The State of the Isles

This was a week of addressing the fans for the Isles brass. First, Garth Snow addressed two sessions of select season ticket holders before both Thursday and Saturday’s game and then Sunday afternoon, Charles Wang sat down with Howie Rose to discuss “The State of the Islanders.”

Neither had any “big” message to convey, as there really isn’t any news on the most pressing issues facing the franchise. No. But both men wanted to personally address the fan base.


It was a select group of season ticket holders that gathered in the private dining hall on the lower concourse of the coliseum Thursday night before the Isles beat the Penguins for a second time in a row. These are the people Garth Snow cares the most about -- the season ticket holders who put their faith and dollars behind this team year after year.

“Did you check them for weapons?” Snow asked as he entered the room. He didn’t know what to expect but was prepared to answer any and all questions to the best of his ability. And he did. From trades to coaching to ticket prices -- he listened and responded with such candor that I found myself in wondering if the PR director was going to swoop in and shut him down.

These were answers the media have not heard. These answers were for the most loyal of the loyal fans. I quickly switched to my video camera to catch it all. While the word of the night going into the conversation was “frustration” at the way the season had turned out, by the end of the Q&A period it had turned more into “hope.”

I had read on message boards what one of those invited to this exclusive meeting was planning to say and really wondered what it was going to turn into. The message board gripes and calls for Snow’s head were nowhere to be heard in the room. As a matter of fact, I was a little surprised to hear a portion of them compliment him on the job he has done under the circumstances. I waited for the finger pointing and angry discontent. A half hour later, it finally came in the form of anger over ticket prices; an understandable bone of contention considering the economic situation as well as the uncertainty of the Isles situation.

However, it really wasn’t Garth’s area of expertise. He had to ask the sales team if they had gone up and asked if they went up last year too. For the 2011-2012 season, the Isles had realigned prices and some went up and some went down. Just as everything else has gone up, and the cost of doing any sort of business has risen, the Isles new pricing has also seen an increase. So has most of the league. (This is something I’ll work on exploring while my Nashville blogger buddies are working on articles about playoffs. Thanks.)

Without details Garth answered as best he could with a car analogy. You may want to drive a Lamborghini but if it doesn’t work for you, you may have to drive something else. But for some of the STHs, the question isn’t about affording the tickets, it’s about WHY they should continue to invest in the team. Garth’s answer to that made the most sense.

“Do you love hockey? Do you like the entertainment? Do you love watching John Tavares grow?” I don’t think anyone in that room could have answered ’No’.

Yes, we know there are still issues at hand: the building, the payroll and where they will be after 2015. But none of those issues had answers that night or three days later when Charles Wang addressed the fan base.

What isn’t really an issue is the amount of talent on this team that continues to grow and develop into a future contender. No one can say how long it will take before this team is deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs. No one can tell us where they will even be playing when that happens. But the goal is to get there. We can either go along for the ride or opt out.

After I left the meeting I had discussions with a few of the STHs on the concourse. They gave me many items to discuss after there isn’t any Islander hockey to talk about such as the radio deal, the abolishment of the Business Club and the lack of STH perks. I’ll look into those things, I promise.

As I hurried up to the press box before the game, I rode the elevator with Mike Bossy, a few suite holders and a sales man. The Suite holder announced he had just signed up again for next season and was excited about it. That made Bossy5050 look up from his iPhone and smile.

I guess he thought “he gets it.”


On Sunday afternoon, Howie Rose and Charles Wang began his version of the “State of the Isles” with;

“I want to thank the fans for their support. I know hits been a year of ups and downs. We have a young team. They are moving in the right direction. It’s an exiting team though and I’m already looking forward to next season.”

Plans for the 2012-2013 season have been moving swiftly along highlighted by the first professional sports game scheduled to be played at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn against the Devils. Tickets are already on sale for what Charles called historic.

Of course that move (should it take place if the season starts on time due to the impending CBA negotiations hanging over our heads) conjures the question “Should the Isles just move to Brooklyn.” Howie pressed the issue asking if Ratner had asked about a “partnership” and whether the Isles could legally play there even BEFORE the lease expired.

“If there was an interest to do that, we have to deal with the county that says we have to play all our home games here and what about all our season ticket holders? “ He admitted being “jealous” of the facility.

But, there were no answers to where the team would be after the lease expires. “You know everyone knows how disappointed and frustrated I am with the whole process, all the political stuff. We have no definite answer but we are committed and trying our best. We want to be and should be in the NY area. We just don’t know.”

Regarding the political football the Islanders have become, while Charles said he believes the politicians “… trying to do what they believe is best for LI….” they should still be held accountable for their decisions and inaction.

On his reluctance to discuss the situation, Mr. Wang rightly expressed his reluctance to discuss anything with the press when there is really no information to convey. However, “We believe we will be in the NY area and continue to work towards that.”

The Islanders have been criticized about their payroll situation and Howie knew this is the man who sets the budget. He asked if the Islanders anticipated staying at the NHL cap floor. (Bold move Mr. Rose. Bold move.)

“When you improve the team, it isn’t spending only money. It’s bringing in the right talent. We’re committed to building from within. Some of the kids are now our veterans today. You see them stepping into their own more and more.”

And actually the painfully slow rebuild through the draft and development is actually a proven NHL model. Many of the players understand the direction and are on board with it as noted by the contract lengths they agree to when they’re not even sure where the team will be.

As owner and chief salesman he admitted that every year you want to expect to win the Stanley Cup. That is every team’s goal . “When the season starts, we’re all perfect. We’re at 0-0.”

I cannot believe that Howie Rose actually thought he’d get a 100% honest answer on the return of both GM & coach. There isn’t an owner in the NHL that would willingly throw their GM or Coach under a bus before making a formal announcement. (Brian Burke continued to tout his faith in Ron Wilson up until the day he fired him.)

“I think they’ve done a very good job. I have complete confidence in them.” Today.

Does Peter Schmitt think We’re ALL Islanders?

I would like to preface what you are about to read with a disclosure. Forgive me as I have never had to do this before. The story I am about to relay is not one that I can verify actually happened exactly as it was recounted to me. I have never met the person who told me this story. I cannot prove it in any way and the person did not record the conversation. Additionally, the only possible witness to the encounter is the reader’s 13-year-old child. That being said, I felt it was still something that is worth repeating for a reason of my own:


Does the Nassau Legislature believe We’re all Islanders or not?


Here is what one of my readers, an Islander fan, sent me:

“I called Peter Schmitt, Nassau County legislator, the day after the vote. I Googled his name to get the number and came across a website with his picture and a phone number starting with 795. (Yep, pretty easy. Here it is. http://www.peterjschmitt.com/PJScommunitypage01.html) Apparently, unknown to me at the time, this was his home number. Be that at it may, if you don't want phone calls to your home, don't put your home number on the internet!


In any event, I called, verified that it was Peter Schmitt the legislator, and I asked him how he felt about the vote and also if he felt partially responsible if the Islanders move since he was not in favor of the referendum.


Apparently that was enough to hit a nerve. His response was, (yelling mind you) "You live in Suffolk county (apparently he can read the caller ID). Your taxes aren't going up. Who the hell are you to call me? Why don't you go f**k yourself" and hung up.


Well, I called him back, I will admit, I was quite annoyed, asking him who the hell he thought he was, and that he was simply a little county legislator, quite insignificant and a perfect example of why people have no respect for those in his profession. Well, he again hung up on me, but called me back long enough to say "eat shit and die.".

Okay, obviously BOTH gentlemen were wrong and it should not have escalated to where it did.


First of all, any person who decides to go into politics should know that they will have to deal with irate voters and they should handle themselves as a professional public figure. I have seen Peter Schmitt in action. It is my personal belief, that while I cannot verify the testimony of my reader, this exchange happened.


