Billy Jaffe's possible replacement by the Isles braintrust?

Per IslandersPointblank, Bill Jaffe was victim of being just too honest.

Despite the outrage and that is one of the dumbest moves since…well, the last one….this is actually the norm for sports teams. They love to control the message. Especially teams who don’t have a lot going for it. An inferiority complex envelopes the team from management on down. Rationale becomes tremendously self-serving. This organization is now bathing in it.

Let’s look closely at the Isles org in the last few years. Constant internal cuts, a revolving door lately with business, PR staff and more. You can’t have that type of atmosphere and there not be a circus internally.

What is left is inexperience and those looking for anything to control perception and message. So a dunderheaded decision to nix the MSG Jaffe deal, a man who was smooth as silk and knew his hockey, is beyond moronic. However, it is par for the course for middling teams who can’t quite control the message by actions on the ice. They need spinmeisters to shoot out inflated hype. Jaffe was just too negative for them. Just like Newsday pre-Strang was too tough for them. They haven’t a clue of what tough and criticism is…but don’t tell them that.  But, the braintrust made their decision and have now alienated fans once again.

This all said, this is common for sport teams. They love to be stroked. They want homers who can throw flowers on the heaping piles of stool that might land on the ice. There are so many samples of far worse injustices, it is a waste of time to list them all. The NHL and hockey teams, for all their lipservice to media and new media, still expect and desire sugar and sweet talk.

Sadly, teams brass don’t get it. Honesty is a gift. Truth should never be feared. But, sadly, this seems lost on those who concentrate on perception instead of SUBSTANCE.

Just will be another reason to shut off the sound when watching an Islanders game.

But, let us all not overreact either, putting this up over the horrendous Town of Hempstead zoning issue, or even Jankowski not be reupped. Remember, this fanbase was once up in arms over Joe Michelletti being reassigned to the NY Rangers. The drama then was quite a hoot…and not much different to yesterday’s drama, I will have you know. 

Then there are those who just love to fan the flames, spin it as some conspiracy, even when it was the Isles themselves that pulled the plug on Jaffe.

Well, guess what…shit happens.

Is it dumb? You bet ya. Is it typical? Sadly yes. But the smart ones will look elsewhere and not be fooled.

The day will come when the Isles don’t have to be paranoid. Where the team on the ice will actually be something to write about. Where they don’t have to play childish games or hire homers.

When that happens, it will be something to cheer about. Maybe then the organization, who is raw and young like the team currently, will gain some maturity, wisdom and poise.

There is something rotten from within Isles Country that has now peeked out from the organization, and even the fanbase. Sad to see, and unfortunate for Billy Jaffe and the many fans who enjoyed his work. But he will land on his feet….talent always does.

THEY will keep on missing the point. But so will fans who overact like this is the apocalypse. Worry about the Lighthouse Project, Coliseum, free agency and if this team will get enough goals with just a pile of kids and one season wonders. Let’s keep it in perspective and not let those who love to fan the flames and suck down the chaos do their dance either.

 Keep an even keel, even if the Isles themselves fail to do it.

Just my suggestion.

There seems to be some revisionist history going around post-trade deadline that Garth Snow stood pat due to DP’s injury, holding on to two starting goalies.

As with any public relations front, you don’t want to look bad nor seem ineffectual. However, bottom-line was the Islanders did not get what they wanted out of the deadline, especially zero value for Biron and extreme disappointment on what they could get for Roloson.

There is some talk that Snow and the Isles did not pull the trigger on a deal or have the chutzpah to utilize their cap space to get some sort of draft value in taking on a contract.

Words post-deadline that how could Snow trade away their season is the same words were heard back two seasons ago when Garth had his hands tied with Satan’s NTC and inability to move Fedotenko for Huselieus.

In other words, the said lines don’t wash. Its a bunch of malarkey to spin what was the Isles inability to grab some key draft picks when other teams would not meet their prices.

It’s not Garth’s fault. As the Flyers sit with Leighton out with a high ankle sprain and flutter, or Chicago rest their cup expectations on Neimi and Huet..decisons and market value were made.

I don’t fault Snow here. Just for the after-story that is just not true.

BROOKLYN VIBES? OR JUST SUBTERFUGE GOING ON…

Speaking of which, Brooklyn is again a rumor. As to when Ratner himself is quoted that Isles inclusion is “unlikely” that rumor should have ended then and there.

What is more interesting is perhaps a behind the scenes reconfiguration to work with the Queens plans as the ToH attempts to march to their own parade of a “jumpstart”.

