The Post article is linked here: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/islanders/isles_no_longer_matter_9SwQCDp4zuz0TNE3HQ1p4L

Scott Mayfield - a 2011 draft pick of Garth Snow, is another in a long list of draft picks that have an opportunity to develop, and could bring excitement to Islander fans in the future. Someone please ask Larry Brooks to research some of these guys before flaming every aspect of the franchise the next time!

Mr. Brooks,

It was brought to my attention on another blog of your recent write-up on the NY Islanders, and how they are “irrelevant.”

As a long, proud Islander fan — they have suffered a great deal — nearly 8 years of very poor ownership problems between John Pickett’s ownership and Charles Wang’s forced the team to trade away many young and successful players. 2 very poor GMs in Don Maloney who made some horrible deals, as well as the infamous Mike Milbury who single-handedly set the franchise back 15 years with bad drafting and even worse trades. Of course, Charles Wang’s wacky behavior has not be a help. He came in and spent money, he just did it in the wrong place, and gave the green light to the wrong manager for far too long.

Where I disagree fully with your article is to suggest that they have no chance of going anywhere — ever.

The biggest issue is off the ice in the form of an arena. That has been Charles Wang greatest and most complete failure to date. As a fan of the team, I wish he would stop meddling in on ice issues, and get a new building done in Queens or cut a deal with Barclays in Brooklyn.

Putting aside the arena — you rightly mentioned the emergence of John Tavares, P.A. Parenteau and Matt Moulson as a top scoring line. But you neglected to mention the rapid emergence of Travis Hamonic and the play of Andy MacDonald. And while neither are Dennis Potvin, they are also both not Bruno Gervais.’ The play of Evgeni Nabokov has been a story — as is his recent signing today — a player that snubbed the Isles, came, and saw, and played for them and CHOSE to remain here…. as has many other players!

The Islanders also have a good, strong crop of young prospects — as a rebuilding team should have in juniors and in Bridgeport. You certainly did not take the time to mention that the teams top affiliate and feeder to the NHL — The Bridgeport Sound Tigers — are 19-6-4 since 2012 began. The team is pushing for top spot in its division, despite recent struggles — coincidently those struggles are in part because players like Casey Cizikas and David Ullstrom have been called up and are playing for the Isles now. This level of high end play bodes well for the franchises future.

While I agree that a deep prospect pool does not necessarily translate into NHL success, it is the best way a franchise can rebuild — especially when you factor in the arena circumstances.

You took the time to chide Garth Snow’s drafting, however, many of the players he has selected are not even in the NHL and those that are — you would have to agree are very young. And while Nino Neiderreitter has been mishandled this season by the coaching staff, it is hard to consider him an NHL bust at the ripe old age of 19. He may very easily have taken this season in stride to build and move forward and yet be an impact player. Just as well — to suggest last years top pick Ryan Strome is not capable of becoming an NHL star, or Calvin de Haan wont become a premier puck moving defender is impossible. If you had the ability to prognosticate with such accuracy, you would be the greatest NHL GM — EVER.

You were critical of the selection of Josh Bailey in the 2008 draft, and for the player himself, Bailey has struggled, and has been mishandled as well. No argument. But the decision to trade down twice afforded the Islanders and Garth Snow to select a number of players that are still young, and beginning to make an impact. By stockpiling picks, Snow was able to draft Ullstrom, who is getting his first taste of the NHL. He was able to select Aaron Ness who has a few games in the NHL this season. He also took the aforementioned Travis Hamonic. Later in that draft, Matt Martin — the NHL hits leader was picked by Snow. Also coming from the 2008 draft, one hockey’s top goalie prospects Kevin Poulin, who has shown some very strong play in his stints with the Islanders. By moving down, Snow also added picks for the 2009 draft, adding Calvin de Haan as a second pick in the 1st round. Anders Nillsson is also becoming a top NHL goalie prospect. Anders Lee – one of the top players in college hockey is an Islander selection. There are a number of other high risk/high reward players also on the horizon.

Garth Snow and Charles Wang and the way the Islanders have been run is far from perfect. There are many aspects of the way they run things that make Islander fans — including this one — want to scream into the night air. But it is difficult to move forward as a franchise when you are staring at a bunch of Nassau County and Town of Hempstead political empty suits who would have a hard time finding their ass with both hands. It is a circular dilemma.