But why? Suffice it to say it’s bad enough Mr. Schmitt may not be adept at handling unsolicited phone calls, but to then CALL BACK just to have the last word is inexcusable.


Are the Nassau Politicians so short-sighted that they do not understand that the referendum and the ability to maintain the Nassau Coliseum as well as our only major league sports team affects ALL OF LONG ISLAND.


Are residents of Suffolk County not supposed to care? This was not a vote for an additional garbage pick-up in East Meadow -- or Massapequa where Mr. Schmitt is from. This was a vote that affects every single one of us in both Nassau and Suffolk.


Was the caller supposed to be cursed at because his taxes weren’t going to go up had the vote passed? Were the voters of Suffolk county ever ASKED if we wanted to pitch in? Would that $58 a year number have been reduced to -- oh I don’t know -- $6 a year if we had been?


So now Nassau county may not have to worry about Suffolk voters calling Nassau politicians about keeping the New York Islanders. Suffolk county would be more than happy to take your problem.


Yes, by all means -- give us the business man with a vision for the future that you have strung along for ten years! Please!!! By all means, let him design and develop a world class sports and mixed use destination in my back yard. I will be HAPPY to pay an extra $58 a year to help fund it.


Many of you will say that Suffolk County is a losing proposition for the team. However, I’d like to explain to you why I don’t believe it is -- with yet another disclaimer.


First of all, Brooklyn is a wonderful borough in a renaissance period. But while they will have a new facility, it will be smaller than the one we currently have and even with mass transportation available, game time travel will be dense and difficult.


Queens does sound perfect and while Brooklyn would be 28 miles to the West of the current Islanders location, Queens would only be about 20 miles. There is no arena there yet and one could be constructed to spec and additional revenue streams could be developed with other construction. Bonus!


While both those options have huge benefits, neither one is really “Long Island” in the truest sense of the word. However, Suffolk county is. We are no longer “the sticks” and as a matter of fact, Suffolk boasts 100,000 more residents than Nassau. (Suffolk 1,493,350 to Nassau’s 1,339,532). We’re bigger too. Nassau county is only 453 square miles with 287 sq miles land and 166 water. Suffolk on the other hand is the largest county in the State of NY with 2,373 square miles with 912 sq. miles of land and 1,461 of water.


So all you people who say Suffolk is not viable -- suck it. You know what all that extra land offers? MORE POSSIBILITIES FOR GROWTH!


And here is the possibility I am thinking of -- Gerry Wolkoff’s Heartland project in Brentwood. It’s a match made in developer heaven. Wolkoff’s idea of a $4 billion Heartland project of mixed use development would certainly be a perfect setting for an entertainment arena.


I understand that the Wolkoff’s have been trying to get approvals for this property for the last ten years, but with the proximity to major highways, a railroad and an airport, I think it’s a perfect fit. Again, it is only 23 miles east of where the Islanders currently sit and those 23 miles EAST will take half the time to travel as the 19 miles WEST would take.


Nassau county has jerked Charles Wang around for years. Perhaps now is the time for Suffolk county to prove to New York State and the rest of the USA that things CAN be built on Long Island. We CAN have smart growth. We CAN have financial viability that will take us into the future.


We CAN keep the Islanders on Long Island because whether Nassau or Suffolk voters and taxpayers --

WE ARE ALL ISLANDERS MR. SCHMITT.

Isles Rally & Rock The Referendum Contest

Here's a really cool idea to help get the voters out to the polls. Joe Conte (every bloggers friend) an associate of Gotham Government Relations & Communications and four highly prominent bloggers have teamed up to offer YOU, the fans with Nassau County voters in your grasp, a contest. You get voters to vote, you're in the running for a very cool grand prize. No, like a REALLY cool prize.

Ever watched a game in a luxury suite? Right. Check it out here and enter quickly. Deadline for entry is 6 pm on Friday!

Okay, onto the Isles Vote YES! Rally and the free Blue Oyster Cult concert. They.Still.Rock!

From Bellmorepatch.com


There were a lot of comments about the turn out for today's rally. Yes, it was union laden. They are the ones that will drive this vote. They are the ones that stand to gain in a monetary fashion. But the most devoted of fans were there and there were some people arriving later from work in their suits and ties braving the heat.

Yes, the timing could have been better, but it is what it is and we are running out of time. The restaurant supporters were there in full force along with the unions. You guys missed the Hooters girls.

The crowd was very supportive of Charles Wang and Garth Snow when the spoke but John Durso, President of the Long Island Federation of Labor, received the loudest cheers (and used most expletives).

Inside the box office area, the media was offered time to talk to all the speakers. It was informal. VERY informal. In other words it was a free-for-all that required a much better recorder than I own. (Putting that on my birthday wish list.)

I find it intersting that Charles Wang looks almost energized by all the buzz. You would think he would be dog tired of having to repeat himself over and over again, yet he spoke calmly and clearly for every camera and reporter with a microphone. This has been going on for months and will continue until Monday at 9 pm when the polls close.

Speaking of polls, I asked Mr. Mangano what he thought about the idea that many voters not knowing where they should vote. He told me that the voter registration cards have been put in the mail and he has already received his. Post cards will help with those who don't know where to vote, however, it won't help with those that refuse to register to vote because they are afraid they will be called for Jury Duty. (You weenies! BUCK UP!) Fellow Blog Boxer Michael Hirschbein did an indepth interview with Mr. Mangano, so we'll be looking for that one.

I also spoke with Michael Picker to get a better understanding of the $14 million a year minimum payment the Islanders would be making to the county. The 11.5% of revenue is all revenue except the TV deal and any NHL funds that may (ha ha) at some point come their way. I was surprised to find out that meant the merchandise also. (Do the Nassau Dems know how much STUFF we Isles fans BUY???)

Katie Strang spent much of her time concentrating on the hockey end of things. I'd like to thank her. Someone has to keep their eye on hockey and with the likes of Rick DiPietro, Matt Moulson and Ty Wishart there today, hockey was to be discussed. (It seems Ms. Strang broached the "Yashin" return subject. I'm glad I didn't hear it.)

I recognized some familiar faces in the crowd. Eden Laikin, ex-Newsday reporter now County of Nassau employee was there as was Nick Giglia wearng his "More Cowbell" shirt. Chris Botta was even there with an SNY.tv cameraman doing interviews with attendees.

I stuck to the task at hand: The Vote on 8/1. Here is an incredibly crappy video that I shot in the parking lot right before I left. I suggest you look away and just listen. Since I didn't think I would post it, the lense was mostly pointed at the pavement. But then again -- that seemed fitting if the vote doesn't pass.

The Vote YES! Campaign Takes to the Air

What I do know is the politics around the Isles arena deal are heating up during these last few days. The Isles ads are hitting the radio waves and news print. Charles Wang did a 30 minute interview with FiOS One tonight and was on WPIX at 7:10 am. (I turned it on at 7:14 am and he was already closing his segment. I'm hoping the interview ends up on line.) Charles Wang and his staunchest opponent will be on WFAN with Boomer & Carton, separately of course.

On Tuesday, July 26th listen to the Mike Francesa show starting at 1 p.m. to hear Wang in-studio. Then on Friday, July 29, Boomer and Carton will host Wang at 8 a.m..

Fans and supporters can call the station at 877-337-6666 during either show.

For the journalistic take on this situation, Newsday's Randi Marshall will be hosting a live chat at Noon on Wednesday. I am not sure if she, like her co-worker Jim Baumbach, doesn't feel that Charles Wang is really at the end of his rope and that his threats to move the team after the 2015 lease expires are "empty" and just a scare tactic. I took that as Baumbach chanting "Liar, Liar, pants on fire."

But if anyone says they haven't had their questions answered just haven't looked in the right place.