Wouldn’t it be interesting that the “going dark” more has to do with Queens, letting the Town of Hempstead toot its own horn, create its own plans and then have no sports team at the Coliseum?

This might hurt the rumblings of Kate Murray as the party might tap her as Lt. Governor.

A big political move would make a lot of sense as Mangano since taking office has almost been deferential to the Town of Hempstead. For much is on the line for the Republican party nationally, and the NY governorship is up for grabs during what many feel will be a more right leaning swell. It is why Steve Levy, Democrat from Suffolk is looking to run on a republican ticket.

That means politics are to be played (again), where many of those are looking to be cast in leadership roles…which might be why all along games have been played as if the Lighthouse Project was an untouchable hot potato until they realized people actually wanted it. It might be why the ToH is being so grandiose on picking up where things were left off, because the going dark of the LHP meant Charles would leave the failure in their hands.

Could be a bunch of malarkey as well…

kind of like the NY Islanders playoff hopes which is still mathematically probable… Kind of like how you have a shot in winning Powerball.

Not very likely.

Meanwhile, Garth Snow’s idea of a bottom team tournament was basically laughed out of the GM meetings. It has to be some silly musing from Charles here, because nobody who has played this game would try to imagine some sort of loser competition. It would destroy the integrity and idea of only teams that are deserving get to carry forth post-season. No professional sport has this, so why even suggest it?

NY Teams Can Now Lose In Another Dimension!

MSG experimenting in 3D, when they can’t even get the Isles in HD consistently, seems ludicrous and ultimately why it is a non-story. Even if MSG had more things in 3D, when would Isles fans be able to get it?

March 7th, the day had been circled on my calendar for weeks. The disenchanted masses were gathering for a showdown.  Time to let the fat cats at MSG/Cablevision know us Blueshirt faithful weren’t going to take it anymore… that Glen Sather was no longer welcome in our town.

The Fire Sather Rally was scheduled for 5pm sharp on 7th avenue side of the Garden. Mike Zippo and his crew did a wonderful job setting up and pushing this shindig. Even the credentialed press like Steve Zipay, Larry Brooks and Andrew Gross were mentioning the event in their online blogs.

So what went wrong? Well other than Cablevision brass being distracted by their own ABC fiasco?

With 1,200+ confirmed guests on Facebook plus those attending the game that would most likely filter in; I was half expecting a 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention moment. Tear gas, riot gear… Hubert Humphrey.

Here was the golden opportunity to take full advantage of having a public forum to express our dismay and rage at how our beloved team has been run amok for the last decade.

OK, maybe riot gear and tear gas was going a tad overboard. However, having hundreds upon hundreds of die-hard Rangers’ fans gathered in unity and showing the Rangers’ brass that here were fans no longer willing to take it… no longer willing to watch sub-par mediocrity being shoveled on the ice season after season like steaming horse dung.

So, why did only 100 something people bother to show up?

Where were the masses?

Where was the outcry??

Don’t get me wrong, I tip my hat to the 100 who came with their signs and chants. I especially enjoyed the fella behind us yelling, “Sather is a baby killer!”

What truly irked me were those passerby fans that may have not known about the event but stumbled upon it. I mean, you’re heading to the game you just spent hundreds of dollars on tickets to watch a team who despite their overinflated salaries were once again going to have to scrounge for every last point just to make the playoffs…

Hark, what’s this? A mass of angry fans gathering to protest the man that has single handedly brought disappointment to our lives with his dreadful decisions and bloated contracts! Shall we join in? Nah! Let’s just gape and watch for a few minutes then aimlessly wander inside to piss away more money.

And, that’s how the great Fire Sather Rally went down that fateful day. 100+ faithful stood closed together in barricaded pens outside the Fuse building as onlookers casually watched from across the street. Two very bored members of NY’s Finest held the peace and urged everyone to keep clear and stay within the barricade. Whoopity doo.

On a positive note even though Rangers’ suits snickered and sneered from across the street the NY press did take a serious notice. The Fuse Building sidewalk was lined with the press elite all jotting notes and witnessing the event. Larry Brooks even received his own chant to which he waved playfully to the crowd.

Zippo’s efforts were not completely in vain. In the end the Rally did get mention in the Post and Newsday; however what cannot be ignored is that our fellow fans failed to do their part and show their support as they promised to do behind their Facebook pages.

Mike Zippo attempted to spearhead a coup, a movement. Instead it was more like a newest version iPhone pre-sale at an Apple store. He was undone by the very people he was trying to help.

Apparently Rangers’ fans are angry, just not angry enough. Or maybe, just plain apathetic.