DiPIETRO SLATED TO PLAY SATURDAY IN AHL
Will play section of Bridgeport home game
FanHouse: Outdoor Game Talk (including Islanders info)
The Islanders report to Katie Strang of Newsday first that their plan now is for Rick DiPietro to play his first conditioning game with Bridgeport this Saturday. The plan is for him to play only part of the game. The Sound Tigers host Springfield on Saturday at 7:00 pm at the Arena at Harbor Yard. If DiPietro plays, Point Blank will be there.
A Notice to PB Readers: The team only shared this news with Cablevision-owned Newsday, not with any other media outlets. I can only assume they did not want the tens of thousands of daily readers of this blog to know – or they prefer to only provide information to a newspaper website that a large section of their fanbase must pay to read. Steven Marcus of Newsday and I were the only two daily reporters who worked the locker room and the coach’s office at practice today. Scott Gordon, and I believe him, told me he only had Rick’s schedule through Wednesday. Rick, and I believe him, did not know earlier today. The Islanders confirmed Katie’s report after I called to check.
Sorry, folks. I can only do what I can. As I’ve written before, if you really want to be guaranteed the latest on your Islanders first, you will have to pay Newsday and get Katie’s excellent work or hope the team site posts it. Maybe Newsday‘s business plan, with the help of the Islanders, is genius after all. Just want to shoot straight with you. With the Islanders’ current PR protocol, do not expect team news first here. Thank you…CB
87 Responses to DiPIETRO SLATED TO PLAY SATURDAY IN AHL
Will play section of Bridgeport home game
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VinnyMoose says:
Sorry the Isles didnt let you break this CB. Biggest story since draft day and the team kept you in the dark, but make no mistake this is good news for IslandersCountry
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dan from va beach says:
seriously,
who cares!
we’re gonna get it sooner than later from you anyway,
does it really matter if we have to wait a few more hours?
CB, keep doin’ what you’re doin’!
we love it and YOU and what you DO for us,
it is certainly a labor of love if there ever was one and we thank you!
hasnizzle~ from va beach! -
Jeff says:
I’d rather get my Isles info a few minutes/hours late here anyday than pay for newsday.
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Chris M says:
Who do I email at the Islanders to complain? Seriously, do they not realize that by penalizing IPB, they are penalizing their own fans. I wouldn’t give Dolan a dime. First he hold’s the HD feed hostage from FIOS and now it’s news. C’mon, this is ridiculous.
Oh and it’s going to be nice to have Rick back on the ice. I hope for all involved that it marks the end of his injuries.
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Islesfan in Vancouver says:
encouraging to see DP is going to get into some action and hopefully he passes with flying colours
as always CB, I choose to read here and not newsday or the team site. I’d rather get the news with your take on it than worry about where it was posted first
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Islesin2010 says:
Thanks CB. Terrible job by Islanders PR, but great work by you, as always.
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BTW- Dp’s return scheduled for mid-December… when wouldn’t you know it, the Isles have a home/home against the Rags the 16th and 17th!
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CB,
I agree with the other readers. We can wait for you and your expert review. Newsday and the Islanders have no clue on how to promote thier product. The personal at Newsday don’t have your expertise. Keep up the good work!! -
DavidNYC says:
I get my team news here first because I do not and will not pay for Newsday. If I have to wait for you to get word and then report it, I will simply get my Isles news a little late. I must say, I am enjoying the season however I am far less engaged with every little detail of the team this year. This is not by choice, I was spoiled last year by your coverage and ate it all up. The experience has changed this year and I have rolled with it. I get my news when I get my news… as reported by PB. Thanks for the update
Oh, if I really want to read a story in Newsday, I just Google the article’s “title + mobile”. Works everytime! -
beatlebailey says:
Honestly 99% of us could care less what newsday posts. D you see there comment section? zero zilch nada…NOBODY cares about Newsdays Islanders coverage.. they put high school sports on their backpage..please…..gladly wait for you CB..