Ty Wishart at the Team Store tonight and Matt Moulson at the rally and the Isles Meet-Up on August 3rd at Anthony's Wood Fired Pizza.

I'm voting for the pizza -- only because I can't Vote Yes in Nassau. But here's hoping YOU DO!

Too much Islander News for One Day

Who said a Wednesday in late June would be boring when it comes to Hockey? Ugh.
There was an 11 am Ed Mangano/Charles Wang press conference at the Coliseum that I couldn’t attend. However, because Twitter is my friend, I was kept in the loop by @BellmorePatch and @NYISlanders and their live blog.

Also at 11 am, Newsday’s Art Staple hosted an Islanders Live Chat while Ms. Katie Strang was busy with NHL Draft travels and duties. Then (of course) there are the NHL Awards tonight at 7 pm from Las Vegas and there is also a live blog by @SkatesOnAPlane writer Jesse D Eisenberg who has the pleasure of accompanying @Grabs40 to the Awards show.

Continued at Hockeybuzz.com here.

This time It's Different -- but the Politics are the Same

The rally was scheduled for 8:30 am in Mineola. I knew that Long Island traffic and the distance I live were both against my being on time. I hit the road at 7:10 am sans make-up and not exactly sure what the hell I was wearing since I dressed in the dark. (That seemed to be common among the other women who attended this morning.)

As expected, I was stuck in traffic on just about every highway. I turned the corner from Old Country Road to Franklin Avenue at 8:28 am and was happy to see the steps to the building were packed with sign carrying supporters. I parked in what felt like Garden City and ran through parking lots (in heels mind you) to get to the steps. There were others making their way to the rally. Union men wearing their Local’s numbers on their hats laughed at me as I trotted by them.

I didn’t need to run. The speeches didn’t start until after 9 am.

Brian Rosenberg has a second career as a politician should his
restaurant/nightclub Sugar in Carle Place have to close should we lose the Islanders. He is trying desperately to impress on people of this county how important the team and that building are to so many people whose livelihood depends on the traffic the Coliseum and all it is brings to the area. The Unions and the Restaurant Association are hoping that their pleas are not falling on deaf ears inside the legislature.

But they may be.

The signs read “Do What’s Right For Long Island!” and “Local Jobs for Local People.” Concise sentiments. But while union workers and fans stood together on the steps, Long Islanders may have been reading an op-ed piece in Newsday by a NIFA director with their morning coffee.

How typical of Nassau County. Nothing gets done easily and sometimes not at all. However, while this opinion piece talked about stadiums not garnering their estimated returns, I don’t believe I saw in his piece anything about the fact that this particular arena HAS ALREADY BEEN IN PLACE FOR A FEW DECADES!!

The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum has been generating revenue and jobs for the County for years. While the construction will be new, the estimated revenue and income has strong roots in past performance. I take particular disagreement with his stance that “Most spending by families at local stadiums is merely the reallocation of entertainment dollars, not additional expenditures.” Hey, Mr. Marlin, without a Coliseum in place that ’reallocation’ of dollars is heading straight out of the county -- along with the jobs.

So after all the speeches by the County Executive, Brian Rosenberg, Frank Borrelli, Charles Wang, Garth Snow, Butch Goring and other community representatives, the doors to the legislature were opened and people filed in. There -- as he has done for 15 years -- Charles Wang waited, and waited. All the other items that needed to be discussed by the Legislature were brought forth FIRST. Same as it had been so many times at the Town of Hempstead meetings.

When the arena item was FINALLY brought to the floor, Newsday’s Randi Marshall Tweeted out “ to start Hub hearing for #Isles new arena. I'm watching on Leg stream.... Waiting for Rob Walker now.” It took so long, even the MSM couldn’t stick around.

Mangano made his presentation and for all the efforts of everyone involved, the vote just on whether or not there can be a vote (not even on the referendum money) now has to wait until next Tuesday, on May 31st at 1 pm. Supposedly there is a by-law that says something like that has to be on the floor for seven days - blah, blah, blah.

Did that little fact not come up before? Procrastination: They name is Nassau County.

So okay then! There are seven days for those who will vote on whether the general public can vote on the referendum to think about it. Why don’t you help them. Let them know what YOU think about it.

Here is the link of those you can contact who should be voting.

According to Ms. Marshall‘s Tweet, "Failure's not an option. Something needs to get done." - Vision LI's Eric Alexander. So far Nassau County doesn’t have a very good track record.

Stability in the Roster - Pt. 2

Stability, or the impression there may be some is basically what yesterday means to the NY Islanders as an NHL franchise. According to Michael Picker, while the Islanders conversations with County Executive Ed Mangano regarding this plan had been going on for months, they “heated up in the last 8 days.”

the County and the organization were just sick and tired of having to answer the question “So what about that new arena?” with “There‘s nothing new to say” that prompted the hasty presser. At least now there is something to say. While the conversations with County Executive Ed Mangano had been going on for months, they “heated up in the last 8 days.” It seems the only ones Mr. Mangano didn’t speak to were the Nassau Interim Finance Authority. Details, details.

With the NHL itself reiterating Charles Wang’s stance that the New York Islanders will not play in the current Coliseum one minute more than they are required to, while Mr. Wang refused to say this was the last hope the Islanders have of staying on the Island, it probably is. When asked what would happen if Mangano’s plan was not approved by NIFA or the residents of Nassau County, he said he didn’t want to think about it, but of course there is a plan B. There is always a plan B. But yesterday’s message was “I’m very confident and optimistic.”

Perhaps Mr. Wang is optimistic about the team because without the 20 game slide, “from December 16th to the end of the season, in our conference, I think we had the second best record. Which says something about what we’ve been building.” Newsday’s Katie Strang asked Mr. Wang if his commitment to the team has changed in any way. That took him aback. “I’ve never wavered in my commitment. I’m not quite sure of the question. Have I changed my commitment? I don’t know, can I have MORE commitment?”

Hardly. Could there be more of a commitment than losing millions yearly just to keep the team on Long Island. “My first priority, and I’ve said this from day one (and about five times yesterday morning); let’s get a new arena and let’s keep the Islanders here.” He continued, “This is all about a great major league professional sports team right here in our home.”

From the Hockey standpoint, two of the hockey world’s most productive outcasts who have found a home on the Islanders were there to lend their support. Matt Moulson and Michael Grabner (the only one who didn’t get the dark suit memo). Also on hand were Mike Motteau and Mark Eaton (who have seen more rehab facilities than Long Island landmarks) and Andy MacDonald. However, to make up for that, Nassau County resident Rick DiPietro was also in attendance. Rick was happy to address the media.

While he is “extremely excited” he knows there are still a lot of things that need to be approved before the team can even dream of skating in a state-of-the-art building. “I’m excited for everyone involved. I know the people of Long Island deserve it. I know Charles definitely deserves it.”

“Our job is to come here and win hockey games and win a Stanley Cup. That’s what we’re trying to do. This building will help us on that path.” But while Rick is excited about a new arena, he is equally excited about the possibility of having a minor league ball park a stone’s throw away from his office. He doesn’t hide his love of baseball. He’ll be there.

For the 180th time, Garth Snow was asked what the possibility of a new arena would do for his efforts in attracting free agents. He reiterated that players have turned down significantly higher contracts from the Islanders in order to go elsewhere and felt part of the issue was the instability with the arena decision. “

“As a player, the one thing you’re always concerned about is where am I going to be a year from or two years from now. That’s why today is such a special day for not only our organization, but for Nassau County and our fans.” When asked if he can use it to sell a player on the team, he said “I think it eliminates doubt in a players mind.” Agents ask about the arena situation, at least now there is something new to say.

