OPPORTUNITY, NYI: Via winning and fan relations, team could increase support in tough times
(UPDATED at 9:30 am with my reaction to some of your Comments).
No one expects that a dent could ever be put in the American obsessions that are Major League Baseball and the National…Football…League. Especially by our little game of hockey on ice.
But there is reason to believe there’s a huge opening in the metropolitan area for the Islanders, an opening for them to jump in and take advantage – starting, like, now.
Before everyone got giddy this weekend about the opening of the new baseball cathedrals, Richard Sandomir authored this piece for The New York Times last August about what the Yankees and Mets, Giants and Jets were doing to their fans. While winning must be everything to the Islanders, they are also in position to market themselves as the team that cares most about their fans - from the single-game purchaser to the season subscriber. In this economy, and with PSLs in football stadiums and a caste system in our new baseball luxury cathedrals, that shouldn’t be difficult.
Raise your hands if you know a single Giants or Jets fan who felt what their football teams really needed was a new stadium. Now they’re going to get one, equipped with personally-licensed seats. Paying for the privilege to buy 8 regular season and 2 exhibition games? Sad.
The only way you can get a pair of excellent seats at the new Yankee Stadium is a) you’re really wealthy, b) you’re okay with scrapping those Disney World plans in favor of tix to Yankees-Mariners or c) you get a call an hour before the game from someone who controls the tickets at their office (“C’mon, if you leave now, you can be there by the 4th inning”!)
As for the Mets, all I can say is they better be playing meaningful games for a long time or getting tickets at Citi Field by will not be a problem. “Build it and they will come” fizzled out a long time ago.
Here’s where the Islanders come in. It’s been the ultimate Catch-22 for a decade: the reason why the team can do strong civic programs like Islanders Inspire and fan outreaches like Loudville is, of course, they have the inventory.
Now - John Tavares or not - the Islanders must turn their ticket availability into a positive.
There is an opportunity here, an opportunity to win new fans – even while the team enters Year 2 of a rebuild. Think about what the Islanders have to offer in this painful economy while the Yankees, Mets, Giants and Jets are dining at the trough:
• Seats available in most locations in an arena with great sightlines
• Some of the most fan-friendly athletes in sports
• Tradition
• A genuine family atmosphere at day games
• You don’t have to pay for the right to pay for your tickets!
• Oh, and the best spectator sport around
This might sound overly simplistic, but what other major league team in the metropolitan area can offer all of the above? On the other hand, I have a friend who dug deep to take his son on Friday to the first game at Yankee Stadium. They immediately went to right field in hopes of catching a homer in batting practice. They were kicked out because their seats were not in the right field, even though hardly anyone was there. Their tickets, which cost my pal an arm, a leg and his common sense, were for a superior seating location. Field of Dreams, it wasn’t.
I’m not privy to the Islanders’ plans for ticket pricing if the Lighthouse Project is completed. Although the renovation is going to cost a bundle and is primarily financed by Islanders ownership and partners, you could be certain management understands their supply-and-demand ratio is not equal to the New York Football Giants. Count on the Lighthouse being a PSL-free zone.
What we do know is the Islanders are going to be playing in the current version of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum – still gotta love those sightlines - for at least three more seasons. The team is offering a multi-year deal where you can lock in for three years at the current ticket price, which is already deeply discounted for season subscribers.
The Islanders’ recent record vs. the success of the Yankees and Giants and modest achievements of the Jets and Mets is not really the point here. We get that the Islanders haven’t won. We understand the Islanders must get this rebuild right. There is unquestionably plenty of young talent worth watching next season. The second half of this playoff-less season has been entertaining and at times impressive in the development of young players like Kyle Okposo – a future face of the franchise.
In my final weeks with the team, I recommended a “First Islanders Game” program. Obviously going off the honor system, a fan of any age could take in his or her first game with a guest for a very reasonable price. They would also receive a few extras to commemorate the event. At a time when other franchises are shutting and pricing out many of their most loyal fans, you’d think a First Game program would be an open invitation for Islanders recruits. Perhaps not a flawless idea, but the kind of initiative the franchise should look at in this economy and spectator sports atmosphere.
As the Islanders strive for their goal of becoming a “consistent contender,” they must warmly welcome the busted wallets and broken hearts of fans now content to watch their teams on TV. Nothing beats a live National Hockey League game, and no major league franchise has the ability to provide lost fans with shelter and a team to embrace like the New York Islanders can.
Talk about the status of your NYI fandom here. Check the follow-up threads for discussion on other topics, including Scott Gordon as assistant at the World Championships, Monday’s practice and Kate Murray’s folly. Comment Guidelines.
94 Responses to “OPPORTUNITY, NYI: Via winning and fan relations, team could increase support in tough times”
Please Wait
Seriously with all we have been through since 1983 we are the best fans in the NHL.
Rangers may have had to wait since 1940 but they never had to deal with the shenanigans of all the owners we’ve had, all the trades, the endless threat of moving etc.
So yeah our first 13 years provided some great memories but what we lack in terms of years has been paid back numerous times for all the Clipperesque escapades we have had to endure.
I would say the Islanders,Royals,Clippers and Lions have had it bad in their respective sport.
When this team starts winning again, it will be tough to get a ticket.
Winning=ticket sales….Case in point…look at the Blackhawks…got young…got better, now place is sold out..same situation at Pitt….