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Vinny says:
Hey man, it’s no big deal about being first, it’s about accuracy and quality of the insight. Newsday will falter and fold under it’s prehistoric business plan and eventually they will realize you can’t extort people for information on the internet.
Let them alienate themselves while your site continues to shatter their hit counts.
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19inarow says:
What do you expect from cablevision. When will we Long Islanders get over this monster and just rid ourselves of the Dolans. Fios direct tv dish network the NY Post the Daily news and of course point blank for all our isle info. Scr-w Cable!
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Spud 31 says:
CB>DP. Enough said.
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Daniel says:
I have access to the Newsday site, but sitll only read their Islander coverage on line after I check this site out first, or just if I am bored. This is the place to come for real Islander news. Newsday will never be my first stop for coverage of the team as long as this site exists.
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Barbara says:
Doesn’t matter who gets it first, we read it first when YOU get it!!! Seriously,They are looking to have their own “PB” but “Islander Authorized” is not going to get the readership of PB!
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Priest says:
CB, I think you are being hard on yourself (unjustly) and the team (completely justified).
It seems like 9 times out of 10 I get updates on twitter you beat Katie to the punch. In a few cases, yes, she seems to gets the story first, but its really no big deal. I’m not paying whatever they’re charging to get a story an hour early, when the majority of those times I don’t even see anything until way later.
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CJCB says:
I will never pay 4 newsday.com EVER, i almost(sometimes the other papers are out, go figure) wont buy their newspaper either for $1.00 and especially not on Saturday where they charge the same price 4 less news. I’m in no rush 4 entertainment news, whats a couple of hours anyway? My life still functioned without it, i’d rather wait than pay. Go Botta!!!
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TM says:
NYI marketing/PR just doesn’t get it. I wouldn’t let them market my son’s lemonade stand.
Luckily, the speed of the internet and word of mouth makes up for their incompetence of limiting fans and info. Being told first doesn’t mean much these days.
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Frank James says:
Not because of the Dolans but I stopped reading Newsday months before they redid their website.
When they relaunched their site I thought it was a train wreck.
To top it off they expect people to pay for their site now?Good luck.
My family has had DirecTv for 10 plus years.
Every once in awhile someone will say “but you don’t have News 12?”
Haven’t missed it yet.
If the Dolans think they will force Isles fans to get Newsday by getting all the scoops they are sadly mistaken.
In this age once Newsday posts it everyone else will now minutes later.
If the Dolans didn’t have a monopoly product they would be destitue.
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Vealchop says:
No worries CB, you have loyal followers, we got your back.
Newsday will not see any increase in online subscribers. These actions will not convince any Islander fan to pay for the cruddy Newsdays website.
As far DiPietro is concerned, I say if the plan is to bring him back this month, push it back another month or 2. I would be very cautious with him, this is most likely his last real comeback chance as a #1 goalie. Its a bad investment if he gets hurt again. Be wise.
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Dan from Westchester says:
CB – I’m pretty sure if you didn’t tell us Newsday had it first, most of us wouldn’t have any clue. This is the first and last stop for all things Islanders as far as I’m concerned.
GREAT news about DP!
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jim says:
I agree with the other readers. I am loyal to PB and will get all my Isles news here. I am a Cablevision subscriber and can get my news for free at Newsday and I don’t even go there cause the website sux.
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ars9x says:
CB, ppl come here b/c we know you are the real deal and we support YOU! It’s not about breaking news and where it comes from first.
I hope they are not rushing this. I would want to see him in some more full on practices.
Am I alone in Isles country thinking this seems fast?
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Blizzard says: …for the record CB, we do not come here for the latest news. We come here for the insight. It was reported in due time, and Islander country will come here for what you provide….which is the most comprehensive Islander coverage available. That being said this is great news for Islander fans. I have had my doubts about DP ever coming back, but I am glad to say it looks like I was wrong. GO RICK hope that surgically repaired knee holds up!!!!!