However, maybe the free-agent situation won’t be so difficult this season. “We’ve obviously gone through the toughest part of our rebuild. We feel we have a young nucleus in that locker room that can win hockey games. I don’t foresee too many drastic changes to our team.” I’m pretty sure the team likes hearing that. However, 2010’s 1st round draft pick Nino Niederreiter will still have to work hard in camp to make the roster

or his only option will be Portland. “That’s the great part of our group. We’ve got a strong crop of talented players that are going to grow together and we think they made significant strides last year as a team.”

It will be amazing to see what this young group does when the other players under contract are finally healthy. You hear me Mark Streit, Mike Motteau and Mark Eaton?

The off-season Islanders appearances will start off with Michael Grabner this Saturday at noon at the Islanders team store in Massapequa. According to Twitter , baby Gremlin may even make an appearance! But get there early! It’s only from Noon to 1 pm and the line fills up fast.

Commitment to Long Island and the Islanders

When you see the Channel 7 Eyewitness News van, you know it’s big. It was. And as usual, I was late and had to park further than I wanted to knowing I’d be running in heels. I made it with about a minute to spare before the dignitaries took the stage. I’d like to thank my good friend, Brad Kurtzberg from InsideHockey.com for once again getting there early enough to save me a seat in the second row.

The floor of the Coliseum where the ice usually sits was set up again as it was for those Town Hall meetings we attended what seems like a life-time ago. But this time, the folding chairs were filled with politicians in suits on one side and the media throng on the other. In the stands were the Union workers who have attended every one of these meetings since Charles Wang presented the Lighthouse project to the public. The Union message is clear -- and loud. JOBS: NOW and their reprise of what they chanted for two years, “Build it NOW!”

Rob Walker introduced Ed Mangano with a rousing and spirited introduction and then Ed Mangano took the podium. I was a little surprised that Charles Wang received not only hardy applause but also a standing ovation from the floor. I was NOT surprised that Kate Murray received a spattering of Boos. For over a year, Kate Murray was the enemy of Islanders and their fans. Yesterday she stood on the podium saying “Hey! I’m not a Rangers fan.”

I will have to try to put my contempt in my back pocket during this process as it seems that Kate has finally found a proposal for the Coliseum property that she will endorse. (It will not be easy to do so, but I will try.)

While the press conference was live web streamed, it is also now available on their main website. Watch it so that you do not just take the excerpts from written reports. You’ll also be able to see how Murray relates to Mr. Wang and the change in her body language.

The Islanders new season campaign stressed “commitment.” Mr. Wang explained the concept. “This simple word is enormously strong in so many ways. Our organization has been intentionally quiet in our approach to obtaining our goal. But our commitment to Long Island has never wavered. Long Island is our home and the New York Islanders is our team.”

After that announcement, he shared a jovial moment with Ms. Murray who seemed very supportive. She is so supportive that Mr. Mangano actually introduced her as “our partner to make sure that this vision comes to fruition.”

Murray thanked the County Executive and Mr. Wang for “putting forth an agenda that gives Nassau County residents a voice in the future of the Nassau County Veterans Memorial Coliseum.” That name was stressed as it is a sticky point with the Veteran’s organization who had representatives present yesterday.

She continued to say how eager; “Very, very eager to work with the County Executive and Mr. Wang, the Islanders, Senators Dean Skellos and Jack Martins and all our residents to revitalize our communities, create jobs and to stimulate our local economy.”

I’m not quite sure where they were when the Lighthouse project presented all those options as well. But, no looking in the rear view mirror. This is where we are.

Murray told Randi Marshall from Newsday that through the Town’s exhaustive environmental review process they feel they have come up with a flexible zone for the property plan that is “absolutely compatible with the goals and desires of the Sterling Business Advisory council...” Remember that name. You’ll probably hear it a lot. And the fact that the Town feels their new “zone” is “flexible” for the 77 acres that surround the Coliseum and “the hub” indicates wiggle room. (Crossing my fingers.)

During the post-announcement media scrum, Mr. Mangano mentioned that now is the best time to borrow money as the interest rates are at their lowest and competition among builders is at its greatest. “So you get the best value for the taxpayer NOW." The other choice is an empty building with no tax revenue stream for the County or the Town. No brainer here!

“We’re ASKING the people of Nassau County, ‘Do you want to invest?’ Obviously there will be debt service paid until the arena is open.” he said as he was surrounded by cameras and microphones.

AH HA! And that’s probably where NIFA has their problem that caused them to announce "Not So Fast!" before any of us even left the Coliseum yesterday. But that would be short sighted of them to not see the bigger picture that the debt would be paid in the long run by the operators of the venues which would also be paying taxes and generating jobs.

What we need to do now is basically “Promote The Vote.” Can NIFA object if it seems that the bulk of the Nassau County residents are willing to approve this idea? Mr. Mangano is hoping that the media does its job by not just reporting what happened yesterday, but also educating the residents and getting the message out about this first vote on August 1st, which will give the County the ability to enter into the transaction, and then a second vote to ask residents if they want to proceed with the transaction. (Watch the video. It may make more sense.)

So this is a multi-step process, but every journey starts with a single step. Yesterday Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead put their walking shoes on.


Next Up “On the Hockey Front” and the impact yesterday will have on the Islanders as an NHL franchise.

Lighthouse Tournament Growing The Game

After a really good, fast skating game, it was Team Finland that beat Team Japan on the final day of Charles Wang's Project Hope Lighthouse Tournament for pee-wee hockey players from near and far.

These kids worked hard and had to win five games each in order to compete in the final. They were really both winners and all would go home with hardware and a lifetime of memories of their time here on the Island and the Coliseum ice.

Perhaps skating on NHL ice isn't THAT big a deal for the teams from Nassau and Suffolk counties. After all, the Coliseum is in their back yard. But for those 9 - 12-year-olds that came from China, Japan and Finland, it is the thrill of a lifetime. For many parents watching their children skate here, it is almost as big a thrill. Just ask Doug Weight who watched his son Danny skate in the tournament along with Charles Wang's son who scored a goal for his team.

This is the fourth year of this International event that not only is growing the game, but better cultural understanding.

On Sunday afternoon, hours before the Islanders would face the Buffalo Sabres and the Jets would face the Steelers, Charles Wang held a post tournament press conference in the Islanders media room. It seemed to be more like two separate press conferences as the local MSM was trying to pry information out of Wang on the state of the Lighthouse DEVELOPMENT project instead of the tournament as well as the Mexican standoff with Russian goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.



What Mr. Wang DID say was the yearly event is "all about the kids." Some of which have returned from previous years. Mr. Wang started this initiative to help build the sport of hockey in China where it was being played in a small area of -- 124,000,000 people. "That's four times the size of Canada." he chuckled. The initiative is working, there are now six times the number of players enrolled in the sport than four years ago.


So is he looking to one day have young men from China in the NHL draft? "We will find the Yao Ming of hockey yet, won't we." He says it every year and every year it breaks up the room. But the truth is, it is inevitable as explained by Chris Brown, who is interviewed below.

"Garth is saying 'Boy, these kids look good.' He's doing a lot of scouting." That also broke up the room. The truth is, Charles Wang enjoys being able to bring kids from all various parts of the world together in the sport of hockey not just to grow the sport, but to also grow character in these young players and give them life experience they wouldn't normally have.

There were eight teams participating this year, there may be more next year as more clubs from other countries become interested in the opportunity.

"Don't forget, last year, we sent kids over to China too for a Lighthouse Tournament that was played in China. And it opens their eyes to a world that's much bigger." And yet so small as the kids inevitably find out how similar they all are.

And that is the real lesson at hand. The team work, the competition, the learning experience at the 'grass roots' level on Sunday was far more important in the long run for a group of young athletes than the petulant disposition of a pampered 35-year-old goalie.


In order to have a better understanding of the Lighthouse Tournament, a decided to ask someone with first hand knowledge of it. Someone I had become familiar with through the power of Twitter. Chris Brown was a Chinese interpreter at last year's tournament.