CB great article, brought a tear to my eye! ISLANDERS 4 LIFE!!
Idk, for baseball I would give the Royals and Pirates a tie.
I had season tickets from 1981-2003. I finally gave them up after the lockout. Since then I’ve only made it to about 3 or 4 games a year. This season I went to my first game last Saturday vs. Tampa. Lately I feel that the Isles just haven’t given me a reason to want to go to the Coliseum on a weeknight in rush hour traffic from Queens. On weekends I’ve always managed to find something else to do with my time.
As Isles316 said, when this team starts winning again it will be tough to get a ticket. Until that time I won’t be heading out to Islanders games very often. I’m content to watch them on TV. When they get serious about winning, I’ll get serious about spending money on them.
Excellent demographic to penetrate, as a marketing major myself this is a no brainer. Isles have a niche and they should def take advantage. I have a feeling next year’s season is gonna start with alot of hype, most in years with or w/o tavares
I have gone to about 35 of the Islanders games this year and I am not a season ticket holder. They already have great deals for tickets. I get 9.50 tickets. although they are in the back.
Recently I got my Aunt, Uncle and two cosins into the game. My younger cosin bought a jersey two weeks after he first watched them. (start um young) I got about 9 tickets for under 75 bucks. Where else can you get 9 tickets like that for a pro. game.
In these hard times I think that all of us should try and bring new fans to the place. I feal from my experience that new fans find a fast conection with a team with young stars like Okposo and Bailey.
One thing I have to say, the past dozen games, alot of my buddies and myself have been going lately even though they are losing because the product is entertaining. Okposo has been awesome, guys like Rechlicz and Jackman really help because they are constantly being physical, it makes easier to watch.
I sure hope they get a Tavares. One of my favorite moments of all time was after the Cairns-Corson fight in 02 and the entire place was electric, I hope that can happen again in the future.
Once this team starts to win again tickets will be very hard to come by. Not winning a playoff series in 15 years will drive fans away from teams no matter what sport or team. THis teams has a fan base and JT or VH will go a long way at fixing our broken hearts.
This year I have been pleasently suprised at the turnout given we were a last place team by 10+ points a few weeks ago. That is very encouraging to me.
“As for the Mets, all I can say is they better be playing meaningful games for a long time or getting tickets at Citi Field by will not be a problem. “Build it and they will come” fizzled out a long time ago.”
Hate to tell ya CB, but the same goes for the Yankees.
Only from the mind of a PR guru. If the Islanders were a corporation, the annual report would read “we’re poised for growth” because the stock price has nowhere to go but up. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Build up a nucleus of good young players, start winning more games and for the young kids out there brought up with a “winning is the only thing” mentality (I blame the Yankees and their fans for that), make it cool to be an Islanders fan again. Then you’ll have your hot ticket. But don’t try to manufacture it. Let it happen.
CB I think what you wrote was wishful thinking at best.Hockey is, at best, a 4th rate sport in the tri state area. The rivalries of the past that garnered such passion have given way to a ‘New NHL’..IE a softer game trying to expand a fan base while diminishing its core. The Islander fans are indeed passionate, if not plentiful. But, the islanders will always be in the Rangers shadow, and thats difficult within the confines of a marginal sport. Anyhow, Im hoping we can catch a break and bring the fans back.
Great observation CB! NVMC is a fantastic place to see a game crowded concourse and bathrooms notwithstanding. The place rocks when its packed. I remember almost losing my hearing when Bates scored on his penalty shot during the Toronot series. Hockey is such a fantastic sport to watch and the players are very approachable. I only made two games this season but hope to take in at least a few more next year.
I believe that we can expand our passionate fan base and become one of the most followed teams in sports, I really do! Living in boston now i gotta say, our hard core fans rival those of the Red Sox fans. All we need now is numbers! We need to multiply and grow! One way to get this done is maybe a lil ESPN coverage about how our fans have stuck through the good and the bad! That could go a long way!
11- Up until last year the Yankees had been playing meaningful games in the post season for a decade, they are on another level fan base wise compared to the Mets. They can raise their ticket prices every year and people will still go. Their corporate fanbase is better than any other sports team in the U.S. The Mets are annual underachievers and if they continue to choke they will lose their fans b/c of the high prices.
Everyone should check out lettherebelighthouse.com, he makes some great points about the economics of the situation. With no hope to make money via the Islanders with the current lease, they could be a great attraction for neighboring businesses, if there were any, if the tickets are kept cheap and accessible. As a boutique sport, the NHL shouldn’t feel the need to compete with the Nfl, NBA, or MLB, but should carve out its own niche, like the Long Island Ducks have. They sell out every game, and tons of families can go. One of the great stories of pro sports in America.
Great post CB. As a daily, appreciative reader, I always seem to peruse at those articles in which, in my opinion, you “hit the nail on the head”, and this post may be the perfect example. A season ticket holder myself, the Islanders organization has accommodated me more than ever. They understand the economy and have done in every way possible to keep me happy, despite the on and off ice situations surrounding the team; the rebuild and the meagerness of the economy. “The reason why the team can do strong civic programs…is, of course, they have the inventory.” I called up my ticket rep, after he had pursued us with a great deal for tickets next year, and asked for an accommodation to an extra seat for this past Saturday’s game. With ecstasy, I was given an extra seat, and with no regret or hassle by me, an invitation for an upgrade to a better section. This is just one example of how this “debased” organization (debased as by the media) has profound comprehension on the issues that they have to address; keeping their fans, making the happy, and presenting an optimistic future, in a nebulous future. I will proudly be a full season once again next season, due to the more than magnanimous discounts the Islanders have offered. In a sense they gave me the HOME TOWN DISCOUNT. I’m the free agent and the Islanders understand “our” wants. Once again, CB, you “hit the nail on the head.”