As far as the coverage by the Media and holding Wang and Snow more accountable — I suppose that is up to you and your editorial board. As much as the Islanders have suffered on the ice and off, the media has played a small part in that. Your paper, The NY Times and Daily News CHOSE to stop covering the team during the darkest days of the late 1990s during the Gang of 4 and Spanogate and despite a few reasonable teams in the mid 2000s, your paper and others failed to return to covering the team. The team continues to stockpile young talent. And is improved over last season, and the season before. But rather then do a little work; build a little interest, ask a few questions — you chose to sit back in your office and lob a few cheap shots at very easy targets in Snow and Wang — and they are easy targets, as they are far from error free. But you made them sound like the worst GM and Owner combo in the history of sports. I have news for you — the last GM and owners were the worst in sports and these guys are at least trying to change that!

There are major issues and problems with the franchise. You are right about that. But there are some very good things on the ice beginning to happen if you look and ask some questions. It might be time to have the Post get credentialed again to cover the Islanders. Perhaps you can get in on the ground floor of something interesting, and hold the franchise more accountable by providing more coverage. I hope you do!

Editors Note: B.D. Gallof has not been seen since Sunday am, when his pictures from his ipad were uploaded to his Facebook page of him smoking a cigar and drinking a bottle of Whiskey. Late tonight we received an email from him asking us to place this up on the site. It has not been edited or adjusted in any way. His whereabouts are unknown…

Is It Fear & Loathing on Long Island?
BD on the August 1^st Vote and Endorsement

Get In!

Long Island is a strange bird. Sometimes you can love its lazy obtuseness and almost neurotic aspects like some crazy uncle who visits your house each family event. Other times it is a constant barrage of morons and idiosyncrasy that hammers one head like a thousand woodpeckers on speed.

I used to hate Long Island and where I lived with unfettered revulsion. When I left for college, I could not wait to get out and get working in NYC as to escape its toothy maw. Having lived in a few places outside of LI, it would seem strange to that younger self to why I came back. Things change. There is a respect and understanding to why Long Island has been a thriving place and to why it remains still holding onto that (though tenuously at best). But there is also that crazy uncle not only still along for the ride, when he really goes loaded for bear; he no longer is just quirky or wacky. He instead becomes a stark raving beast with a submachine gun.

That crazy uncle and those unending chain of bullets are clear to many an Islander fan who have been belted in to this arduous tumult of partisan politics, a stained former Senator who took his octopus-like arms and oily ink to backrooms and lobby-groups, a backwards-facing suburban ideology of over-protectionism, oft-kilter business management, an oddball billionaire who keeps his two enabling yes-men along for the ride all the way back from Computer Associates, a backwards self-serving Republican stronghold who operates to the predilections of an affluent donor roll and benefactors  for just one town, a neophyte who is in way over his head in the County who won that role because he fermented a tax revolt and is now hamstrung by it in office, a conniving throng of political hacks trying to get back control having been toppled last voting cycle,  a league who is in the process of losing those teams that were expanded both South and West… and all during a very rocky economic recession that have everyone cash strapped and wallet conscious.

Add another 15 years of failed team strategy and ownership to those fans psyche, and you have a bewildered, paranoid, and just plain confused fanbase watching this unfold helplessly.

It is that helplessness that has stung so much as things have gotten so out of whack that it might have made many fans start to tune out to the goings on. How many of us where those who came out years ago to the LI Marriot, standing for the cause, only to watch it fade out in some long drawn death scene under the Town of Hempstead’s self-serving hands. Or as Charles Wang then imploded the entire Lighthouse Project, refusing to negotiate, and then when he finally did make overtures months and months later, the ToH were long gone and off focusing on something else.

How can one NOT tune out? The reality has blown so much hot air, black smoke and gritty detritus that it resembles one of the smoke stacks along the Meadowbrook Parkway.  How can one not be tired of it all? How many times have we gone to the well, asked to show up or listen to someone’s tale? How many times were we given no answer, instead things went dark or just got swallowed by the darkness that lies within the heart of Long Island? That same darkness, confusion and bevy of excuses that has left a large piece of Nassau County some sort of hollow hole that the team still has to skate in.

I have to wonder if that thousands years from now it will be Nassau Coliseum and the faint scrawls of VOTE YES or JUST BUILD IT that still are painted on the walls will be viewed as some quaint archaic ruin with cave paintings. Will the failure to renew a hub that was built over 40 years ago be due to people being more interested in that it retains some name of “Veterans” than actually being a place to go to and entertain the hardworking citizens of this fair land? A place where their kids and grand children want to congregate?

