Islanders Leaving Long Island?

[tp49]

Oh, I know. I just think it's funny that Kings and Queens Counties are the only parts of Long Island not included on the Islanders' crest, if they end up moving into NYC.

When I was growing up I got a Dennis Potvin jersey and I remember always wondering why the west side of the Long Island on the Islander logo looked condensed to me. I think I was trying to figure out where JFK was and thought the indent caused by the "I" was just a very condensed Brooklyn and Queens. Outside of this board how many people would have really noticed or knew that? I know I didn't until I signed up here.

[Gothamite]

Brooklyn and Queens aren't condensed, they're just removed from the map.

[The_Admiral]

Oh, I know. I just think it's funny that Kings and Queens Counties are the only parts of Long Island not included on the Islanders' crest, if they end up moving into NYC.

Oh I see what you're saying now...same logo for all intents and purposes just the Island part will represent "more" LI territory. That could easily work nice in an update...and it could get rid of the part of the "I" in Islanders that overlaps the Island and changes color.

Someone with more design talent than I could quickly redesign the crest to include Brooklyn and Queens, a fourth stripe on the stick, and "Islanders" lettering that looks less dated and still "points" to Queens. I could do it, just not quickly.

[Kofi Annan]

Although Saintsfan has brought us back on track, I'm going to humbly and moderatorily suggest that we all quit piling on Tank's unique posting style, and stick to the topics on hand. Aren't none of us perfect.

Well stated, young man. We should all endeavour to engage in civilized discourse. Peaceful tidings to you all, my friends of all nations.

[Puck]

I'd like a move to Canada if it had to happen.

-Dan

I too want a Canadian team, but during Hockey Night in Canada I think Milbury, MacLean and Strachan sort of hit the nail on the head.

Fan support in Winnipeg is there, but not the corporate support also add if the Canadian economy slips, it'd be the early 90s all over again.

As far as fan support goes, we really only have Baisillie's "Make it Seven" campaign to verify there's clearly a viable market for another team. But, wasn't that more a national movement rather than a local moment that would be more telling if there is a rabid fanbase? Much less the corporate needed to keep it lasting longer than a passing phase.

Reading the article and the related posts, the Islanders seem to use this more as a ploy to get what they want rather than truly solving a long term financial problem. The Hotstove segment singled out Atlanta as the one more likely to move than anyone else. A point that even Glenn Healy had to agreed to with the lack of attendance at most Thrasher games.

[Waleslax]

Wang and Rechler are being far too arrogent for their own good.

The Lighthouse project as Wang currently envisons it is incredibly flawed and is also terribly out of place for the region. First, the area does not need any additional retail. There are two major shopping malls within two miles of the Colisseum site. There are also two major retail corridors on Old Country Road and Hempstead Turnpike. Wang's mall will not add retail to the area and more likely than not will take away from the established retail already in the area. I'd be more on board with the additional retail if Wang came out saying he already had retail tennants committed to the Lighthouse. He has not.

The idea of a renovated NVMC also is not enough. The building needs to be leveled and a new arena needs to take its place. For years the deterioration of the arena has been a major issue. Considering the county has failed to spend money to fix the building over the years any renovation would have to be a complete gutting and by that point it would be best to just build the a new building. I think it was short sighted of Wang to only propose a renovation when it is plainly clear that a completely new building needs to be built.

A lot of the posturing is political between the Nassau County government run by Democrats and the Town of Hempstead which is run by the Republicans. Also, suprise, suprise both the Countywide office holders (County Executive, DA, County Clerk, etc.) and the entier County Legislature is up for re-elaction as are the Town of Hempstead Supervisor and at least three of the Town Board members.

The reality is this if Wang wants the project to go through he sould have it go in stages. The Town has already said that if the proposal were just for a new arena this would have been a done deal years ago. Wang and his partner Rechler would be wiser to make the initial proposal for the arena and the Marriott which they also own and maybe a portion of the retail he wants. Next in a second stage would come in the housing, etc.