Although the NC is not the most luxury of buildings it has the ability for the fans to take over and rock the roof off. Everyone loves MSG, but I always feel like i’m in the middle of the grand canyon watching a game. Get the NC packed out again and remind fans how much they can play a role in a team winning a game. Playoffs vs Toronto anyone, probably one of the greatest series i’ve ever been a part of.
Going back to the Islanders summit discussion on Thursday night, I spoke to the assistant to my ticket rep on Saturday night and he confirmed what has been reported by many commentators on this site. Current season tickets holders are grandfathered in to free parking and the free playoff tickets if they extend by 4/30/09 regardless of what type of seats that they have. If I get any contrary info when I actually extend. I’ll let you all know.
Great article CB. Great work as usual.
I agree with most of you here, Islander fans are damn dedicated. CB found this page though espn site a couple months ago, and now read it everyday, sometimes just refreshing and reading comments. Its a refreshing view that we do not get anywhere else with all the crap between a losing team and the lighthouse mess.
Been to about 20 games this season, either for free, cheap (student discounts), or splurging some for a ranger/islander game. I like the deals they give, traded in my fishsticks jersey for a third jersey at the montreal game. Two tickets for next season when I bought the DVD. (The ranger dvd is 100 dollars at best buy, compared to 30) I have friends who are ranger loyalists, but because of prices and the city distance maybe make a game a year. Theres a reason why alot ranger fans buy our tickets to the game, because they are cheaper than seeing the same game at Msg and its closer.
Im super excited for next season, look forward to a nice draft, and hopefully a Lighthouse.
As a Yankee fan and islander fan, no offense but can people do research instead of just assuming the yankees (and Mets) are unaffordable? OK, the lower level seats were overpriced, agreed. But a bleacher ticket in the outfield is $14, the entire upper level grandstand is between $30-$25. They have priced 10 games at $5 for the entire grandstand, bleachers and terrace outfield boxes. And no not just late season games.
There were no price increases this year for the bleachers or upper reserves.
The Mets have similar very affordable seats, the idea the Stadiums are unaffordable is just wrong.
And lets not forget, that after one good regular season, the islanders jackedup the prices, chasing away a lot of fans who had started to return.
Look forward also to the calder cup playoffs too, great idea. Though I am sure the ct fans are a bit steamed.
Well Chicago is a good example. They will not raise their ticket prices next year at all, freezing the price from this year. Also you have to remember the league is trying to implement lower prices next year, because of the times.
love to see some of these good stories/experience by the ticketholders pop up in the local media…would really go a long way to create some new fans in the area…especially knowing there really is no better place to watch a hockey game….hmmm maybe a former pr guy could plant this good stuff in the media….
CB, the problem is NYI fan relations and marketing is really bad. Just look at the radio situation. NYI management has ignored all fans west of Nassau for a long time. They cater only to Nassau/Suffolk. Not going to increase awareness much that way.
Here’s what concerns me. As a season ticket holder, last season I extended my subscription for two years. It was a great deal and I appreciate the Islanders giving me such a great deal. However, I’m still paying it off, as I chose the 13 payment plan. This season is not even over yet and, yet they are already soliciting another year from me and making me feel that if I don’t extend my subscription by April 30th there’s a chance I will lose my seats. So although we’re not seeing the “personally-licensed seats” scenario, I feel I’m being squeezed at a time where things are terrible economically and I’m not ready or able to shell out another years worth. I guess there are different ways to skin a cat.
As a long time season ticket holder, who this year, finally split the season with someone else, I agree and disagree with this topic. Lets be real -sightlines ARE great, no doubt (my seats are in 303, didya guess) Not a bad seat in the place, and the last row is still much closer than Jersey, Montreal, Atlanta, etc. However, if we do manage to get 14k+, it takes 20 min online to go to the bathroom. You cant walk in the aisles with the narrow corridor, and leaving the Hempstead Tpke exit, is an absolute joke. With that out of the way, I am being “asked” to renew for up to 3 years with a price freeze and free parking with a deadline of course. Apr 30, 24 days away. Thats fan friendly? Dont think so. But what they are asking for is 3 years of my money…..Are you kidding? Lets take off the glasses here. No there is not a PSL, but there are $120 seats. My seats are $70 face with a discount for being a season ticket holder to $55. Ive been going for 35 years, I agree nothing like a live hockey game. Yes, I love my team, but dont say the Islanders are fan friendly. I disagree
Great article C.B, the Islanders have a nice opportunity to expand their fan base, especially if we are lucky enough to add John Tavares. I don’t think we will ever see the Islanders run with PSL’s (no one in hockey does) or these silly online drawings just to buy tickets even if the LH Project is approved or we move into a new arena in Queens. What is important is that the Islanders continue to build their fanbase. We saw what happened when this was ignored in the last 1980’s and 1990’s and how bad attendence can get at the Coliseum. The team needs to start building for the future on the ice and off the ice.