“Why don’t you ever want to visit us?” says grandma

“There’s nothing to do out there!” complains everyone else.

Well, one has to wonder if this will be the reality thanks to the latest poll touted in Newsday. Something else for the paranoid delusional to cite as conspiracy theory or conniving agenda of the Dolan’s to destroy one of their best rivalries. Instead it is just an off-target poll of 50% over 55 years of age, which ignores the 38 year-old median age of Nassau County. Furthermore it ignores the demographic of who will likely vote this special vote. No real poll can be accurate for a special election that requires a committed and staked voter with team fans, unions and other oddities added in.

If there is any conspiracy with Newsday, it is only one of dunces. Extremism is merely easy outlet for some due to the angst and anxiety that we are all likely feeling during self-serving political mechanics that seem dead-set on destroying hockey and alienating the entire younger generation. Giving too much credit to enemies is usually the hallmark of the paranoid, and it has been used flowing like a fire hose spewing dread and just plain ignorance all over the blogosphere comment sections and message boards.

Newsday has been more a shining example of causing cognitive dissonance. It has created readers conflicts due to an editorial ideal based on selling strife smacking against the cause and facts of what the writers are trying to get across. What has helped peel off their editorial curtain is the fact that independent bloggers seem to have more legwork and entrenchment in the muck of what is going on than the paper on many an Islander item. So every step Newsday has done, they more often than not, show off their sensationalism by creating some sort of slant or angle to provide conflict.

They have created a bouillabaisse of resentment from the Islanders fanbase. But to think that any of their almost ham-handed antics are some sort of conspiracy is just giving that motley crew, who are just trying to survive a quaking change of ideology thanks to a new ownership, far too much credit.

No, this conspiracy is misplaced. What needs to be installed here is one giant mirror. We need one giant unyielding mirror reflecting on this entire County. Each potential voter needs to take a long unflinching look at this mirror, and cut the bullshit and excuses. Cut away the old blame and history. Everyone needs to drown out the marketing and negative nonsense.

You all need to ask yourself what you want in your home. What will be the future of your hometown and county?

Will it be of the savage implode like the house of Poltergeist, with cries of recession until there is nothing left? Will it be the explosion of public relations material citing tag lines and singing along with the “Meet me at the Lighthouse” jingle as you stagger like robots? Or might it be just hiding heads in the sand, waiting for it all to end, much like the staff of the Town of Hempstead, with no opinion except one of passed responsibility?

Hopefully it will be none of the above. It will likely be, if you take a moment and a breath through all this nonsense, be a moment of clarity. Maybe you will have an epiphany. Maybe not, but there will be likely be a decision. My suggestion is to make a measured decision weighing things carefully and appropriately.

My own will be to Vote Yes.

There are so many reasons why. One large one for me is that my children deserve a better venue to see sports, concerts and anything else than that concrete nightmare that sits on Hempstead Turnpike. The building is dilapidated, in disrepair, ancient, and quite bluntly, a fucking embarrassment to what is supposed to be one of the most prestigious places to live in NY.

It is a fucking embarrassment to even sit there and come up with reasons why we should vote anything other than yes. A fucking embarrassment that the Democrats and Republicans have screwed the pooch so many times on this venue, that it got to a point where it now sits in our hands to bail it out just enough to fight another day.

That too is one fucking giant embarrassment.

Where is Nassau County’s citizen’s self respect? Where is their belief that they DESERVE this? That they SHOULD have a venue that is top notch or at least somewhat closer to mediocre that what lies there now?

It simply boggles the mind of the shortsightedness and excuses by opponents who seem hell bent on cutting off the nose to spite the face. Or to think that it isn’t important. Or to be against it because of the shear politics of trying to topple the foolish County Executive who put forth this referendum with barely any backup information or things laid out beforehand.

We have gone on and long on the issues I have had with the ToH, both hapless and ineffective County Execs, the self-serving Republicans & Democrats, and also of the Islanders and their quirky doof of an owner. I am probably not well liked by any of them, but that was never my intent. My intent at the start was to shear away the absolute piles of bullshit that seemed to be piling all over us throughout a process that was almost always at odds with our futures and with those of the hockey team we follow and cheer for,

When they are shoveled all away, it is simply what you want to come to on Long Island. A loss of the SOLE professional sports team for the County and Long Island, or for there to be an improvement of venue, new long-term lease of that team, and a place that is respectable to see a concert, show or sports event?