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Jimmy says:
as a optimum customer I get newsday for free but still refuse to go there. CB this site is great and is where I will get my Islanders news daily. As for the Islanders PR/Marketing I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one since after all it is cablevision who puts them on TV and cablevision might have had beef with them breaking news over your blog as opposed to their paper, this may have been simply a business move to please the only television outlet in town the Islanders can go to.
….I hope
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daniel says:
I don’t really care if some other site gets the news a few minutes/hours/days earlier than Point Blank does. I come here for the writing, insight and analysis that CB provides – something that other sites don’t even come close to. I’d rather read a well written, well thought out and thought-provoking piece from CB a few hours after some pivotal event occurs, rather than a hastily written piece of slapdash somewhere else. PB has some of the best sports writing and journalism around, period. The Islanders PR team are fools for ignoring this place. Forget about Newsday, PB is where it’s at!
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MT says:
I think they know the power of your blog CB, but maybe there’s still a “blog stigma” that they’d rather have Newsday break the story first? Even though it’s weird that you and Steven were there, they could’ve just told both of you then and there.
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goislesgo105 says:
Cablevision/Dolan is awful. So is the Newsday site. I ALWAYS come here first for my Isles news. Thanks so much C.B. for this site!! Don’t ever quit!!
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Islebethere4u says:
CB you are definitely worth the wait. Would rather hear it from you than from that rag of a newspaper, no disrespect to Katie or the wonderful people that work there, only to the owners that make these terrible and unfair decisions. Good luck to DP. Looking forward to seeing you back on the ice soon.
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Smokey a.k.a. Botta is God says:
CB, you can’t seriously think anyone is gonna leave you in the dust for the same Dolan Empire that ruined the Knicks.
As for DP, I’m sure we’re all very anxious to see how he looks after they went all Dr. Frankenstein on his knees and hips.
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Big Dog says:
I concur, id rather get it late and here (with a ton more stuff then that rag tag newspaper can offer.
Katies on a sinking ship and she empties out 2 buckets of water a minute but the boats taking on 3 buckets a minute..eventually…. -
thepolishprince says:
30 comments so far and 90% of them are bellyaching about newsday or not breaking a story. The bigger picture here is that the Isles’ franchise goalie is slated for his first game action in almost a full calendar year. Good luck Rick I for one wish you the best.
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Mario says:
CB i said it during one of the away games chats. Roloson starts at MSG and DP starts at NVMC. @ shutouts and away we go. See you Saturday at Bridgeport DP!!! Good luck and stay healthy!!!
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cody says:
Looking forward to DiPietros hopefull return against the rangers…having said that(CYE), as long as you write something about a breaking story within a couple hours nobody will complain. I’m sure most readers wouldnt have known that newsday broke it first if you didnt tell us yourself. I didnt.
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misterpink says:
Well, *I* still read it first here CB!
Islanders front office makes some odd choices these days.
Since the Islanders and Newsday are so chummy-chummy, I wonder what Cablevision owned Newsday thinks of the Ginormous FIOS advertising that circles the entire top half of the coliseum exterior?
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Frank nyc says:
Ill wait a little longer and get my Isles news from PB .the voice of Islanders country. Maybe someday the organization will realize that, instead of shooting themselves in the foot.
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Shoe says:
It is a good idea to give the scoops to newsday. After the logan draft fiasco, I am sure the isles are wary of keeping anything from their hometown paper.
That being said, freezing out reporters that say something they don’t like stinks of MSG tactics.
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Travelchic59 says:
As others have written, this is my first stop for all Islanders news. I could give a rat’s a** who breaks the news first. Means absolutely NOTHING to me. As far as I am concerned, you are the authority on all things Islanders. I trust your judgment not to post rumors or any other unsubstantiated BS without checking the facts first.
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eastonhockey says:
Sounds to me Newsday told Wang if he doesnt give Newsday breaking news 1st, Newsday wont cover the team much at all…which would leave the Isles with less coverage then the Long island Ducks. Sounds like Blackmail to me.