Great post CB, the PSL’s and the pricing at the new ballparks are absurd. A friend of mine said that his normal tickets at Yankee Stadium have quadrupled in price. I understand that the teams need to make some money to pay off these new facilities, but come on. Are they trying to make the money back in one season. From your mouth, er.. keyboard, to God’s ears that this team doesn’t follow suit if/when the Lighthouse is built.
I always thought it would be brilliant if the Isles gave tickets to the public schools. At least 150-200 a game. Given that the team has not been competitive for quite some time it’s a great chance to hook em while they are young.
The Islanders are pretty much one of the few “community teams” left. In other words, they don’t represent a big city nor they represent a whole state. They are a source of civic pride primarily for Long Islanders.
The best way to get kids into the game of hockey and playing is through community outreach. Hitting the schools, giving tickets for field trips, is very effective. Hockey is not a sport that get passed down from parent to child en mass as baseball and football. There just is not enough fans as is.
greg (23) - The Connecticut fans ARE steamed. The fans were booing the announcement fairly loudly. Season subscribers have their seats in the lower bowl with preference over Isles subscribers for those seats. In the upper sections, Isles subscribers get to keep their own seats.
#31, the Isles I believe give out 16,000 tickets for a preseason game vs Jersey to schools most years under Wang and still do a lot of community deals/programs during the regular year.
It is indeed important for us fans to act as ambassadors for not just the team but the game as a whole.
When i work the games as an usher I’ve started making sure to personally thank everyone for coming when the game is over. And I try to talk people down when they are upset or frustrated at games all the time. It’s not about being a shill for the team. It’s about recognizing that we are a small but passionate base with HUGE growth potential and that THAT makes impressions on people. People who were maybe fans long ago or maybe haven’t given hockey a big chance can only be intrigued when we engage them and let them know how great a brethren of fans we are despite all the nonsense we’ve endured. The days of being adversarial with management is over whether we like it or not because our very survival may hinge on winning the hearts and minds of as many people as possible. The isles have done a tremendous job making sure they didn’t miss another generation. Winning will get the big ticket buying adults back. In the mean time I try everyday to recruit more people just like us. Hearts of passion who love an imperfect team for all it’s joys and even all it’s heartaches.
I thought the Bridgeport games were being played on LI because there was a conflict at the bridgeport arena
With Three season tickets (for two years) I have been able to bring my two grandsons (8 and 9) to various games. We pass the Arena at Harbor Yard on the way! They both prefer to watch the Islanders than the Sound Tigers. At his first game the younger one said, this is my first Proffesional hockey game. He had seen many Tiger games.
Living in Ct the Islanders provided an XM radio to listen to games. A free shirt and free DVD.
I believe that we are treated fairly and with the radio the Isles went out of their way to please.
Dont know yet about extending for another one or two years.
With so much uncertainty surronding the team, it makes it difficult to create new fans. If we move to Queens, guarantee we will create new fans. This team will get very competitive in 2 years and who knows, maybe a long overdue Ranger v. Isle playoff matchup. We can all then appreciate one of the best rivalries in sports today. Once we get some type of direction CB, clarity on if we are staying or going, new fans will emerge.
I think if the islanders moved to Queens, it would open up a gate to a whole new fan base. I have been an islander fan all my life and I live in Queens. I have a lot of friends who are islander fans but live in queens. It’s a pain to get to the coliseum. If the isles moved to queens they could involve the nyc public school system and give away tickets. That’s how I got into the mets. And believe me that those kids would go to a hockey game if it was free. Wherever the islanders go they have to make accessible to mass transit and involve the youth. They are the future fans of sports.
I was joking with a buddy Saturday at the Coliseum that it was “die hard only” night. Islander passion is clearly very strong- however- I’m concerned with what appears to be a generational gap.
You’ll find 40-50’s men and women and kids prevelent and many games- which is great. But we seem to be weaker in the 20-30 age group- where you tend to find your rowdiest and most passionate fans.
More ice girls?
Joey303 (28): If you pick your seat well and figure out how to anticipate the TV timeouts, you can make it to the bathroom and back before the red light goes off. Even if that doesn’t work, the trailer bathroom outside Gate 1 was completely empty in the middle of the second intermission on Saturday night. It wasn’t exactly a sellout, but there wasn’t a soul out there (with about thirty guys on line outside the mens’ room).
As for parking, if you’re a season ticket holder there’s no reason to ever use the Hempstead Tpke exit. If you get there by 6:50pm for a 7:00 start, there’s still plenty of spots in the first three or four rows of breakaway parking. Park your car facing the Earle Ovington Blvd exit and you’ll be out of the parking lot about 90 seconds after turning the key in the ignition.
Even if you’re not a season ticket holder, if you park in the back lot (Field 2) there’s plenty of parking where they open two add’l exits to Charles Lindbergh Ave. right after games. Parking lot traffic isn’t a great excuse to miss games.
All i can say is i live and die with this team. If the Isles lose, i have a bad day, they win, the day is great. Let’s Go Islanders!!!!
As far as involving youth goes, I watched my son at his first practice of the Islanders Spring Hockey League tonight. I was informed that Islanders players will start assisting with coaching the players next week after the season. Now that is involving the youth!
could not agree more Chris. thought the same thing today after a buddy off mine relayed his displeasure with Citi-Field. (restaurants that you cannot get into unless you have a ticket for them!?, etc…)
the isles could “do the right thing” and be hailed for up and down.
here’s hoping they do.
