PB ON HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA RADIO
Some final words on Scott Gordon’s dismissal
Of my eleven broadcast stints yesterday, this one on HNIC with Jeff Marek and Kelly Hrudey is a fair summary of my thoughts on Monday’s news. Jeff and Kelly cover it all here – on Scott Gordon, Jack Capuano, potential long-term replacements and the roles of Garth Snow and Charles Wang. Comments.
54 Responses to PB ON HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA RADIO
Some final words on Scott Gordon’s dismissal
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Jon W. says:
I want badly to share a letter I wrote to Gary Bettman with CB and everybody here. My wife thinks it’s good, so that’s the stamp of approval I usually need to know it’s kosher. I needed to vent out my anger in a positive way and I believe I did just that:
November 16, 2010
Mr. Gary Bettman
Commissioner
Gary Bettman
National Hockey League
1251 6th Avenue
4th Floor
New York, NY 10020Subject: Charles Wang’s stewardship of the Islanders
Dear Gary Bettman,
I write to you as a concerned citizen of Long Island and as a passionate hockey fan, who over a period of the last 10 or so years, has been completely disillusioned by the blatant ulterior motives of Islanders owner, Charles Wang.
I remember when Mr. Wang, who at that time was Computer Associates acting CEO, was convinced to purchase the team in 1999 by former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, it appeared a curious event, as Mr. Wang readily admitted that buying a hockey franchise was not his first choice and he knew nothing about hockey. If you remember, he joked that he would buy a book “Hockey for Dummies”, which, at the time, drew laughs from the local press.
However, as years have passed, Wang became increasingly involved in real estate. Whether it was with his Old Plainview proposal, his Lighthouse project proposal that heavily involves the Islanders franchise or his current involvement with Renaissance Realty in Oyster Bay, it became clear by the middle of last decade that real estate was his new passion.
Let me be clear, Charles Wang has every right to buy and sell real estate as he pleases. However, as an approved owner of an NHL franchise, which includes the privilege of being part of the NHL brand – a quasi-public institution that needs the approval of the other 29 NHL owners, Wang should not be permitted to use the NHL’s and the community’s franchise as a vehicle to his real estate development at the peril of the hockey franchise itself.
As of this moment, the Islanders are in year three of what they have been selling to fans, who, essentially, are their shareholders, as a rebuild of the team. As of right now, however, the Islanders are barely above the league’s salary floor, spending just enough to legally put a team on the ice, and yet the Islanders have 18 players with expiring contracts on their roster.
Does this sound as if Charles Wang is standing behind what he is selling to the fans? I do not believe so.
The fact is once Mr. Wang found out from Kate Murray of the Town of Hempstead that he would have to significantly scale down the scope of his real estate project, and that the Lighthouse Project as he envisioned it was basically dead in the water, Wang decided that his interest in the success of the Islanders would cease in direct proportion. This is cynical and incompetent ownership and modern capitalism at its worst. You clearly do not have to build a small city to provide a new home for the Islanders, and Wang knows it.
It is your job, as the commissioner, to ensure that the franchisees of the NHL are running their product at a certain standard in a correct and efficacious fashion. This is clearly not happening in this case with Charles Wang and the Islanders. It is time, especially now that Wang has a very favorable and profitable sub-lease agreement with Nassau County that outgoing County Executive Tom Suozzi granted him, that Wang is ordered to either invest his money into the team or ordered to find an ownership group which would have to desire to purchase the New York Islanders franchise with the prime directive of making money with the actual team and not the real estate.
If there is no resolution, at that point, there should be another vote by yourself and the other 29 owners of the league for approval.
The New York Metropolitan area is a dormant hockey hotbed, and that is a shame because it is costing the league a lot of money. If the Islanders’ product is good, people will spend the money to see them, new or old building. If the Islanders and Rangers are both good, there are opportunities for commercial revenue through advertising that cannot be matched by any other market. This has not been a factor because it has been so long since the Islanders have had a quality product over any period of time.
Please do the right thing.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Weiss Jr.
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Brad says:
Good work Chris…I just caught your little interview on On The Fly…your head took up about a 1/3rd of the screen.