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campion101 says:
The Newsday (aka the Dolans aka MSG aka the Rangers) are in a panic because Newsday is no longer the place to go for NYI news. They expected to be the lone outlet covering the Isles. Too bad for them that IPB has become THE news source for Isles fans. I don’t want the first story, I want an accurate story which is what we can always count on CB for.
Best wishes to Rick, hope to see you
between the pipes at the barn soon. -
Bob Bassen says:
I stopped reading Newsday around the time Dolan bought it. Then went back and read SOME of the online version. That ended several months ago. I will probably never read Newsday again for ANYTHING, Islanders included.
I hope Islander Mangement are proactive and get out ahead of whats happening in todays media world!
Newsday (((rolls eyes))) Puhleaze!
Go Isles! -
Lenny says:
BTW, I’ve been able to view Newsday content, one article at a time, if you clear your browser cookies…
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Tim F. says:
To heck with Newsday. I’d rather read it here, even if it takes a little bit longer.
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battfist says:
CB- I dnt agree with you all you time.
I must admit I do hate when you take about the number of hits you have to your site.
But dnt sweat Newsday or the Islanders PR.
Your coverage of the Isles is the best out there. Keep it coming….. -
Vlad from Brooklyn says:
It is just so much more fun to read
Isles News here than enywhere else.
Since we are not playing in Stanley
Cup finals this year, can’t wait
for DP to be back in the net and get
his game on. Good luck DP. And thank
you, CB for your stories. -
Ethan K says:
Any progress with Dipietro is good progress. I hope he comes back and plays well. With the way Roloson is playing, I wouldn’t mind if they split the games between Roloson and Dipietro for the rest of the year. But I think Dipietro will be an awesome fit for Gordon’s system. He’s fast, aggressive and moves the puck quickly.
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Danielle says:
You keep saying “if you wanna hear it first, follow katie” yadda yadda… yet consistently i see breaking news from the CB twitter before katie’s twitter. So maybe you have to say that to keep good company, but we all know where the real place to get the best news is.
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newsday_is_dead_2_me says:
I will never pay for Newsday
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Hockeytime says:
What is this newsday site everyone is refering to? I don’t know about you but point blank is the place to be for all isles news and views. Fanhouse is great to… Thanks CB for all you do!
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Mike from Oceanside says:
I guess the only time the organization wants us to know anything for free is when it is Lighthouse related. Weak, Mr. Dey…very weak.
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Numbers65 in Ohio says:
Even though they try to make you pay, you can still read Strang’s blog through the blocker. I stopped checking her blog lately anyways, NOW I really want to boycot her. I’d rather wait and read it here.
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I know you respect Katie Strang CB, but Newsday is doing absolutely nothing for us. That isnt her fault, but it is what it is.
I am so happy for Rick, this is wonderful news. I hope he has a great time playing a period or two, or three.
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Dolan magic-
According to Quantcast Newsdy had 2.4 million visitors in May 2009.
Since then its been a steady decline.
Down to 1.5 million in July.
Down to 1.2 million in September.
About a million in the beginning of October.
Currently at roughly 842,000.
Who’s in charge of Newsday Isiah Thomas?
Chris has been an absolute gentleman in steering fans to Katie but this Newsday charade of charging and now holding scoops is asinine in this electronic age.
Sad to see what Newsday has become in the past few years.
If the Long Island Press had not jumped the gun on their Isles moving story they might actually have been able to make some inroads.
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It’s not even about being first, it’s just doing what’s right.
The coverage here is premium and any Islanders fan I meet or at least 9 out of 10 die-hards….go here first, or in some cases it’s the only stop.
I should be careful about what I say about Newsday considering they just ran a small article on my shop. Decisions like this are just silly to me.Won’t keep me from coming here and only here numerous times a day.
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the real JD says:
* the Newsday site is horrible.
*since the dolans arrived and logan stopped covering the isles nothing has been the same at Newsday.
* can’t stand the dolans.
* can’t wait for FiOS to have islanders hockey games in HD. So long cabelvision.