In the most recent hearing before the Town Board when qestioned Wang's traffic expert appeared unprepared to answer the board's questions regarding the impact this project would have particularly on Hempstead Turnpike which is a road that is already at capacity.

It is a rare day that I would say anything good about what's being done over at Clown Hall in Hempstead but in this instance they're right. Wang would have had his arena and at least a portion of his project approved had he been willing to compromise and stage the project. I would also say as a die hard Islander fan for over twenty-five years that Wang's ownership while stable has produced nothing. The franchise is a laughing stock and as he claims to be frustrated with TOH, I'm quite frankly frustrated with him. There is a rabid fan base on Long Island but due to the condition of the franchise and the arena for the past decade they've stayed at home. Can't say I blame them. Put a quality product on the ice and the fans will return to NVMC in droves.

Quoted. For. Truth.

Pretty much sums up what needs to be said about this.

The Islanders have not recovered from John Spano, and his fraud and I dont think they ever will.

The fear is that they would build the arena and hotel, and THEN Hempstead could refuse to allow the rest of the project. In that scenario, the town would be able to pull this off and screw Wang and Rechler. Given the fact that Kate Murray and her cronies are a bunch of lying politicians, I have to side with him on this one.

[dfwabel]

I wish they'd finally get the ball rolling with this, but all in all I don't care where in the NYC area they go as long as they stay here. I'm personally hoping that Queens and Brooklyn (Barclay's Center) have something on the table because that might be the best option for the team at this point.

'Saintsfan' gave you all days to really look into this, but you all have really disappointed me. This should never be your "one stop shop" for sport information. I have tried to give many of you leads before, but for relocation, apparently websites which focus on sport business are not good enough for you spy.

Blog on the Atlantic Yards Report

05 Oct Report from Fieldofschemes.com

[RyanMcD29]

I wish they'd finally get the ball rolling with this, but all in all I don't care where in the NYC area they go as long as they stay here. I'm personally hoping that Queens and Brooklyn (Barclay's Center) have something on the table because that might be the best option for the team at this point.

'Saintsfan' gave you all days to really look into this, but you all have really disappointed me. This should never be your "one stop shop" for sport information. I have tried to give many of you leads before, but for relocation, apparently websites which focus on sport business are not good enough for you spy.

Blog on the Atlantic Yards Report

05 Oct Report from Fieldofschemes.com

I've been following this whole situation for years, and I have to find it but I'm pretty sure I read something recently that says the Barclay's Center now will have enough room for hockey after a recent redesign. And granted, that report for the second link was posted after I posted my post. And really, I still think a Willets Point development's the best case scenario, I was just adding on Brooklyn to it in case there needs to be a plan B

[RyanMcD29]

Furthermore, and I know it's the New York Post, but still

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/islanders_are_brooklyn_goal_mWWOPFjEMa4i3weGU1zRFO

[Gothamite]

Marty Markowitz. Whatta maroon.

I really hope that my Brooklyn apartment comes through, so I can finally vote against that guy.

[The_Admiral]

?Put everyplace else on ice,? Markowitz told the Post.

It's as if merely being interviewed for the New York Post makes you talk like a pun-mongering buffoon.

[Gothamite]

Nope - this time, it's not the Post. He really is a buffoon.

He can't stop pushing that whole cheerleader-for-the-borough rodeo clown shtick. Markowitz doesn't seem to understand that Ed Koch was able to pull it off because 1) he knew when to drop it, and 2) underneath the goofy tourism pitches Koch was extremely competent.

[The_Admiral]

[rvrdgsfn]

Looks like the end could be near unless something happens....

Couldn't post the link, didn't work

Tactic or tragedy? Report claims Isles arena project abandoned

By Sean Leahy

Breaking news out of Long Island. Citing a source, the Long Island Press is reporting that New York Islanders owner Charles Wang has decided to walk away from the Lighthouse Project, the development that would overhaul Nassau Coliseum and the area surrounding it.