There wasn’t really a point that you made that I couldn’t agree with. -
2Bit says:
I agree with the first post. If it wasn’t for your blog & insight I’d probably care less about this team than I do. And I’ve pretty much been a die hard since the Baumer & Vukota days. The Isles management should really treat you much better than they do these days. The fact that they don’t is really telling on where there heads are at right now. Or better yet where his head is at right now, because like you said Wang’s basically pulling all the strings. I’m going to start using the acronym SFW (So F’ing Wang) whenever there is a move that has his stamp on it. That crap is SFW!
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JKP on LI says:
When Wang went on with Mike Francesca after he fired Neil Smith, he was asked about the committee and who would make the final decision if everyone in the room disagreed. He tried to say that Snow would, but eventually he couldn’t bring himself to hide the truth, and said, “In the end, it’s my money, so I would.” He then backpedaled back to saying it would be Snow.
Ultimately, it’s a little surprising that there isn’t even more being made out of the fact that Wang completely and utterly runs the hockey operations of this team.
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cjcb says:
Wang has 2 GO!!! Send him with Gervais, Sim, Weight, and Hunter sell the team to the rich Russian guy or anyone with a boatload of money and a love for Little Beaches, & Traffic!!!
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crazy says:
Chris,
Love your work, and loved the interview, really sparked some interesting points. Was discussing with a buddy about the exact point you made about wang kind of letting gordon off the hook and keeping him around to not be so tough on him, in another possible twist, could it possibly be that Scott went to garth and told him the players were just not buying in or reacting to him, and that he was not able to get to them, and he thought maybe someone else would spark them, and thsu basically quitting (for lack of better term) and staying on to help and because he was still under contract. Just an out of the box thought. Might be giving Scott too much credit, but I was always a fan of his, and still think he is a good coach just dealt a crappy hand.
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JD says:
I used to go to 5-8 games a year when my income was a fraction of what it is now. I now haven’t been to a game in a few years- why? Because I get into a bad mood when the Isles lose and with the on the cheap way this team has been run for years they are more likely to lose rather than win any game. I can not justify blowing $100-$150 a game to put myself in a bad mood. With the fast start I was ready to buy a partial ticket plan. I’m glad I held off. The point is that I am sure that there are thousands of people like me who would support this team if there was a viable product on the ice. Instead, Wang wants to raise prices to the level of a Stanley Cup champion with an AHL talent team at best. It’s just bad business.
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JD says:
Great interview CB. This blog is all us fans have for an unbiased point of view regarding the Islanders. I think I agree with your last point regarding Wang doing Gordon a favor by replacing him but still keeping him around. It seems like anyone who is on Wang’s good side is kept around.
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tj says:
Great interview CB. HNIC Radio is a top notch show, anyone that wants to hear it M-F 3-6pm should subscribe to Sirius. I hope the Isles use this as a wake up call and bring in a hockey mind to run the team. Garth can stay but he needs someone besides Wang directing him.
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Brian G says:
Thanks again Chris, you are the voice of the people
Every Fans needs to blast Wang and Snow and not show up to games
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Mikamakela says:
As Charles Wang screamed to fans when he bought the team…if you don’t like it “sit down and shut up”!!!!!!
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Bob E. says:
only way Snows actions are redeemed is we hire an Legit NHL coach.
Wang would like to think he A Steinbrenner type owner except he doesnt spend the money.
Sad as it seems Isles could be doomed. Next stop is Sale and Relocation. Im depressed.
Ill suppport to the end. im going wed night. -
kk / Taipei says:
I really enjoyed that radio segment on CBC with Marek and Hrudey. They let Botta talk, and that’s what it should be if we’re going to get an expose on what likely went on about the Gordon dismissal. I hadn’t thought about the fact some guys might turn the job down, like Queneville a while back. Truth hurts. I figure Capuano gets the team for a short while and someone else is brought in. I’m not a Hartley fan but I’d give Hitchcock a go. Call me crazy.
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Good interview, but count the annoying “mmhmm’s” in there from one of the studio hosts. Over 300 I think.
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Isles4Ever says:
Great job with all the interviews CB! I listen to HNIC radio all the time it’s great to have someone who represents the Islanders through these bizarre times. No one eles would give a fair and honest reaction to whats going on in islanders country. Thanks.
BTW, if you go on history i would think they hire another AHL coach. But does it even matter with the team being so thin and full of injuries. To me the team genuinely looks like they are putting in the effort. There major shortcomings are their size, talent and experience.
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PotvinRocks says:
We are all Hamilton Tigers!