Been a fan for the last 14 years (i’m currently 20). Remember how excited I was to go to my first game when i was 6 against the panthers. I had never even watched hockey before, let alone been to a game. Safe to say I now watch almsot every game, play, and coach. Haven’t seen much success since I became a fan, but I know that happier time are on the horizon. Let’s do it boys
#39 just gave us a little proof that 20 somethings are leaving the area. Why not build something around the coliseum to generate tax revenue and bring jobs to the area so more young people move in? It would be nice if someone had a plan to stimulate economic growth in the TOH.
yea i remember my first Islanders game too, it was also my 1st ever hockey game Remember the one when they played the Canadians and Jose Theodore scored on the empty net? Yep that was it, my introduction to Islanders Hockey!
Growing up, I was neighbors with one of the security heads of the coliseum. It was at a time when you could show up before the game at gate 6 and someone would let you in.
I saw many of the playoff games of the late 70’s and Stanley cup playoff games during the 4 Cup run in person.
I was only a kid (10 - 16 years old during those years).
Surprisingly, I grasped the enormity of the achievement.
I am indebted for life for those memories.
DOC
This is my first season purchasing a package. I think I might be the exact demographic Botta is talking about. Mid 30s, disgruntled Jets season ticket holder with kids. Bought the Matinee plan for my kids.
I have to admit I was concerned after Game #1, the Comubus Day massacre. Thought I made a huge mistake. But it has been a delight. I take the kids on the ice after every game. And it has been great watching the team grow and improve over the year, even if we are hoping for last place. Very happy I made the purchase.
But that said. Isn’t this a Catch 22? If the team stays an affordable family option, how will the team ever stop bleeding millions? New building or not. SMG or not?
The Islanders have great fans. We have had 15 years of failure so you cannot really expect them to sellout every night. They will come back as the team gets better.
I go to a majority of Islanders games and usually always sit up in the 300’s, but i love being there with all the other Islander fans and rooting our team on. cant wait for the draft and whatever is to come after that. Lets Go Islanders!!!!
I am another young fan (21) who has never seen the Islanders win ever (or remembered them winning, you dont remember much as a 5 year old).
Being a hockey fan is so much different from the other sport teams I root for (Giants, Mets). It is such a niche sport and team that you almost feel like all the guys in the coliseum are your family, it is super unique, and that feeling was especially evident in 01-02. I cant even imagine the inter-fan relations that will be felt amongst those who stayed loyal through the 90s when the Islanders do finally win.
The Isles are the most fan-friendly professional sports team I’ve ever encountered, and also one of the most forward-thinking teams as well.
The shame of it is, because of the constant circus-like atmosphere associated with the team over the years (fraudulent owners, Milbury, GM gone in 40 days, Nolan, Yashin and DP’s contracts, backup goalie-to-GM, constant mediocrity), it becomes such a fine line between being regarded as “fan-friendly” and “desperate for fans.”
And the crux of it all: when this team becomes a winner and has a new arena, will they still be the fan-friendliest team in pro sports? I’ll be curious to see, but I hope so.
It was the Isles who, love ‘em or hate ‘em, came up with the Ice Girls concept just about every team has emulated. It’s the Isles who came up with the slogan, “we’re all Islanders,” which sure sounds a lot like this year’s Rangers’ slogan: “I am a Ranger.” Pretty much on any given game night, if you grab a table at Champions in the Marriott, you’re guaranteed to see an Isle or four.
Fan friendly? Definitely. Build a winner, and the rest will come.
P.S. Forgot IslesTV, another invention almost every team (and the NBA) has added. And I was way over 100 words, so I’m done!
if you gotta go to the bathroom you wait til a tv timeout or like 5 seconds before u perceive one coming, and just make a move towards the head. you’ll be the only one in there and if it doesn’t take you 4minutes to pee you can be back in your seat by the next faceoff (or at least looking in from the gate enterance, since you can’t walk up once the play has started). has worked for me for years.
naturally if you wait til intermission you’re gonna wait, thats true anywhere.
THe bottom line is this: The Islanders have given no hope to fans that this team is here to stay. Wang hasn’t come out and said: “Don’t worry Isles fans, give me your money because this team is staying.”
Instead, the Islanders expect people to pour money into a product that may end up in Kansas City, etc.
I can tell you I’m done. I’m not working hard every year so that I can support a product that will ripped from my heart and brought somewhere else. Until I can be ASSURED that MY team isn’t moving, I’m watching from my house.
John Tavares, Victor Hedman, you name it. I can’t invest my emotion and my money in something that may not be mine in just a few short years. That’s too heartbreaking.
I watch from afar with 20,000 other Islander fans. There’s much more to fans staying away than the product.
We don’t even know if we’ll have a team in a few years. How the hell can you market that Chris?
Well put, James.
Hockey is the only sport I love. Baseball is such a second thought to me that I would give up the entire baseball season without hesitation just to start 09-10 next week. There is so much love that even all the complaining and frustration and arguing in which any of us might partake ultimately says how much we all care about this team.
Before 2000 I loved baseball and knew everything about it. I watched Sportscenter every day. I also started getting into football a little before 2000 too. Then I discovered the Islanders.
I watched a game on T.V. and loved it. Went to a game and loved it. As the years transgressed, I gradually became less of a fan of baseball and more of a fan of hockey. The way the Islanders have treated me has made me so much more of a fan. The easy access to the players and the team is incredible. The deals they makes for students makes going to the games affordable for a low budget. The Islanders have treated me incredibly and made me love the game of hockey that now I barely follow baseball at all because I realize how they treat me compared to the Isles.
