judge them on wins & losses. Charlie’s failure at taking good sound advice is THE #1 reason the Isles are still playing to lose & get the #1 pick.
I put Wang accomplishment of saving the Isles on the same shelf as Bates penalty shot. One good thing, like all good things have a shelf life, Wang saving the franchise is, to be a kind a stale story. Charlie needs to hold himself accountablre for his failures, until he does, the Isles will be bottom rung, IMHO.
Another 3rd period collapse last night, and sadly predictable. When could you see it coming? Just as soon as Thompson left the game (injured, presumably). Why? Because even without such injuries this team cannot continue to play with only 3 full lines, which is essentially what they’re doing by having Fritz on the bench. Last night’s total: 41 seconds of ice time, on one lousy 1st period shift. To all of you Fritz lovers out there, someone want to tell me just how he’s helping things by shortening the bench before the game’s even started? No kidding the team looks like they lose their legs in the 3rd period. Is it really a coincidence that all of these horrific 3rd period collapses have occurred since Fritz started dressing? It ain’t the system, folks. They didn’t lose their legs in those 1st two wins of the season. Throw out the Rangers game, ’cause Mac stole that one for them. Roll four lines and the system works. Get well soon, Bergy.
Nassau politicians have taken way too long with this project. LI doesn’t deserve a pro team. Move them to Queens or Brooklyn so they can get the attention they deserve.
I believe Wang was offered the go ahead to remodel the Coliseum and turned it down holding out for the entire Lighthouse project development.
I don’t classify Wang as a savior. Bob Gutkowski and his Marquee group wanted to buy the Isles at the same time Wang did but D’amato encouraged Wang to do it for the real estate and tax incentives.
Nassau, TOH and LI politicians have only their own financial interests in mind not caring much about the Isles or the fans.
Although I am happy Wang has kept the team here to call him a “great owner” and blow smoke up all of our asses is ludicrous! The guy meddles way tooooo much and has done nothing but interfere with the progress of his own product. The group that wanted to purchase the team (I read on tsn a while ago) wanted nothing to do with Milbury. Who knows what would have happened if we didn’t have that moron as GM for years when Wang took over the team. To say the team would have been moved if not for Wang may be reaching a bit. I think we should thank our favorite commissioner Mr. Bettman for having his hand in keeping this franchise here. I’m sure I’ll catch flak for this and sorry to spoil the parade but come on seeing his families kids running around on draft day was a bit embarrassing. The guy thinks outside the box and believes he is pulling a fast one on the rest of the NHL with his wacky decision making. Well at least all the games are televised in Mandarin!!!! Just my two cents.
“Wang bought the NHL team because he was told by powerful politicians it was vital for Long Island” Huh? Are you serious??Wang bought this team to make a profit. That profit is the development of real estate around the Coliseum aka “The Lighthouse Project” Eg. Hotel, Restaurants,Shops,Residences. A year round money making destination. Which is the very reason why Wang bought this team. With the Isles & a rebuilt Coliseum as the centerpiece [bait] of this Project. Wang is a businesman not a savior. He didn’t buy this team because he follows hockey, or because he’s an Islander fan, or because he feels sorry for Islander fans, & he definitly didn’t but this team because of political pressure, get real! If the Lighthouse Project fails, Wang will sell this team it’s as simple as that. If that happens, sadly the Isles will be leaving Long Island. No potential owner will buy this team if they can’t get a new arena deal.