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Dinerboss says:
#7 JD you don’t have to spend 100 to 150 for a isles game,they sold games this year for 19 and 17 bucks,you can also buy the cheap 30 tickets,and they have tickets on stub hub for like more than half off,even good seats.heck you can even rip of scalpers who sell ticks outside the nvmc.
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Where was Katie Strang to Sugar Coat everything for the Islanders b/c she is never critical of them….CB you are the man and the only one who cares about the fans…thanks again
Enough Feeling Sorry for the Billionaire Wang…he could try to make something happen if he wanted to, but he sits back b/c he knows that he cannot have 100% of the project, he is a baby…it is not feasible in that area…..scale it back and push to get something agreed upon, put the ball in the TOH’s court. Spend Money on a NHL Franchise instead of striping it down in all aspects. He is a Joke of an Owner and I will not support this garbage owner.
I feel bad for people who paid for season tickets….they have to sit through 35 more home games knowing the team is already done and no trades or roster upgrades will be made…
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Jcchamu says:
Anyone who does not want to spend a fortune on tix – My son is part of the Hoackey Academy that the Islanders run. For all the crap we give Wang this is one of the best things the Islanders do. I have vouchers that are $32.50 ea. They guarantee you at least a $65 seat. They have now opened this up for all games except Ranger games.
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Matt Scordato says:
Chris, interviews like this are the ultimate compliment of your work. Just wondering, no disrespect to Katie Strang, but has she ever been contacted to do an interview like this?
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I’m talking about $100 a game for tix, parking, soda, and food for myself and my son. The $19 ticket games offer some relief, but you can’t plan for them in advance. And still, why would I want to spend even $50 to watch my team get whacked? If they had a shot at winning, I would but not when they are playing an AHL skilled team.
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Swan says:
Nice interview CB.
Like two plus years ago, still think Hartley should be the leading choice. But I agree, Snow/Wang likely go AHL.
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Staten Islander says:
Whoever they pick, I hope its someone that can work well with young players
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Rich 55 says:
Great job CB. When will Isles understand that without you there is no Isles buzz good or bad.
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shlo says:
No respectable/good coach in his right mind will accept a job in this organization. Wang/Snow will not allow a free thinking individual near the team.
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4theisles says:
Good job CB!! These last few weeks you have been your independent best in telling it like it is. The bottom line on all of this which lead to the dismissal is obviously Charles Wang. The future of the franchise is in his hands. Just as Gordon’s firing came as a surprise to many, I believe the Goalie situation is going to come to a head soon. Of even greater consequence, the future fo the team in terms of a possible move within or without the NY area will be decided much sooner than the lease end in 2015.
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Thanks for the insights CB. I have to say I woke up today and didn’t feel any different about the game on Wednesday as I did on Sunday. Guess we’ll see what happens next – I really hope “promoting” Gordon wasn’t a sympathy move.
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how long will the fans have to endure jack capuano? or as i like to call him “the second coming of steve stirling”
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mrlbem says:
I can see them asking Doug Weight to be the next head coach. Hopefully, he has some pride and tells them “no.”
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IslesYanks says:
I can’t help but remember back to 2008 when the isles were looking for a new coach and garth spoke with tortorella and a few others. I wonder how different things would be today if Torts took over this team. Other than gaborik, I wouldn’t say the rangers have a lot of skilled players or a more complete team than the isles. Before the season I predicted the rangers to be one of the worst teams in the league, definitely behind isles in the standings. But what do you know? A good coach goes a long way… everything comes from the top down…
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isles71 says:
I urge everyone to call, email, send letters, and protest in the lot and the stadium to get our voices heard. If you can get 1000′s to march to Hofstra for the “Project Which Shall Not Be Named”, lets get rallies together to do the same to show our anger towards Mgmnts decisions on ruining our Islanders. Lets take it to “The Man”!!!!!
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I don’t think Mr Wang is a bad owner he just needs someone with NHL experience to run the team and he focus on the arena situation
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O.Bender says:
It’s so refreshing to know that knowledgeable people on HNIC can appreciate your insight and treat you with respect. Kelly Hrudey is a phenomenal analyst and seems to be a great guy as well. I hope your relationship with these professionals is a lasting one. Good job, Chris.
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CT says:
Good interview, Chris. This team is so hard to root for it’s depressing. The way everything has been mismanaged for so many years has made it hard to believe they will ever improve. There are plenty of fans who want a reason to believe things will get better, but Wang gives us nothing to go on.