The only team in pro sports team that I can think of that:
1) announces their local practice schedule
sponsors a blog that is not only one of the best in the nhl, but can handle getting lambasted occasionally by said website
2) brings back a coach to man the helm for game #1500
3) brings back Jiggs on occasion
4) won 19 straight playoff series
5) won four straight Stanley Cups without having a Canadian zip code
6) gives you free tickets if you can make it to game in a blizzard
7) makes the visiting team’s goalie sit with the fans
9) a few years ago sponsored something called “loudville”, where they gave day-of-game tix to college students for $10, the best of what was available (hint: that was one of the best things the isles ever did)
10) asked Brendan Witt on the scoreboard if he preferred Bon Jovi or Creed, and he responded “Creed sucks.”
Michael: good riddance… The Islanders don’t need fans like you anyway IMHO. I follow the team good or bad, insanity or sane, bad trades or good trades. If they move it will be because they have to move. It would suck but life goes on. And Wang has done more for the fans than any isles owner in 20 years. Good riddance to you.
Lets not fight here. Lets be civil.
Montreal fans, Flyer fans and Rangers fans have filled OUR building lately. What an embarrassment! To be drowned out and humiliated in our own building and Isles management and C Dey’s poor marketing have themselves to blame. Move to Queens for some hope of saving face. Maybe they can be heard on radio then.
as an islander fan who grew up in brooklyn during the glory years i can tell you that this team failed miserably when it came to marketing their product outside of nassau and suffolk.
as an islander fan now in rockland county (where there is a TON of islander fans) i can tell you that this team is missing the boat again .
think small market be small market.
I like the Family Fun Packs, and the Flex 20 Plan was a good deal for me this season since I can’t commit to making weekday games (work, kids’ extracurricular activities, etc.). I guess I could split a season package with someone. I’ll have to look into it. My Islanders ticket rep. is a fairly nice guy.
I applaud D-Man. At least he has the balls to say I support the team win or lose.
Being a Leaf fan, I have supported a losing team for 41 years now.I find it funny that in an area that has 1/4 million homes, why is it that your building can be filled with other teams fans. The Leafs are in a smaller market and you can not get a ticket unless you know a season ticket holder or pay three times face outside before game time. Where is the local support of the team.
“What we do know is the Islanders are going to be playing in the current version of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum – still gotta love those sightlines - for at least three more seasons.”
do we “know” this? the problem is we DON’T know. it’s hard to get people to commit to a team that 50/50 will be gone after 1 more season. whether it’s $$$
for tickets or just the emotional commitment of watching games on tv and rooting for the team daily. eventually the frustration and uncertainty can wear people down, just like in a job, a marriage, a lot of things.
(64) you sell that nonsense a lot here. Long Island is not Toronto. Most teams in the league struggle with attendance when they haven’t won anything in a loooong time - especially when there are no signs of turning it around, as has been the case on Long Island for years. Even Columbus fans, which have supported a non-playoff team very admirably for years, stopped showing up early this year until Mason threw the franchise on his back and gave fans hope. Yes, we all know about Toronto fans. Congratulations. Some would say you have enabled inept ownership for years on end by filling their pockets while they sold you garbage. Personally, I admire you guys for filling the building even when all hope is lost. But most markets are not like that. People talk about the Mets…in the Mo Vaughn days, I used to show up minutes before a game and get amazing seats for dirt cheap. The Mets were a joke, and attendance reflected that. Offer even a glimmer of hope to Isles fans, and they show up in droves. Insult them, and they stay away. I hope you’re equally critical of Boston fans for not showing up to Bruins games until last year…
i think d-man is way too harsh on michael.
the man is voicing the fan fatigue i referred to above. he’s exhausted from the losing, the waiting, the ownership debacles, the current bickering. from the sound of it, he’s one of the old timers (fandom not age) a lot of posters here like to think are somehow more legit or even ‘better’ than others fans. fan- snobs if you will. and i’d bet if the deal does go through, michael will be right there with the rest of us for this team. so take it easy d-man.
(65) The Islanders will be playing in the Coliseum for a while, at least 3 more years. It’s tough for me to picture Charles Wang doing an Irsay thing and backing up the trucks for KC overnight. Other than that, the Islanders have nowhere else to play. Forgive me for giving the team the benefit of the doubt, but I’m fairly confident they offered that three-year deal because they know they’re not going anywhere.
(58) Good stuff, James. Some truth in humor.
(48) Good points, Fist. Yes, I see no reason why the NYI can’t be an affordable family (and all fan) friendly option and have a better bottom line at the end of the season. Make money? Ha!
It is unfortunate that the Coli is so brutal we have readers offering suggestions on the best way to strategize a bathroom break. Lol. I went through that at the Springsteen concert last year. Brutal.
(31) The Islanders do a lot with their school programs. I will say, however, that giving the tickets completely away for free - with nothing attached - would be a mistake. If you devalue your product to the point of nothing, it gets you nowhere. At least give the tickets for good grades or perfect attendance or as some sort of reward. You are right, CDirt. Maybe they’ll come back…CB
Hey 16- Plenty of prime Yankee tickets are still available for you, even against the mighty Sox, as long as you have $2,700 or $900 per seat per game. Enjoy!!!!
