DRAFT DAY "FAN-ICIDE" AT THE COLISEUM

What sounded like gunshots rang out to the left of us last night at the Coliseum. One loud singular 'BANG.' It was just after the announcement that the Islanders had moved from their coveted #5 slot to take Toronto's #7.

One blog boxer quipped "Garth just shot himself." But we knew it was actually one of the fans. Because they were the ones feeling shock and confusion. The Islanders draft table was splashed across the jumbotron for all to see. And there was Garth on the phone, still wheeling and dealing. Charles Wang smiling like a Cheshire cat. Corey Witt standing, waiting for the instructions of which nameplate to pull out of that magic bag of tricks he protected with his life. And who is that sitting next to Garth? Chris Dey. Who by most accounts probably should have been at the Coliseum with the struggling sales staff. Where was our Coach, Ted Nolan? He was seated half way around the table. I don't think he could have heard anything from that place at the table. They must have been using hand signals.

Cliff Fletcher, who had looked nervous, (which is weird considering he looks like they just rolled him out of a coffin) made the motion and the Leafs took Luke Schenn. Again the Islander faithful in attendance who had been chanting names let out a painful moan.

Columbus drew at #6 and everyone sat on the edge of their seat. Nikita Filatov is now a Blue Jacket. Lucky Columbus.

As as the moment of truth drew closer and closer everyone let out one big painful yelp when it was once announced that the Islanders had chosen to move down yet two more places and draw at #9. What the heck was going on here? No one knew. Another loud bang was heard. The media group in our area began to think wonder if we should "duck and cover" as the crowd was getting ugly. No. Seriously... it was ugly. I thought they were going to rush the stage.

Number 8 was announced, but no one could hear over the clamouring of an angry mob of a fan base. Colin Wilson was now a Predator. The Great One took the stage. Mikkel Boedker to Phoenix. We crossed off the names on our yellow sheet. We waited to see what Garth & Company had in store for us. Would he move down again? No. We saw Corey was standing with a jersey in hand. Woo Hoo. He would indeed make his way to the podium.

As if in slow motion as every waited, the moment had arrived. And the moment was... Joshua Bailey. HUH? And then silence over the crowd. No one knew what to do. Then the thought came to them. Leave. And the stands emptied out as vulgarities flew. I was just grateful the vulgarities didn't come with soda bottles.

John Buccigross addressed what was left of the crowd and told them that Joshua Bailey would be on camera for a live interview so to PLEASE give him a warm Islander welcome. He was imploring those who were left. It's not the kid's fault. It's not even the Islanders' staff members' ,who should have been hiding in the locker room, fault.

The fault may lie in our own hope to believe what we hear from the machine. "We'll take the best available player at the time." We heard that for weeks. For all those that read only the headlines from NHL.com, those best available players were available and then gone.

The one pick multiplied into at least 4. But the ones that the fans had pinned their hopes on will all be cultivated by other teams. Now, of course we don't know yet what will come of those first 5, no 6, no EIGHT players that were chosen ahead of little Joshua Bailey. But I'm certain we will always remember the Draft of '08 as the night the fans roared.... in disbelief.

More later. I'm on travel Softball duty today.

Thanks to John Buccigross for graciously letting us interview him in the Zamboni tunnel. Real class act on his part. Failure to plan on ours.

Thanks to Dina for keeping me laughing. Thanks to the Blog Boxers who kept me safe and to Adam Baruch for living through his last official event as an Islander employee without breaking into maniacal laughter.

Later all.