The Press also reports that some of Wang's employees are already being moved off their efforts on the Lighthouse Project:

The source has also indicated that reorganization has already begun within Wang’s company, reassigning some top-level executives who have been key members of the Lighthouse initiative to work on other unrelated projects.

One source says it would not be surprising, given Wang’s self-imposed deadline of Oct. 3 to have an approval from Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray and the Town Board before he would put an end to the project.

Chris Botta of Fanhouse and Islanders Point Blank, who has been all over Lighthouse Project developments over the past year, attempted to get in contact with three top development officials and his calls went unanswered.

Wang had set October 3rd as a date he wanted a yes or no answer to the project from Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray before he began exploring all other options. In the 11 days since, Wang and his staff has kept quiet, waiting for an answer that has yet to come. This latest move could seem like doom and gloom for the Islanders future at Nassau Coliseum, yet it could also be another move in the game of political chess that Wang has been playing with the Town of Hempstead for the past five years.

[NJTank]

Goin to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come.

[tp49]

Looks like the end could be near unless something happens....

Couldn't post the link, didn't work

Tactic or tragedy? Report claims Isles arena project abandoned

By Sean Leahy

Breaking news out of Long Island. Citing a source, the Long Island Press is reporting that New York Islanders owner Charles Wang has decided to walk away from the Lighthouse Project, the development that would overhaul Nassau Coliseum and the area surrounding it.

The Press also reports that some of Wang's employees are already being moved off their efforts on the Lighthouse Project:

The source has also indicated that reorganization has already begun within Wang?s company, reassigning some top-level executives who have been key members of the Lighthouse initiative to work on other unrelated projects.

One source says it would not be surprising, given Wang?s self-imposed deadline of Oct. 3 to have an approval from Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray and the Town Board before he would put an end to the project.

Chris Botta of Fanhouse and Islanders Point Blank, who has been all over Lighthouse Project developments over the past year, attempted to get in contact with three top development officials and his calls went unanswered.

Wang had set October 3rd as a date he wanted a yes or no answer to the project from Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray before he began exploring all other options. In the 11 days since, Wang and his staff has kept quiet, waiting for an answer that has yet to come. This latest move could seem like doom and gloom for the Islanders future at Nassau Coliseum, yet it could also be another move in the game of political chess that Wang has been playing with the Town of Hempstead for the past five years.

I call bull on this story. Has all the markings of a poorly played bluff.

This is Chris Botta's latest post on his blog Islanders Point Blank:

12:50 am - Newsday writes that according to a source close to Charles Wang - ?not the developer himself? - the Lighthouse Project has not been abandoned.

Assuming the source is reliable, it took the Lighthouse Development Corp. more than six hours to respond to a report that they were closing up shop. Even when they did respond, it was via a source who would only confirm the project has not been abandoned. Like all reporters trying to get the story right, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi also claimed he could not get Wang or any of his representatives on the phone to clarify the situation.

By their actions, the Lighthouse Development Corp. gives the impression that they liked having the story out there. Whether that?s true or not, I give the LDC and the New York Islanders a big thumbs down for how they have handled this so far.

Lighthouse executives readily available when they have had agendas to push disappeared. Islanders fans were left twisting in the wind all night, and still do not have solid answers. That?s not how you treat your fan base, especially when it has been so supportive of every real estate move for a decade while the hockey team wins nothing.

Nevertheless, while Wang and his executives stayed silent as Islanders Country freaked out waiting for answers, many fans continued to profess their undying loyalty to the Islanders owner and the project. Many fans appear to be cranked up again - ready to call the Town of Hempstead, ready to make up the more than 40,000 votes Kristen McElroy will need to defeat Kate Murray on Election Day. (Good luck).