(12) Even if it was backhanded, mrlbem, I’ll take that as a compliment! You basically wrote exactly what I tried to get across in my column, so I don’t see a disagreement.
(18), (20) and others: Glad to hear you had a good experience with the customer relations and sales departments.
Thanks, everyone, for the constructive comments and stories so far. Keep ‘em coming. I will now put myself in block…CB
Joe (9), I remember that Cairns fight like it just happened a minute ago. One of the greatest sports moments ever for me. I remember getting to my seat 15 min before the first game at the NVMC in that series, and the “LETS GO ISLANDERS” chant sounded like the Concord taking off at JFK. The “WE WANT TUCKER” chant was priceless too. There is an incredbile amount of passion for this team. It just needs to get stirred up again, and management does have a great opportunity presenting itself during these times.
My support for this team has never wavered, from the time I first started watching games during the end of the cup era until now. Even with all the nonsense that has taken place over the past 15 or so years, I still live and die by this team.
I think there are a lot of fans like me out there. Die-hards who will never stop supporting this team. Its the casual fan that has become disenchanted. Hopefully, the casual fan will come back and start supporting this team again.
At the risk of being repititious - It is very tempting to commit to the “second 2-year package”. I am currently finishing payments for the “first 2′year” incentive. But it is harder to commit when I don’t know if my Isles will be here. I need some guarantee that I am not throwing hard earned bucks down the drain. And, as I asked Chris Dey in a letter, I am still finishing my first deal, so how can I start paying off the next one. Tell me that we really will remain here, then you can count me in. (aside to CB - couldn’t find the blog in usual space and panicked!!!. You do one heckuva job)
I hate to tell everyone here but there is no such thing as “islanders nation.” The islanders have very few fans. Most people on LI are actually Rags fans which is really pathetic. If you want a “nation” go to a Univ of Florida game and see gator nation in action or to Pittsburgh and watch steeler nation in action. The reason is simple. The islanders have been downright horrible for years now. And while die hards like us on this blog think its great we are finishing last so that we can get Hed/Tav most fans just think the isle suck. Until we get some wins the isle will be the lowest draw in the NHL per usual.
CB - you’re confidence that mr. wang won’t pull “an irsay” is good to hear. i hope and think mr. wang doesn’t have it in him to bolt in the dead of night with virtually no warning anyway. and while refunding the cost of ticket plans if they moved would not be such a big deal, your confidence about 3 years is reassuring. i’m actually pretty surprised to hear this.
It was intended as a compliment, Chris. I just don’t want to see the hype get too far ahead of the actual talent. The underdog coming out of nowhere angle will still play when they get better.
Cruicky (64): If you’re a Leafs’ fan, I assume you live in Toronto. You can’t compare the hockey market of Toronto to Long Island. That’s like comparing the baseball or football market of Toronto to New York. Its apples and oranges.
I don’t know the demographics of the city of Toronto or its surrounding suburbs, but I think its safe to assume that they have plenty of people to fill the ACC on a nightly basis, even if the area is less populated than the immediate area around the Coliseum (which I doubt).
Hockey is the #1 sport in Toronto and Canada as a whole. That’s why you can’t get tickets to Leafs’ games. Everyone wants to go. Long Island and New York in general are baseball/football towns. Hockey is the fourth sport. That’s why other team’s fans are able to get tickets. Its because there aren’t enough die-hards who follow hockey and the Isles above all else that live on Long Island.
Cruicky - don’t forget, the Madison Square Garden is only 20 miles away; the Devils are about 30. Even Philly - for a weekend game it’s not hard to organize a road trip, bring a few buses’ worth of folks up the NJ Turnpike, and make the place seem full of cheez-wiz heads. I’ve made the trip in reverse. (In fact, I’ve seen the Isles in all of those arenas, but never in the Coliseum. Strange but true.)
Toronto is just too far away from most other arenas to do that sort of thing. How are Canadiens and Senators fans going to realistically get to the not-Maple-Leaf-Gardens-anymore (what do they call your new place, anyway)? Buffalo is closer to Toronto than Montreal is, and who wants to go through customs twice just to see a hockey game? Unless you also make it a full week or weekend and see the Hall of Fame while you’re there, but who could afford that three times a season, just to root for your club in another building, and especially if you’re a season tix holder in your own team’s arena?
I’ll renew my tickets when the value matches the real market. I’ve gone from seasons to a 1/2 season to a 14 game package. Like most,things come up and you cannot make it to every game. The resale value of tickets is abysmal. I would be satisfied if I were able to resell at 75% of what I pay and it’s just not possible. Take a look at TicketExchange and you’ll see season ticket holders selling seats in the 100’s for $20. Why buy them from the Isles when you can find people dumping them on Craigslist or the official Isles TicketExchange? I agree with everyone in the thread. Better on ice product, improved facilities will translate into sellouts. Also, I don’t trust some of the so-called Islanders sellouts this year. I think they push low-cost tickets through a number of avenues to fill the building. Finally, the “marketing tables” make it impossible to walk around. I realize they have to make money, but this really does have a negative impact on the fan experience.
Islander tickets are way to expensive considering the team is in 30th place. Mr. Wang, I have all the respect in the world for you but people can’t afford to go to games in which they know that the team has nothing to play for. Can we please stop dressing these no name players also? Sign a couple of free agents…overpay if you have to.