I asked Chris what he thought the biggest bonus for the kids was from the experience?

"The kids from the Chinese teams come from a medium size town, Qiqihar, and one of the biggest city in China's Northeast, Harbin. Both are in the most northern province, Heilongjiang. This part of the country is more remote than many coastal parts of China so the biggest bonus of this experience was giving the kids exposure to foreign teams, coaches, programs, most of all, the Islanders organization. Hockey is still not a major sport in China so for this exposure is huge. The Lighthouse Tournament lets these Chinese kids know that they are part of an international community of hockey lovers."

Chris told me how enthusiastic the kids are, not just to compete, but to soak up the experience. "Interpreting for these kids was so much fun because they enjoyed everything. They appreciated everything. I can't tell you how big of a deal it is for them to see an NHL game. I used to live in a northern Chinese city, Jilin, and I would watch hockey. Hockey in China is on a much, much smaller scale. I watched the Jilin team play a Russian team and it was like two small college teams playing. I just say this to stress how cool it is for these kids to be watching the NHL."


Chris Brown not only agrees with Charles Wang about future NHLers arriving from China, he looks forward to it. "I lived in China when no one had heard of the NBA. The watershed moment was Yao Ming going to Houston. After that, the NBA became popular in China overnight. I talked to the kids about playing in the NHL and many are dreaming of that possibility. Some of these kids had real talent and I honestly think I was watching the future hockey Yao Ming. I don't know if hockey would take off in south China but I have no doubt that it could be huge in North China. When I lived in the northern city, Jilin, everyone ice skated during the winter. All it will take is a Chinese NHL star to be the catalyst."

I asked Chris if growing the sport is best served by government or private investors. "I think it is up to individuals like Charles Wang. Local governments in northern cities like Qigihar, Harbin, Jilin want to promote hockey but I don't think they have the resources. I have been waiting for hockey to get popular in China for years. I think Charles Wang has accomplished far, far more than a Chinese government entity could. I think NHL owners or organizations reaching out to China is the way for the sport to become more popular in China. As I said earlier, my biggest hope is for a hockey Yao Ming to emerge. Then it would be in the NHL's self interest to promote hockey."

I think every year, we get a little closer to that dream.

Newsday: The Big Chill? Old News Served Cold

How can a main stream media outlet (Newsday), owned by the same conglomerate that owns a rival team in the same marketplace, be fair and unbiased? This is the same conglomerate that relegates the broadcasts of this rival team’s games to lower-tier, non-HD stations and refuses to offer the HD signal to other providers such as Fios and Direct-TV. The Islanders fans are being held hostage by the Cablevision Corporation and perpetually fed the same dismal message: “the Mighty have fallen.” Old news was again rehashed today and was featured on the cover of the Sunday paper with the tag line “Only In Newsday.” They forgot the “again.”

The 1,680 word article written by Jim Baumbach, Newsday’s former Yankee’s beat writer and Randi F. Marshall, Newsday reporter who covers much of the local politics includes a two-page spread graphic depicting average game attendance figures prominently on the Newsday’s inside cover and page 2; real estate usually reserved for top stories of crime and politics. (Wait, in Nassau County, what has happened to the Islanders DOES fall under both, Okay.)

I agree, the attendance figures are bleak, but are they somewhat misleading or incomplete? So far this season the NY Islanders average attendance is 9,843 in an arena that holds over 16,000. Next to that figure is the NY Rangers attendance average for the same period at 18,028 and the League wide average of 16,844. Yes, there is a drastic disparity between the Isles and the Rangers. However, does the article indicate that the Rangers are not at the top of the league figures? No, they are 14th, middle of the pack of 30. (Actually, intelligently, the NY Rangers are not mentioned in the context of the article, only the 38 point type graphic.)

How about the other tri-state area rival, the NJ Devils, whose broadcasts are also carried on Cablevision owned MSG Networks? Why aren’t they mentioned in the graphic? The NJ Devils play in a new, state-of-the-art arena only a train ride away from our own marketplace. Their attendance record average is 14,204 placing them 26th in the league of 30.

Nowhere is the state of the local economy (which is pitiful) identified as a possible effect on the attendance. In November 2010 the unemployment rate in Nassau was 7% and in Suffolk it was 7.4%. Taxes, gas prices, holiday spending are all economic factors which play a part in attendance figures at entertainment venues. None of these are mentioned in the article.

Personally, I also have a problem with Baumbach and Marshall’s explanation of the Islanders radio deal with Hofstra University. Key information is left out of the article. Most glaringly is that veteran and respected radio broadcast play-by-play announcer, Chris King, runs those broadcasts with the students. Also missing is the information regarding the strength of the Hofstra radio signal in the Islanders home area and the quality of the production as compared to the previous radio deal. As Chris King has said to me on numerous occasions, “The only ones who complain about the broadcast are those who haven’t listened to it.”

The Hofstra Radio broadcasts are web-streamed on both the Hofstra website (all games) as well as satellite radio’s NHL Home Ice (Islander home games). The league seems to have no problem with the broadcasts. Neither does anyone who has actually listened to them.

The article rehashes the troubles with Nassau County politics and the stalemate on the Lighthouse Project which would have guaranteed the NY Islanders presence on Long Island for decades to come. Newsday covered the topic ad nauseam during the time of public hearings and rallies. Occasionally, they got much of it wrong and were perpetually called out by bloggers who took pride in providing accuracy. Something the reporter assigned to the topic (who now works for a local political organization) didn’t seem to.

The recent Town of Hempstead Supervisor election sealed the fate of the project when Kate Murray easily beat the pregnant candidate the Democratic party positioned against her. The County Executive election threw a wrench in Lighthouse gears as well when Republican Ed Mangano replaced Lighthouse pro-ponent Tom Suozzi. While the town Supervisor and County Executive are now both in the same party, they are worlds apart in their views of how to fix the ailing Nassau economy.

Yes, this does leave the fate of the once proud hockey team in limbo when the lease with the cash-strapped county runs out in 2015. The article did bolstered the argument that top NHL talent chooses not to sign with the club due to the lease situation and viability of the current arena. Although some fans who read the article didn’t think Paul Martin was the BEST example to use. But let’s go back to the attendance woes, shall we?

If Newsday wants to discuss the lower attendance at the Coliseum, they should own up and take some responsibility for it. As an XM subscriber, I was listening to a radio show one day in December as I was driving home. One of my favorite veteran hockey writers, Adam Proteau from The Hockey News, was doing his weekly show. He said something that was so profound to me that I had to pull over to record it before it flew out of my head. I barked into my digital recorder trying to remember verbatim what I had heard, “According to Adam Proteau, one of the functions the media serves is helping the team sell tickets.” WHAT’S THAT YOU SAY?? Please read it again to yourself.

Every season, while the Islanders spend the bulk of their advertising budget feeding the Cablevision machine, has Newsday ever “helped” them sell tickets? In this fan’s estimation, they have done nothing but help keep fans away.

Certainly they must report the quality of on-ice play and the harsh reality of wins and losses. But the perpetual harping on attendance and other non-ice-related topics gives fans the impression they should not WANT to attend Islander games. No, they will watch on TV and give MSG Plus-Plus higher ratings. Actually, I do believe the last reports for ratings had Cablevision owned broadcast stations MSG Plus and MSG Plus Plus having their highest viewer numbers ever -- for Islander games. The increase was in the double digit range.

