THE NY ISLANDERS CHINESE FIRE DRILL

From Wikipedia:

A Chinese Fire Drill is a pejorative expression usually referring to a prank, or perhaps an expression of high spirits, that was popular in the United States during the 1960s. It is performed when a car is stopped at a traffic light, at which point all of the car’s occupants get out, run around the car, and return to the car (not necessarily their original seat).

Thus the expression “Chinese Fire Drill” is the act of a group of individuals accomplishing nothing. The term is also used as a figure of speech to mean any large, ineffective, and chaotic exercise.

This blogger is on record calling the China trip, despite intentions, a stupid idea. It was logistically a nightmare. It also was very curious when the Isles venue and futures on Long Island were in flux to make such a trip. Largest of all was the the players, mostly young, all trying to jell and step forward next season….and then you add in a trip to the other side of the world.

What made it even more curious was that some have doubted that the China work was even viable more than some sort of showpiece. Criticism came last season when speaking over it to a source, who called the China work a folly and something not quite being utilized in anyway more than some sort of superficial image thing.

In hearing of the Newday piece that said it was cancelled, many were unsurprised. Speaking of Newsday, we should no longer call anything exclusive to Newsday a scoop. It was given to them. For now on, we should note what Newsday now is under the Dolan regime and sports section….an extension of a PR firm.

Meanwhile, not much insight is available into why it was cancelled. Was it Wang’s anger over NHLPA meddling even though it is standard procedure? Or is it ToH/Nassau Coliseum related, to make more steps to remove himself from ownership and not lock him into a China trip which is costly?

Or is it something deeper….whereas the NHLPA entering China would see something they did not like or that the Isles might not wanted them to be privy to?

“Wow…I wish this wasn’t so surprising to me.” came a note from last year’s China source to me today.

“I definitely think he’s territorial about China hockey, but I have a feeling it’s for the wrong reasons.  There is definitely something more going on, something he’s paranoid about, to scrap the whole idea.  If Project Hope (or hockey development in China at large) is his goal, there’s no reason why he couldn’t utilize Goals and Dreams to add support and leverage.  That was the issue a few years ago, and apparently it hasn’t changed.”

His term is what everyone else has also walked away with…

“Very peculiar”

My question: Is it possible that he NHLPA being there would have uncovered some issues with Wang’s work there, or lack thereof?

“maybe….but it shouldn’t matter to the NHLPA in my opinion.  What the Islanders do for business or for youth development doesn’t involve the players.  That’s what I find so peculiar.”

Now, if the Isles merely want to extract themselves out of longterm issues, there is no longer term than the lease that runs till 2015.

Meanwhile, people still cling to the Wilpon show-pony of just hot air on Queens and exploring conversations. Good to talk, but that is all there is. Meantime, the Russian Billionaire takes over the Nets and could Wang talk to him next? Could Brooklyn hit the feeders once again before this week is out? The Town of Hempstead report is forthcoming as they finished paying the bill to FP Clark. In fact, last month there had been overtures from Wang to the ToH about….get this….a meeting. But it never happened. Then came NY Mets talk.

So we won’t really get an answer to all this confusion…oh unless the Isles trickle it to the Newsday route.

In the end, the question has always been what did the China trip even set to accomplish by it’s initial inception? Meanwhile, the cancellation seems foible and folly as the NY Islanders seem to blunder into miscues that don’t wash the circus-like bitter tastes from fans mouths. Is it possible for this organization to do anything with some modicum of aplomb and tact that doesn’t lead to continual snicker from others who just figure it is more of the same?

One possible thing here to the change of heart is that Chris Dey is no longer part of the organization. So as new blood comes in….many of those who worked on the Lighthouse Project, perhaps someone convinced Charles that this could be a good way to extricate himself from something not precisely a good idea to begin with?

Could be. But we are left guessing, and meanwhile the antics don’t exactly make the Isles look gangbusters.