To me, there is simply no debate. The independent numbers came in and it cited a roughly a close to $14 cost to each taxpayer. A far cry to the absolute tripe of $48 or more that opponents touted like parrots. That is a movie ticket. Parking. A CD or book, for god’s sake.

Nobody but nobody till lately bothered to cite the cost of LOSING the Islanders, the Coliseum’s main tenant, and their generator of taxes to the County and what it will cost each taxpayer.  $16.

So all the buzz and noise around this referendum, despite the heaping loads of mistakes and miscues made, is the fact that it is not a loss, not taking anything from anybody’s pocket, and in the end, something to be proud of and respectable to a place that has been disrespected or at least abandoned when inconvenient by just about everyone who sits in office.

No, it is high time for a stand. To wake up. To get our proverbial head from out of asses and make a voice heard. We finally, FINALLY, have a day to make our own vote a clear exclamation point for the Islanders future, and in a large way, our own on Long Island. IF we cannot be up for that, after listening and reading everything else, you might as well just pack up and move out of town…

Because I don’t think I’d want you as a neighbor.

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As was noted widely when the imbroglio with Chris Botta broke with the pulling of his press credentials, my team has only one beat reporter, Katie Strang of Newsday and you need to be a Cablevision subscriber, Newsday subscriber or pay to see her work.  But I have never felt really lacking for Islanders’ coverage because of Twitter.

I probably follow more hockey writers and players on Twitter than any one person should–but there is some method to my madness.  Really the only problem is a lot of duplication and more of information.  But that’s good because hey, like you, I am busy and would be likely to miss something.

As I looked around the rest of the NHL, with few exceptions (Toronto, Boston, NY Rangers) there really is a paucity of coverage out there-but there is a ton on Twitter.

So, I am going to try to break down who is doing what on Twitter, Facebook, blogs and anywhere else where hockey fans will dive looking for coverage.  Along the way, hopefully I can find some better information–this is your part of the deal, let me know who you are following, what you are reading and why.  I am happy to highlight your work, or the work of the people you like-and I always give proper credit.

Also, I’ll share some of my tips and tricks to make social media work for me in my quest to be on top of hockey coverage.

Along those lines, here’s my first–on Twitter I use Tweetdeck on my laptop.  This gives me the ability to set up columns.  I can create a column on game night to follow live tweets of games.  Last year at the trade deadline I set up two columns, one for the isles and one fo the NHL so I could track the trades.  It’s very flexible and easy to set up and change.

Coming up, I’ll take a look at some of the Twitter streams for teams and from the sports nets covering hockey.  Also, we’ll take a look at some of the apps that make the at the game experience better.

The NY Islanders march to the beat of a different drummer, even where scouting and prospect assessment is concerned. How do we know this? Just track their picks for the past few years, about the time where Mike Milbury was out and a new system was brought in. That system has created quite a bit of draft picks that have actually seen the light of NHL day. This is not really the norm. Very often, a few develop, but most never see any NHL time, a shot in the dark that usually fades away.

When choosing in the entry draft, unless you are at the very top of the list, very often you are not going to get someone who will go into the NHL
right away. Very often, especially after the 2^nd round, those fortunes of NHL time sink fast.

Let’s take an entry draft year, let us go with 2004.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2004e.html

Take a good look down that list and watch how it gets sparser and sparser on NHL games played or even any NHL time at all. Sure, there are jewels deep in there, like an oasis in the middle of a desert. Even better, if we now click to make it list in GAMES PLAYED order, it comes far clearer…

Yes, sure the wonderful Marc Streit, the former Isles Chris Campoli were deep picks that show near the top, but look at most of the rounds that are shown. It is the simple math of selection, but look deeper and see where most come from as well. Look any other year and you will see the same elements.

These days, the reality of making a mistake during the draft is much worse than the old days as there is a salary cap and new CBA. Mistakes are very unforgiving now. Now add in the rise of the psychological factor that is being used across sports, and you have a new elements to add to the equation of judgment. How much so….take a look at this piece written about the NFL’s NY Giants just two months ago….

Teams want to know it all: NFL prospects take psychological, personality tests before draft
Monday, April 19, 2010
Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

“From clinical interviews and personality tests, psychologists create for teams a profile of a prospect, and also grade the risk of drafting him. The aim is to bring in players who not just improve the team on the field, but who also fit in smoothly in the locker room.