Cablevision uses those ratings statistics to bolster their carriage fees to other signal providers such as Fios and Direct TV. See where I’m going with this? But there is more. Perhaps another underlying reason for this article to appear now on the cover of the Sunday paper while the Jets are facing the Pats. I went looking to my original fan sand-box, New York Islander Country message board to see what they had to say about it. It was interesting to see that the administrator of the board, Nick, who goes by the name Webb20, posted the following:

This article sounds like it was initiated by Mr. Dolan. Isles playing well, let's run our monthly article on how poor a franchise they have over there and plaster it on Page 1. That should squash any recent hopes of Islander fans. Next month we'll get a similar article. It's not to say that most of this is true, but it is also well known and documented and didn't need a front page story to tell us attendance sucks, our team is lost and out of it, our building is old, and our team is poorly run. Newsday just likes to make sure we don't forget.

When I asked him if I could use that post for this article, he gave me an even better quote.

It's free advertising disguised as news, sounds factual yet it's nothing more than a "Potvin Sucks" on a corporate level.

No one disputes the Islanders have a multitude of problems on and off the ice. Most don’t dispute that they are losing money and even billionaire Charles Wang can’t fund the team forever. Media and fans alike often take issue with how the Islanders operate, but hey -- It’s Charles Wang’s dime, or should I say his estimated $4.5 Million per year, and he can chose how he wants to lose it.

But you have to appreciate the quote attributed to Mr. Wang in the Newsday article. (Lifted, I believe, from his interview with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on the NHL Hour XM radio show.)

“Given the circumstances, given the constraints, we’re still doing the best we can,” he said. “I love the sport. I’m identified with the team. I poured a lot of resources into it, and I will continue to do that to make it the best I can. Am I going to get it right every time? No. But do we have a plan? Yes.”

While we don’t exactly know what Mr. Wang’s “plan” actually is, we do know what Garth Snow’s on-ice “plan” continues to be: Develope through youth and deal with the set-backs that accompany that plan.

For years, die-hard Islander fans complained that the previous GM gave up too soon on young talent or drafted poorly. (Do NOT mention the words “Chara” or “Parise” to an Islander fan unless you have an hour to spend listening to “effing“ Milbury stories.) “Home-grown” was not a term that Mike Milbury was allowed to use under the ownership that employed him.

It was also not one he used when Charles Wang purchased the team, and kept Milbury in the GM position. Instead, he chose to look for high-priced, established NHL talent to bring a degree of respectability to the struggling franchise. “Quick fix” was the Islander motto.

That plan worked for the short term, but back-fired in the long term as the extensive contract of Alexei Yashin is still being paid out while he skates in Russia. So the team that was chastised for not having a viable farm system to feed the NHL roster is now stocking that system with high-level talent and they are STILL being chastised.

The on-ice “plan” remains intact. The problem is that injuries have disrupted it. As also reported in this three page Newsday expose, Garth Snow is quoted (lifted from a 12/21/10 Newsday video interview) as saying

“ Unfortunately, we haven’t had the opportunity to see the team that we assembled.”

Ain’t that the truth?

Good teams find ways to win and the Islanders have had their highs and lows in that department so far this season. Here at the mid-way point, a huge losing streak has been followed by short spurts of beating the best teams in the league. This does show that there really is light at the end of the tunnel.

Hopefully, the constant bashing the Islanders receive in the press won’t turn away the casual fan so much that they won’t be able to see it’s flickering glow. Yes, winning cures everything.

By the way, the Islanders won again on Saturday night as Rick DiPietro turned away 40 shots from the Buffalo Sabres. John Tavares scored his second hat-trick this season and Blake Comeau scored his fifth goal in sixth games. Yes, that information is also in today’s Newsday. You’ll find it in Katie Strang’s article on page A64; the place where most Long Islanders who don’t have an interest in hockey will not venture.

So, thanks again Newsday, owned by Cablevision who also owns MSG, News12 and THE EFFING NEW YORK RANGERS for prominent coverage of the Islanders on pages 2 & 3 of your Sunday edition. You ruined my breakfast.

Good Morning World! Monday just gave me the Finger

You know your day is really going to turn out miserable when you try to make breakfast and this happens.

So after you try to clear the house of the billows of smoke that filled the kitchen (that didn't set off the smoke detectors I'll have you know, so they are probably in need of new batteries) you walk to the curb to retrieve the morning news and find this staring you in the face.



That story and a few (brief) related ones behind Newsday's paywall. However, it seems what Islanders Point Blank suggested would happen Friday night is indeed the case. The reduction in scale proposed by Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead is pathetic. It is no longer a "vision of the future." It's simply a nondescipt blink in a dying suburbia.

Interestingly enough, they managed to get a quote from free agent Paul Martin's agent regarding his conversations during negotiations with Garth Snow about the status of the Islanders future on Long Island. "Garth said the team was there for five more years."

Yes, that is how much longer the Islanders lease extends. So, all bets are off for the Islanders as no one knows what the outcome past 2015 will be. Move? Sell? Concede?

Personally, I'm just tired of it all. I can't imagine how tired of it I would be had it been MY $15 million spent and wasted on top of $20 million a year lost on my business. Charles Wang declined to comment for the Newsday story?

I think Monday morning just made the comment for him. It can be summed up in two words; and one of them rhymes with "puck."

Isles Contracts & The Salary Cap

With quite a few player contracts ending this season, I asked the GM how or if the salary cap would affect his negotiations. Always the stickler for details, he corrected my question when I incorrectly used the word “renegotiate” because I was thinking of those who already had contracts expiring. The Islanders have six RFAs that need to be dealt with: Moulson, Bergenheim, Schremp, Tambellini, Reese and Kohn. They have five UFAs: Sim, Park, Weight, Jackman and Meyer. Six if you add in Marty Biron and the Goalie Trifecta question. (Although Biron is doing so well as an announcer during these playoffs that he may want to think about changing careers.)


“We can’t RE-negotiate contracts,” he chuckled. “It’s negotiate.” The voice in my head said we were pressed for time, so I blew right over my mistake and just kept going, “So how will the salary cap affect your upcoming contract negotiations?” I repeated.


“It won’t really have any effect. We don’t find out what the cap is going to be until June. But for the situation we’re in, it won’t have any bearing on what we’re going to do, whether it’s signing restricted free agents or signing unrestricted free agents.”

While the NY Islanders are currently sitting at the salary cap floor, the NHL may increase or decrease the salary cap. (Rumor has it, it will go up by about $900,000.) The regular season numbers showed only a small decrease in average attendance this past season but growth in other areas. However, with the NHL still looking for a new owner for the Coyotes, and other clubs requiring revenue sharing, who can be sure where the cap will go?



“That being said, we will be fiscally responsible,” he continued as I was heading into another question. The Islander fan in me reared its head and I blurted out, “Yeah, when aren’t you?” I pushed my fan voice back inside quickly and tried to pretend it didn’t happen.



Even Scott Cullen of TSN ">wrote on May 3rd,

“Given the ongoing financial troubles of the organization, it's quite possible that any moves this summer will be of the tweaking variety. It's not easy to expect the Islanders to drastically increase payroll, since they have tended to linger closer to the salary floor…”

Call it “sticking to the plan.” The term “fiscally responsible” is also the answer to fans asking why the Islanders haven’t signed any big-name, high-priced free agents since the short-lived Captain Canada experiment. But adding at least ONE big-name defenseman may help the young core of Islanders immensely. The questions are WHO and HOW MUCH? If I’ve learned one thing about this team, it’s never who everyone says it should be. So prepare for a possible surprise by July.



I asked our GM how he felt about the long-term contracts, which seem to be more commonplace now in the NHL. Do their financial benefits outweigh the potential problems?


“I think it’s a case-by-case situation. My outlook on it is if you have a young player, any player for that matter, that you see as part of your core, I don’t have any problem offering a longer term contract.”


Perhaps the lesson of 15-year contracts has been learned, but certainly contracts in a 7- to 10-year range will still be offered up for key players just about coming into their prime. Think -- Kyle Okposo. Would the Islanders not want to keep him around for as long as possible?