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Derek A says:
Nice CB, you would kick arse on a podcast, well done
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Thanks Chris, for all your incredible and professional work, we loyal fans would be lost without you. The management should be kissing your a–, instead of shunning you. Mr. Wang needs to throw the loyal fan base a bone–enough with the silent, everything is rosy treatment. If he can put a winning product on the ice, we will pay whatever he wants for tix, parking, etc, but until then we will watch from home to embarrassed to go out. I thought he was a smart business man? A smart business man is never to smart to learn something new. Your way did not work, Mr. Wang, so can we please run a legitimate hockey team–the kind where the fans and the owner want the same thing, to work together and win! PLEASE?
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j.branny says:
Is Wang really THAT involved in day-to-day decisions? If that is the case, then that explains a lot, it is really too bad and WOW! If so, this team will never go anywhere unfortunately.
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Strummmer's Army says:
I have been a die hard Isles fan since I was 4 years old. If Wang and Snow offered me a job within the organization right now I wouldn’t take it without a ton of gaurantees in my favor because I am unsure any professional can be successful within this organization the way it is currently run. If a die hard like me is leery of this team what would someone without loyalties to the organization think? Much like Joel Q not so long ago he wanted no part of the Wang & Snow show. I am very worried Beavis and Butthead have painted themselves into a corner and much like FA players, coaches and other executives of value will not want to tie themselves to this mess. Gordon (while not perfect) certainly was not the issue. Lack of talent from the Hockey OPs staff to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers was the issue and that can be blamed on Wang being cheap and Snow having a wierd obession with really tiny, soft, and not very talented d-men.
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Cruicky says:
The Isle can get the quality coach they need; they just have to pay him well, and subnit control over the team players to him. This may be asking too much, however, it is what a quality coach would require when his a$$ is on the line.
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rc says:
“interim” is a smokescreen in an attempt to lead us to believe the team will go out and hire a real coach. cappy is the new coach – at least until they fire him in two years for “underachieving” while running a team that is not only using yashin’s salary to reach the floor, but also another guy that is no longer playing, DP!
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CM says:
I echo everyone’s thoughts. Wang and Snow should be listening to the fans. Right now they appear to have no pulse or connection with the fans. The fan support exists on this blog. Without this blog this franchises fan support would almost disappear. Isles management need to start acknowledging the fans here and Chris Botta…whether right or wrong. Still no answers on head scouting, Trotts or Jaffe. Also, we need to know if this club is committed to winning. We are all grown ups tell us the truth. Fans may surprise Wang and Snow with support. Many feel backstabbed in support of the lighthouse project, now we have what appears to be a poorly run management office and a worse team than last year. Just read all the beat reporters columns. It’s not a biased view from the fans or Botta. I’m a frustrated fan of 30 years, ready to give up. The bodies on the ice don’t have to change, but the bodies off ice needs a re-org and money well spent there first.
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Mike from Sarasota says:
@Adam M – The problem is’nt that Wang has’nt found the right person to run the team. It’s that he is not looking becuase he chooses to run things himself.
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Garth Snow is on NHL live today
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As expected, nothing ground-breaking from Snow on NHL Live.
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Jim says:
If the “system” wasn’t working under Gordon wny put in a cOach that will do the same thing? Why can’t we have a coach with NHL experience?
This organization is a disgrace. Charles Wang is no better then Millstern and company. He’s just in it for the real estate. We need a new owner who is concerned with the team and would settle for a new arena instead of the biggest real estate development LI has ever seen.
Mr. Wang please sell this team! If it means moving it fine, then maybe a real owner will bring in a new, better franchise. That would happend faster than any rebuild you are dreaming of.
SELL WANG SELL!
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Madchef says:
great segment, so hartley is not a candidate. Management has so many hands on anything could they possibly take a step back for the right coach. I cant see it. seems like we are destined for another puppet ahl coach. Sad cause I think a good coach could really elevate the team on the ice.
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Brian @ Work in DC says:
SnoWang are horrendous! This is not a rebuild its a divestiture so he can sell at lowest cost in 2015 when the lease runs out. Face it the team will be in Hamilton by 2016.