CB, you are, slightly, incorrect in saying that the Yankees, and possibly the Mets, are shutting out the fans. The New Yankee Stadium has 25,000 tix priced $25, or lower. I amnot a Mets’ fan, so I can not speak to thier prices. But, in today’s economy, $25 and lower, is a pretty good prie for a ball game.
So the deadline is in October right? What happens if the deadline passes without approval and Wang says he’s moving the team to Kansas City? I know I’m not going to spend money on tickets knowing the team is leaving. They want us to help them and then they’re going to turn their backs on us?! Or will the team actually string us along so they can make a little money knowing very well that they’re leaving? I just don’t see how you can effectively market that kind of product.
#74 THey’re really aren’t more ranger$ fans on Long Island than Islanders fans. There are a good amount of ranger$ “fans” on long Island I will give you that, but can you really count the casual fan because thats really what the ranger$ have most of on long Island is the casual fan that still thinks the ranger$ are the best team and have thought that since 1994 when they jumped on the bandwagon. In reality they dont watch or go to many ranger$ games so I can not call them true fans or even fans because they haven’t followed hockey in years. Thats the most common ‘ranger$ fan’ I meet. When the coliseum is filled with ranger$ fans, they are mostly long islanders. I guess some of those fans are mild fans or diehards, but probably most of them go to like 1-2 ranger$ games a year and they are at the coliseum. I really do not think the ranger$ have all that many die hards living on Long Island, but again they have way way too many fans here on Long Island as well as in Jersey.
I hate to give the Loafs anymore space on this thread, but one of the main reasons tickets at the ACC are so hard to come by is because most of them are snapped-up by corporate customers. Go to one of those games and you’ll see a lot of people in suits discussing business and ignoring what’s happening on the ice. “No pride.” “No passion.”
No thanks…
When I say “knowing the team is leaving” I don’t mean overnight. Even if we are told they’re leaving in three years why wouldn’t I just watch from home because if for some reason I continue to follow the Kansas City “whatevers” I’ll have to do it from home. Might as well save the money to buy the NHL package, the biggest hi-def TV money can buy, and a chair with a built in fridge.
As a season ticket holder for the last several years, the Islanders have been very sensitive to me in a very positive way.
As a season ticket holder, that I feel like a stockholder with shares in NY Islanders, Inc. And unlike a single game ticket buyer, I feel have a voice in my favorite team.
Here is a few examples of the Islanders responding to me as a season ticket holder.
After the July 1st free agent exodus two years ago, I sent a very angry letter to the team voicing my displeasure and general no confidence and guess what happen, Mr. Wang called me at work and talk for 10 minutes. Could you or Larry Brooks image James “Little Jimmy” Dolan doing something like that!
And when Bloomberg radio (and its 50,000 watts) coverage was dropped this year for a neighborhood radio station, I sent a letter complaining that I couldn’t pickup the games in Brooklyn, that they sent me a portable XM Radio and a year subscription.
And there is all the free stuff like the DVD set, the free parking, complementary tickets, a trip to Bridgeport for a Sound Tiger game, player signing, etc, etc…..
Who is better than that!
I will be on sitting in the best seat (1 ticket, top row where I can pick the game on the radio) in the house for the next 3 years.
They had the open houses last spring which was a good thing. Hope they have them again.
It would be nice if the Islanders played the Rangers on a Saturday night. That would be a welcomed change.
I had sent a letter to the Isles front office a couple of seasons back with a marketing suggestion, and a few weeks later got a personal letter from CW thanking me for the suggestion with a promise that Chris Dey would be getting in touch. Chris never did (lol), but I was pretty impressed getting a letter from the owner. Seems like a really class guy who regularly takes the time to actually connect with Islander fans. People can think what they will, but this guy’s not just in it for the development deal…
Jim (#39) - Bite your tongue. We don’t need any ice girls, at least during the timeouts. if you have to have them (which I happen to believe we don’t)then let them perform at intermission. During timeouts they slow the game down when they clean the ice. I go to a few games at the Rock and they have guys who do it and they haul ass. They usually have a young Devils fan as an honorary member of the team (which gives the kids a thrill).
They are off the ice in half the time as the ice girls. We’re supposed to be there to watch a hockey game, not these girls. Just another disconnect with the REAL fans who like hockey the way it used to be.
That would be the way the Devils do things geduffer, booooooooooring. I know they have won a lot, but who cares? Why root for a winning team if there is absolutely no excitement in the way they play?
#s 44, 46, 48, 51 - Since I’m obviously older than you guys, my first hockey game was before the Islanders were even conceived. It was Rangers-Penguins at MSG and the Ranger goaltender that night was a 40+ Terry Sawchuk. My first Islander game was the second ever home game when the bathrooms were crowded but not so run down. Also, a student could sit in the end sections for $3 with college ID (lots of NCC students went to the games.)
CB, Re your post 68 and your problem was that you went to a Springsteen show instead of waiting for the Dead. I’ve never had a problem with the bathrooms at a Grateful Dead show. Most of the Deadheads are hallucinating by intermission and couldn’t find the bathroom on a bet.
It is true when some of the local teams come with the exception of the Rangers they do bring their fans. NJ, Philadelphia, Montreal, Pittsburgh, etc. at least they are buying the tickets and spending the money here.
During the some of the darker days they used the theme and branding, “This Is Islander Country” It is time for that theme to come back.