The salary cap has done exactly what it was designed to do - create competitive balance. If it didn’t, we would not see so many teams bunched up in points fighting to make the playoffs, nor would we see the eighth seed knock off the first seed in the first round of the playoffs. So the extended contract lengths and how they affect the cap hit is a tool to keep franchise players. But should the state of the NHL take a turn for the worse, they will come back and bite them in the rear when other players can’t be signed because their payroll is being eaten up by a few star contracts. I suppose it’s a risk some general managers are willing to take.
　

The Islanders currently don’t have that problem. The fans may grumble over cap money applied to contracts that have been bought out, but that is how this business works and about the only cap issue the Islanders have to take into consideration this off season.


According to Brian Burke, anything other than making the playoffs is failure. But a rebuilding team will fail repeatedly until they get it right. It’s a hard pill to swallow for everyone involved. The usually outspoken Burke has also said if a GM really doesn’t like his team in March, he didn’t do a very good job in July. So when I read in the same TSN article,

“Owner Charles Wang has high expectations anticipating a playoff berth next year, telling Newsday, ‘Everyone in that locker room who we bring back has to be better than they were this year.’”

You better believe he means it.

In any case, Garth Snow has his work cut out for him this off season identifying the "core" and maintaining them while trying to find the right pieces that fit best to achieve the goal that he shares with Charles Wang: getting into the playoffs and ultimately the Stanley Cup.

Reading Between the Lines:

Making Sense of Newsday's Cover Story

Once again, Newsday's front cover and underlying agenda has cause tension in my household this morning. The glaring headline "IF Lighthouse Fails... Hope on the Horizon" caused my "average Long Islander" husband to call me to the kitchen to "discuss" the article by Randi F. Marshall in elevated tones.

While I am not saying my husband is "average," as he is above average in too many ways to count, he is the "target" audience of those still paying for Newsday or for those who are only seeing the front cover headlines because they refuse to pay for the content enclosed. It's sensationalism on the front and a battle of "read between the lines" in the body.

So armed with a highligher and a different mindset, I attacked the print before me.

First item I noticed was that Mr. Wang was classified as the "Lighthouse Financier" instead of the "developer." Was that an effort to remove him from the project since they could not reach him for comment? "Lighthouse officials could not be reached for comment" must now be a quick text in Randi's hand-held.

Let's continue. So they tell us that "several other local developers are ready to step in should Wang and Rechler back away with five of them specifically telling Newday they'd consider building at the site...." Something tells me though that they didn't bang on Newsday's door to tell them this, but that they were sought out for quotes.

Such is Michael Dub from The Beechwood Org, whose proposal for the property is not included in the splashy, large type "Other Proposals For the Site" on pages 2 and 3. "It's too central a location not to." No kidding Mr. Dub.

Newsday mentions the political problem of not knowing who will Captain the ship in Nassau County since they botched the election process. However, did anyone notice it does say that both Mangano and Suozzi "--have said they support the Lighthouse project..." They do. But then according to the article, so do the other Long Island developers. "To be sure, most of the Island's larger developers were quick to say they want Wang and Rechler's effort in Uniondale to succeed. And some regional and county officials said the Lighthouse remains the best proposal -- and without it, there's trouble ahead."

Uh... okay... so then why are they trying to make the average reader who usually only has time to skim headlines and anything in bold type the idea that it's as good as dead? Hmmmm? Actually, the article says that developers would "consider" responding should a new call for RFP be issued. I "consider" driving to the Prudential Center when the Islanders play the Devils. I never do it though. I could. But I don't. But I sure "consider" it.

Mr. Dub also said he didn't' want to do anything to undermine the Lighthouse. So it's obvious that while the reporter is trying to put a spin on this topic, the other Long Island developers know what's going on here. Even Polimeni International, one of Long Island's most recognizable names in development is noted as saying they still think the Lighthouse project is the best option for the site. You want to know why? BECAUSE IT IS.

Also, nowhere in the article does it mention that ANY developer looking to renovote the site will still have the Water, Sewage and Traffic debate to contend with. All the other ideas for the site bring retail and residential into the site. It would be going back to square one with the Environmental studies. But, that wasn't mentioned, was it?

Sadly, because I took the time and effort to "read between the lines," I can see the article in a different light. What the "average" Long Islander is going to see is..."Oh, Wang's pulling out. Someone else said they'd develop the site. Oh look, the Giants finally won."

I pay for this? ughh.

The Next Move? With or Without a U-Haul

I'll make this relatively quick, for me that is. I became involved in a political race I couldn't vote in full well knowing what the outcome would be. I'm not surprised that Kate Murray was re-elected as Town Supervisor by a margin of 65% - 35% as the Democrats fell surprisingly short campaigning.

However I am also surprised that at 7 am, I can't find out if Tom Suozzi has been re-elected yet. "Too close to call" at 1:13 am when the last time News 12 updated their results. And now at 7 am I'm not sure if we have lost both friends of the Lighthouse project or not.

There's nothing to do now but go forward on and see who makes the next move. Will it be Wang or Murray? Who knows.

But if anyone sees a string of U-Hauls pulling up along Hempstead Turnpike, I suggest we panic.

And if you're not watching the World Series tonight, the Isles vs. Buffalo at 7pm on MSG Plus plus plus as there's basketball on MSG and the Devils are on MSGPlus. Can we make it FIVE?? Can we? Please?

Meeting? What Meeting??

Like all others interested in the Lighthouse Project, I read with interest what is reported in various outlets. But today, it was a media BLITZ.

Newsday reported that a meeting with the developers will happen. Then I heard a radio report that a meeting may be today or tomorrow. Then on XM's NHL Live Jim Dowd said the meeting would be today or tomorrow if it hasn't already happened! And lastly, some Internet outlets are reporting that meetings have already taken place that we do not know about.

WOW!! So something is getting done? Right?

Okay, so can anyone please CONFIRM these meetings?

Granted, I'm not a reporter (as I have been told on more than one occasion.) but I can certainly use a telephone and email. So far I have not been able to get ANY confirmation of a meeting set to happen or any that have ALREADY happened from ANYONE.

Can someone please supply the faithful with some shred of evidence regarding these said meetings that have taken place or WILL take place today? Are there minutes? Photos? Phone records? Security sign in sheets? SOMETHING other than someone told someone in the know who then reported it to feed to the public.

A little PROOF goes a long way. But sadly bullshit spreads like peanut butter.... and everyone eats it up.

Oh... and I've had an article waiting for the right moment to post on Islanders head coach Scott Gordon. I've posted it at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/ if you're interested in actual hockey talk.

No Light To Be Found.

Okay, I'm out. It's now 11:15 pm and we've all been waiting around since about 5:30 pm to get a valid answer. It's not coming.

How a little known media outlet such as the Long Island Press (sorry guys, I do love you) can break one of Long Island's (potentially) biggest stories is just suspect. Something is wrong with this picture, but I don't know what it is.

As I said on HockeyBuzz, I am not well versed in politics of any kind (not even the politics of dancing errant 80s reference as it is late and I am delirious.) so I do not know what the end game plan for this actually is.

I know that for several hours now the entire of Islanders Nation that is connected via social media has been in a tizzy.

Could Charles Wang have finally had enough with the entire thing? Could he actually be planning to pull what he did in Plainview when he raised his hands to the heavens and said "Byte me. I'm outta here." I haven't a clue. I couldn't blame him however if he has.

This is nonsense. The posturing, the political agendas, the greedy hands looking for their share of a big pay off from a deep pocket. I'm sick of it.

And who is in the middle of the sticky mess? We are. Not just the hockey fans who have been supportive and vocal, but Long Islanders in general.