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Stumpy32 says:
@Mike from Sarasota…
You’ve nailed it. The entire organization won’t be “finding” their great coach or personnel asset in the near future because they’re just not looking. They’re not looking for a variety of reasons, but most prevalent does not have anything to do with finances. I am convinced that all of them still employed w/ the franchise have taken an “us against the world mentality” where “we’ll show all that doubted us” trumps any sense of hockey savvy and smarts. The problem is that its not always a bad idea to have a chip on your shoulder, however, in the Isles case, where no one has any clue or experience on what it takes to build a winning, successful, and classy franchise, then it doesn’t matter if you have a boulder on your shoulder, you’re not going to get results.
Frankly, I do not care that the Isles don’t spend more than the cap floor. I blame Wang for the culture he has fostered, but the results on the ice are primarily the product of Garth Snow. You cannot tell me that all the successful teams of the past decade had high payrolls – Calgary? Tampa? Carolina? Edmonton? All of these teams have been to the finals since 2004. Why haven’t we? Why haven’t we even won a playoff round? We aren’t the only team that spends near the floor. Why then are we getting results worse than all of the other teams that do it? GARTH SNOW.
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Brett says:
I know this is unlikely, but Islander fans showed up in force to support the Lighthouse which now appears dead. Can’t we find some way to organize to show our discontent to management? We obviously have a passionate fanbase, but the team has taken this weird stance to report nothing. We have no media coverage and the one source we have is always shut out. We have no hockey operations department. What other team has a similar set up? We all enjoyed Jaffe for his honesty and now we have to listen to a homer talk about how things are rosey. What can we do to get Mr. wang to understand how tormeted we are? I’m sure he is dissapointed by the Lighthouse outcome, but he has to understand that he is alienating his fanbase with his lack of communciation and product on the ice. We supported him and now he is like my 4 year old sulking in the corner becasue he didn’t get his was. Listen, I know he saved this franchise and am grateful for that but his franchise is the laughing stock of pro sports. How can we get through to him and make him respect what he is putting us through.
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Ant says:
I will not attend another game until we put a better product on the ice,it doesn’t matter who the coach is(although I want a proven one).Time to start dumping players as well and that includes Hunter,Weight,SIM,Gervais.If we could dump Witt the way we did why not do the same with these guys.
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doggyondown says:
We are at the edge of the abyss and only see darkness ahead. Who do we have in the “Mickey Mouse” organization who has the character to keep us out of it!
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Sidd Finch says:
How do you dump players no one else likely wants? Most of these guys would be waiver wire dumps at best, otherwise the Isles would just have to cut them loose under contract, but they still have to replace the body count. Like it or not, I understand Wang’s mentality here. There was a quid pro quo for him to keep the Isles here on Long Island for lack of any other buyers. He has yet to get what he was looking for but is likely to hold out a little longer. There is plenty of blame to go around here and our local government officials are plenty culpable. They could have done something about the Coliseum or its onerous lease years ago but they chose not to. At this point, I am more optimistic about the Willets Point project coming to fruition that the LHP. Just my opinion, but frankly as fans, I don’t think that we have a whole lot of leverage here. Gary Bettman needs to have the balls to intervene here, but isn’t. Frankly, I think this is becoming a first class pissing match between the TOH and Wang. In the end, I hope that TOH gets what it deserves, a casino on federally cooped land!!!
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IslesRock says:
Chris, thanks for the great interview. Although we all know Wang knows zero about hockey, he is still a business man. I hope he still understands that if you put a crap product out, year after year, you will lose your customers. If the fans really want change, this organization needs some tough love. Stay away from all home games. Do not give him your hard earned money for parking, tickets etc. When he sees seven or eight thousand a night, maybe he will wake up. The Mets woke up this year, and made the transition from a daddy and son operation. Mr Wang, we fans will buy into your rebuild if you: Rebuild and invest in your front office, player development and scouting depatments with experienced people with hockey brains. Provide a reasonable budget over the cap, and stay out of all hockey decisions. Lower ticket prices across the board until the team is competitive. This is pretty much what the Mets are doing and what Islander fans want too. It’s not rocket science. We want our team returned back to the respectable organization it once was.
this was awesome. if i could only hear this type of talk every day on my way to work on the fan or espn radio. CB – incredible job…the team is really lucky to have your work and efforts…if not for this i would likely be a goner as a fan. or at least put them in the backseat instead of the front. more accurately the trunk…
it’s late and i’m up still thinking about this team moving forward. incredible. thanks again.