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Chris says:
Chris, you’re a true gent trying to continue to drum up support for Strang and Newsday, but as most other Isles fans have already stated, it doesn’t matter to me if I have to wait a little while to get good team coverage from your insightful blog; especially if it’s yet another Rick DiPietro story. For real, I couldn’t give a hoot about his rehabilitation. As I stated before, he’s not paying my bills, and we have a team on the ice right now that’s playing good hockey. When DiPietro gets into an NHL crease again, I’ll read the article in earnest. But back to Newsday — they made their bed and now they can sleep in it. I hope they don’t make a dime. They’re coverage of the Islanders has always been suspect anyway (and I blame this largely on editorial/management decisions by not allocating enough space and resources, not the reporters like Logan and Hermann). Go CB, and go Isles!
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Matt NYC says:
Newsday is a joke, its 3rd grade reading material. The newspaper will fold in the next 5 years.
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german islesfan says:
thanks for the good news CB with DP
Can’t wait to see him back in the Islanders net. i don’t care about newsday and the other Isles blogger ,this side is the real deal. -
UIF says:
Being first is overrated in the electronic age. I’ll find out minutes to an hour later here, get a better story, and not be any worse for wear.
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Isn’t the real story that DP is actually playing games????
Who cares about where news stories are broken first.
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therain93 -- terriers fan says:
With all due respect, I don’t need you to break every story CB and, frankly, that isn’t what makes IPB special. The insights you do have (as well as the fun stories) do make it special. So you report on a story a few hours after the exclusive…big deal. Considering I’m not a newsday subscriber (as are many, for various reasons), you’re still giving us “news”. Don’t sweat it and don’t apologize.
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OJK says:
I hate Newsday and Cablevision. Go Isles !
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1) So a team in desperate need of exposure is closing practices to the public and making fans pay a web site to get first hand information?
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Doug says:
CB,
No need to apologize…you do a great job. At today’s practice can you check to see if there are any trade rumors that the Islanders are looking for a defenseman?
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isles08025 says:
Stopped reading newday when they switched their format. I don’t need to be the first to know. Thanks CB, keep it legal.
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Hockey1919 says:
I just think that is great having a “Newsday filter”. I just come here and get any relevant news they may post and not have to pay for their terrible website.
Who cares about getting a bit of news a few minutes sooner if it is going to be team vetted and whitewashed?
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patrick says:
Im from New jersey. im a die hard islanders fan. the day i found out newsday had become a pay website i wrote letters to all the people at newsday displaying my displeasure. since i cant get the print newspaper, and now ur charging 10 dollars a month to just read ur site i was furious. luckily my aunt let me use her address and i made a screen name so i can read all the articles now. so it ended up working out. keep up the work CB. u still have the best website on the internet about any team and thankfully its about my islanders.
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bhockey47 says:
I would bet DP doesn’t make it to January w/o another injury.
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Marc from Troy says:
Newsday is, quite literally, old news. Barbara (16) hit on something that seems to have been missed here. Check out the official team web site’s “Islanders Authorized.” Think they might be trying to imitate something?
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Brian From Jersey says:
It’s also a matter of trust… I’ll wait an extra 30 minutes to get an unfiltered CB view rather then pay Dolan… This stuff wouldn’t happen if Botta was back running the show in the Isles PR dept. Good luck pulling Ricky half way through a game …. nice to see the majority of DP haters slowly coming back, I believe the quote was “He’ll never play another game in his life” …
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Paul in ABQ says:
IPB is the only quality news source for Isles info; no need for any other. I always come here first, and always will. CB – you rule. No one beats you knowledge and insight. You’re an awesome journalist.
Thrilled about DP. He’ll make the Isles that much more fun to watch when he’s back in full form. I’m coming home to see the game on 12/23 – Hope he’s in net!
Thanks for everything Chris.
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pablo says:
It is called Control, Wang can control the media release’s and to whoever he wants. Which is dishonest and sneaky! That about sums up Charles Wang.