You?ll have to forgive me. For the way the LDC chose to go dark with the residents and fans through the media - in the case of this site, a place that has been a proponent in over 100 articles over the last year - I?m just not feeling it right now.

Wang is acting like a petulant child. The more I see what he's doing and how he's acting, the more I think really he and his partners are in this for the real estate and not for the betterment of the team or improving the arena and fan experience. The plan calls for the renovation of the existing arena not the building of a new arena. Frankly speaking, I do not see how any renovation of that building would be cheaper than a new one. Very little of the existing structure would/could/is salvageable. Nassau County and SMG neglected the building for many years.

When asked at the most recent Town Board hearing how many buildings would the project consist of Wang could not answer. He did not know. How do you not know how many buildings you are planning for in a project you have had in the works for at least five years now? He couldn't even give a range of the number of buildings they are looking to build on the site. Estimates have it as high as forty-two but Wang couldn't answer the question.

Wang also needs to study history in the area. The owners of Roosevelt Field wanted to expand the mall again in 1999 to add a Sacks Fifth Avenue to the mall. The Hempstead Town Board (and the Town Zoning Board of Appeals) rejected the proposed expansion. This is relevant to the Coliseum because the same group of NIMBY's who opposed the Roosevelt Field Expansion are the same NIMBY's opposing The Lighthouse. The main opposition group comes from the Village of Garden City. I also want to say that the expansion adding the Nordstrom to the Mall in 1997 was also fought hard by the locals.

Last, it needs to be stated that even if the Town Board votes to deny The Lighthouse, Wang and his partners can appeal their decision to the court system and on more than one occasion the courts have overturned TOH Zoning Board of Appeals decisions. This is far from over.

I'm disappointed in Wang. For someone who is such a savvy businessman he sure is making many rookie type mistakes.

[Viper]

I'm disappointed in Wang. For someone who is such a savvy businessman he sure is making many rookie type mistakes.

Either that or he's already privately made up his mind to sell and/or move the club, and is now purposefully running the arena project into the ground to create a pretext for it. This is starting to remind me of the North Stars' last couple of seasons in Minnesota.

[DustDevil61]

I'm disappointed in Wang. For someone who is such a savvy businessman he sure is making many rookie type mistakes.

Either that or he's already privately made up his mind to sell and/or move the club, and is now purposefully running the arena project into the ground to create a pretext for it. This is starting to remind me of the North Stars' last couple of seasons in Minnesota.

Well, at least he didn't make black the main color and then went with a much blander logo...but I digress.

[AndrewPF]

But here's the other question I have: say the Isles, or any team for that matter, do move to KC. Suffice it to say the town is going to want that team to be the Scouts 2.0. Here's my question: is that name and those colors still owned by the Devils franchise or no? (For that matter, is the Colorado Rockies name still owned by that franchise? I've always wondered that.)

Looking around the other leagues, the precedent seems to be that the intellectual property remains with the team unless someone (league or government) strips it from them to award to another team. The Hurricanes can't legally wear Whalers throwbacks because Connecticut owns the rights. On the other hand, the Coyotes own all things Winnipeg Jets (and would be wise to sell all things Winnipeg Jets since it might actually make them a buck). On a third mutant hand, the Oklahoma City Thunder kinda have the rights to the Supersonics but kinda don't.

I was under the impression that the Texas Rangers still held the Washington Senators' trademarks, precluding the Nationals from becoming the Senators, but then the Nationals somehow acquired the Curly W (for the worse). That's a good question about the name, but I'm sure the Devils retain the logos, as well as those of the Scouts. The Devils probably choose to forget they were once the Kansas City Scouts. I don't think it's automatic that a fans would want a new KC team to be the Scouts. They sucked for two years in the mid-1970s and then disappeared from memory forever, kind of like a bad game show.

Just a week or 2 ago, I saw a guy in a KC Scouts jersey. Wonder where he got it. Does the NHL license those for regular sale?