I believed whole-heartedly in the project and what it could bring. No one has given me anything (other than grief and a really good Italian sandwich at a meeting one afternoon. Do I have to claim that in the new blog rules? I think it said it was $6.55) to be supportive of the project. I have done that on my own. I have seen Columbus and what the arena district did for an area that had been troubled. It was beautiful and I was jealous.

If Mr. Wang wants to pull out now, it is his right to. It's his money that he has spent along with his time. He has shown more dedication for a project than most would ever for longer than anyone with his intelligence.

So I will believe these things as the only truths for the night: The Islanders will be playing in Uniondale for the 2009-2010 season. There is an election coming up for Town of Hempstead Supervisor. Even without the Lighthouse, perhaps it's time to vote someone else in to change the way things are done in that township. The nepotism, the lolly gaging, the personal agendas don't do the actual voters any real good. The Democrat candidate is Kristen McElroy. Write that down.

Another truth, my freakin' phone is buzzing at 11:30 at night. That can't be good.

Nassau County & the Town of Hempstead Pucking around with the Lighthouse

*For anyone interested in my take on the game and 2 minutes with Matt Moulson, please check HockeyBuzz.

Aren’t you getting tired of this political game? Imagine how Charles Wang feels after have to deal with it for eight long years. Well, this time the “monkey in the middle” has just about had it.

On what should have been a day set aside simply for Hockey on Long Island, it was a day that was overshadowed by a well known deadline not being met, and the question of “what happens next?”

The Democrat candidate for ToH Supervisor, Kristen McElroy, addressed a crowd outside the Coliseum with the ominous, yet truthful statement, “Opening day should be a day of great optimism and excitement. Unfortunately, we stand here today and the future of the Islanders is unclear. And you know why? Because of Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead.”

This is a fact that has been clear for quite a while now. McElroy continued “The reason why Kate Murray and the Town Board have dragged their feet and have continued to throw up road blocks for political reasons and are being told what to do by Joe Mondello. It’s time for that to stop and do the right thing for the Town of Hempstead and the County of Nassau residents and get the Lighthouse project done.”

Kate Murray has been playing out her political game in the media, most notably, Newsday. Kate’s most recent move of calling the developer on Friday afternoon to request a “meeting to discuss” the project showed up in the morning paper, the morning of the well known deadline for her answer. It was an eleventh hour ploy to make it look as if she is willing to work and Newsday is her soapbox.

When Charles Wang addressed the media throng, including the writer of the Newsday article, his frustration was evident but his sense of humor remains intact. The small room was packed and when he arrived, he walked right passed everyone. When the camera and news crews tried to stop him to reposition him he joked “What? I’m just trying to get to the bathroom.” Everyone in the room laughed and that broke the mood. But if he was trying to get to the bathroom, it was certainly to get sick.

“I have always said I want a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ by this date. Now we explore all options. And that’s what we are going to do. We haven’t negotiated with anyone, and we haven’t been out there, so now we see what happens.”

When he was asked if he would meet with Kate Murray, he was thoughtful in his answer, but his message was clear. “Kate called on Friday at 3 or 4 in the afternoon and it was a pleasant conversation. When the Town Supervisor calls, you give her all the respect. I will listen. I said I would meet with her. I also said clearly that I would like to have an answer. She said she wasn’t prepared to give me an answer on the phone."

Mr. Wang also told her the conversation was off the record. It seems Ms. Murray’s idea of off-the-record is contacting our only local news outlet as if she was telling her neighbor over coffee. He beseeched her, “No more games. This is too serious and important for all of Long Island. Next thing I know, I open up the paper and there it is.”

Of course, my eyes wandered to the writer of the article to see her reaction, but I could only see the back of her head.

The idea of compromise after working with the Town for the last two years is, as Scott Rechler had called it previously, ingenuous. It is painfully obvious that Kate Murray will not make any decision on this project until after the election in November. By then, it may be too late for the Town of Hempstead.

Tom Suozzi also made his feelings known to the media while wearing his Town and Islander colors to show his support of both. “I’m very excited about the fact that the county and the developers have negotiated a lease. I think it’s very important for the future of Long Island and the future of Nassau County. And we’re going to do everything we can to make it happen.”

Sadly, that puck is no longer on Suozzi’s stick. Kate Murray is playing sumo goalie at the other end of the ice and she’s frozen the puck waiting for the whistle.

“Mr. Wang has always said that he wants to do this on Long Island, he loves Long Island and the Islanders belong on Long Island. We certainly agree with that. He has indicated that he is now going to explore other options. Now I want to continue to impress upon him how important it is for him to be here on Long Island and we in the County are going to do everything we can to make him feel welcome and we want this development to happen. We need the Town of Hempstead now to do the same thing.” I wanted to mutter, ‘Good Luck with all that, Tom.’ But thought better of it.

Mr. Suozzi let out an emphatic “NO” when asked if he was hopeful after Ms. Murray’s late afternoon phone call. “Why would you call at 4 o’clock the day before the deadline and go right to the press. It’s kind of emblematic of this entire process, that it’s more about game playing.” If that is all there is, should we have any hope at all?

“The main reason for hope is that people want this, number one. Number two is that it makes sense economically for the long term future of Long Island." He stressed that what is necessary is for residents to make their desires known to the officials in the Town of Hempstead. They are there to represent the people’s needs. I’m taking that as a call to the phones and the polls on Election Day.

He called the actions of the Town “irresponsible.” I’m certain he had other adjectives in mind.

After the first period, the NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman addressed the press in this regard. The league has been a very strong supporter of owner Charles Wang and his vision of a mixed use development surrounding a new arena center piece for the NY Islanders.

Mr. Bettman recognized the sold-out crowd’s approval of the project, the County Executive and the Isles owner by the rousing applause they received when announced to drop the puck.

"Everyone knows what the developers have been going through to get this project done. Now it’s up to Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead to step up. Charles is looking for an answer. Everyone knows that this arena cannot house the Islanders longer than they are required to be here. There going to have to be a change and the sooner they get on with things, the better. Obviously, we’d like to see the Lighthouse project approved. But Charles is now in the position of exploring other options. It’s been eight years. It’s about time somebody gives him an answer.”

When asked if "all options" could mean selling the team, Mr. Bettman responded “I think at this point he has to consider ALL his options. As I understand it, his options first and foremost are to see what he can do with the arena situation. We really haven’t explored in any meaningful way beyond that. I think his goal would be to keep the team, here, on Long Island. But if the Town of Hempstead continues its lack of decisiveness, he’s really just looking for a decision.”

Of course the league wants to see the franchise stay on Long Island. They are not in favor of moving franchise away from their fans, as well noted by the fight to keep the Coyotes housed in Glendale.

Could the Islanders be up for sale anytime soon? Could Blackberry Jim be thinking he’s got new prey here in Uniondale? I don’t think so. A more appropriate option would be to find a Township here on Long Island that would want the hefty tax revenue, employment and income stream the Islanders and the Lighthouse project would generate. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants to the Town of Hempstead if say, the Town of Oyster Bay or the Town of Babylon find a way to make it work for THEM?

Think of the political careers that would be dead in the water then.

Of course Mr. Wang jokingly said he was learning Russian to allude to the idea that maybe one of the suitors knocking at the Islanders door will be the newest owner of the Nets basketball team in Brooklyn.

Well, okay Kate. It’s your move. But remember, most of us are already keen to your game. Perhaps on Election Day, the voters will be too.

Stop Playing Games Kate!

And Charles doesn't mean the one on the ice. It seems that he was very upset over the fact that the 4 pm phone call became fodder for the press. Or should I say for Newsday. But that's all part of Kate's game. Meanwhile, Tom Suozzi feels the same way. Why has it taken so long for her to try to contact the developer? All part of the game that should end come election day.

Speaking of Election Day, Kristen McElroy was wowing the crowd outside the coliseum as she talked about the upcoming election and how important the Lighthouse project is to the area.