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Jasaon says:
There’s no conspiracy theory to report allthough Islander fans love those. I believe the Isles aren’t talking to CB because like many other posters noticed after the Islanders cut point blank it seemed cb had an axe to grind for a little while. Hurt feelings go both ways and it seems like a family squabble now. Also found it hilarious to read about the “great job” Katie is doing. Lets just say I disagree because I want to be nice here. And a big way to go out to Newsday for alienating thousands of readers who don’t live in Long Island. Why would someone pay for a newspaper in a state they don’t even live in? And why would the paper want to lose that many readers who could be buying their advertisers products? Truly a mystery.
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msolo says:
minus – dolan
minus -newsday
minus -dolan and newsdayplus – PB ,CB and the Islander Nation
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Dan says:
I get my Islanders news from my dreams. I just think of signing kovi in the off season and Okposo becoming Iggy and it happens. I wish I could just sleep all the time. Then the Islanders would winn the SC all the time.
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IslesPassion21 says:
I noticed todays article about DP wasn’t even written by newsdays “Katie Strange”. WTF is going on with the Isles and their blatent disregard for good Isles coverage for their loyal fans who’ve been putting up with so much for so long???the least they could do is give us a best writer who works for a paper who doesn’t charge an arm and a leg and isn’t owned by the dreaded Rags. Its insulting and just plan annoying as all heck.
Hey, Wanger, shoot the locks of your wallet or better yet, give the scoops for free to “Pointblank” where the majority of Isles fans go for Isles coverage anyway. Katie Strange is reporting to a sample size compared to who Botta has coming to his site every single day for their Islanders fix, not Newsday, especially.
Wake up, smell the coffee!!! Here is where your fans are who have stood behind you during this nightmare.
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I want to add to the sentiment about PB being the one stop shop for all of my Isles info. I HAVEN’T GONE TO THE TEM WEBSITE IN OVER A YEAR! No need too. CB does an excellent job keeping us up to date and I was tired of hearing the teams constant touting of a team that was dead last in the standings last season. It’s bad enough to pay for and watch that type of product but to then go to the team sponsored website and have them blowing smoke up your *** about how great they are is infuriating. I’m starting to think Snow and the scouting team are the only ones in the entire organization that posess any intelligence. They seem to be on the right track with the players as the others continue to bumble their way through promotions, media relations,ticket sales, and the list goes on and on. While the team on the ice improves the rest of the organization seems to be falling to pieces. What gives Wang? You have the wrong people in charge sir but you will never see it. Don’t worry about listening to us,we’re only the ones you are counting on for continued support.
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That was, team website, not tem.
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Donald says:
I agree with and earlier poster that the Newsday site is a train wreck. I can’t understand how nowadays we ahve such poorly designed web sites that are hard to use and follow.
CNN’s site redesign as well. Hard to see what the actual news stories are. The whole center of the page is just garbage. Where’s the friggin news!
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Attention Isles fans with BlackBerrys or Mobile, internet access. You can still read Newsday on their wireless site @ no cost. Hope that helps some of us.
Lets Go Islanders! Clapclap-clapclapclap
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the bomber says:
anyone who honestly thinks the isles should start DP against the rangers in his first game in over a year, or that they will, needs to put down the crack pipe….
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I just called the Isles operations @ 516-501-6700 and I expressed our concerns and went up to bat for Chris Botta and Pointblank, stating that the majority of fans go to PB and many don’t want to pay for Newsday only to get subpar reporting anyway. So there ya go, Chris. I’m in your corner.
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I’ve been on Moderation since some fun loving and witty Hillary Clinton/Kate Murray cankle jokes …. all in good fun …(smiley face emonicon thing)
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david says:
I HATE NEWSDAY. I live in Salt Lake City and now I can’t get the latest. They should be ashamed of themselves charging $250 or whatever it is to read the paper online. Nice to push more fans away. That’s the way to earn business.
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Welcome back DP! And CB we all know you’re the best lol. Looks like one strong step forward for Isles country.
The way the Isles handle the media is a mess. We can worry about that some other day though … YAY DP!!!