“The psychological and character piece is probably 10 percent of the whole process for a team,” said sports psychology consultant Robert Price, who conducted pre-draft evaluations for the Giants for a decade. “You don’t make it because you do well in an interview. But if you don’t have a good grade, you will drop off someone’s draft board pretty quickly.”

In the months leading up to the draft, teams screen as many players as possible at the NFL Combine, senior all-star games and pre-draft visits.

Players are classified as one of 16 personality types through the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and scored on traits like dominance, independence and leadership via the California Psychological Inventory. In interviews, they’re asked simple questions like “Where did you grow up?” and tougher ones about family tragedies or legal trouble.”

I think some hockey teams use it far more than just 10%. For the Isles, I think it has as much heft as any other mark.

Thus, here is my theory…

As I wrote last weeks on suggestions for the draft, taking in all the other Isles blogosphere takes on the upcoming draft, doubts began nagging me. I was missing something. I was making an error in judgement. I was sure of it. I kept with it anyway, because I got lost on Erik Gudbranson’s size, the fact the Isles needed a dman of his size and style, and his one-on-one personality.

Instead, it is my gut belief is that the Islanders will not select any of the popular choices this coming draft. Yes, they will ignore the blogospheric and bloggeriffic hype of Erik Gudbranson, and even the side bets of Burmistrov, Gormley, and Connolly. Some blogs have made all sorts of bets, featuring all the players, just to cover their bases. Well, every one of them might be wrong….

In fact, the chances of them taking a dman with the #5 pick might be a bit of a low percentage.

Why? Because the blogosphere, fans and the so-called scouting experts are forgetting one cardinal rule when it comes to drafting kids.
DO NOT DRAFT ON POSITION. Take the best player available.

The best that fits your system, your template, your ideal. You don’t take pieces like a jigsaw, hoping they develop to fit your puzzle. Kids take years to develop…sometimes 4, 5 or even 6 years later. Within that scope of time, the puzzle is always changing…

Well, that folks is why none of those popular choices will likely be on the Isles hit list, especially with the Isles in the #5 spot.

It’s not that kids like Gudbranson are not well-regarded. Just does not fit the Isles best practices and criterias…and those for the Isles have been very plain and very clear for at least two drafts now…

Character, development system, hockey awareness and smarts.

These things I believe, when it comes down to the Isles choice, are paramount. They will wash away any hype about size, physicality, mean streak, smooth interviews, cool mystique and anything else that might bend others who are not gauging the most important aspects…

BEST FIT & MOST LIKELY SUCCESS (aka…a safe bet?)

I think these last two things are the vision and goals here. Who will fit the clear dynamic system the NY Islanders organization has put into place NOT only on the NHL ice, but also in their AHL ice in Bridgeport. Above all, when you pick this high in the draft, YOU MUST get something for it. You must get a NHL caliber player who can be a top 6 forward, top 3 dman, or starter goalie. Thanks to the CBA, salary caps, and a tough situation for many NHL teams these days, there simply is no room for error.

This is why the team selected Bailey, Tavares, made deals to grab de Haan, and more. They are picking based on a system…and veering from it just will not happen this coming draft.

SOME HINTS:

If you look at the Isles most successful picks lately, the Islanders have made a lot of early picks from WHL and OHL teams that play a successful system (lets not also forget the US under-18 team). In fact, if you look at the predominance of picks that have succeeded in the last 6 or 7 years, it has been clearly in certain usual places.

The key element seems to be a high scrutiny for system players with good developmental success. They seem to hone in on all-situation players with a high hockey sense and IQ. Tends to be a solid WHL, OHL (mostly) foundation. They focus on a system player who will thrive and develop further in the Isles AHL and then NHL systems.

Sure the Isles also take from all sorts of places deeper in the draft, but if you take a look at their sets of picks you will see a pattern emerge:

They take their most important top picks from clear established leagues, with a tendency for seeking a competitive edge, high hockey sense, and well-roundedness. They also might also seem a SAFE pick. Probably for good reason, a rebuild cannot work if they cannot pick the bricks that will hold the structure together. Makes it key that the Isles choose someone who is a can’t miss to play on the NHL level, to the system they are employing…

THEIR RECIPE:

Then add their focus on character and psychological evaluation. At the NHL combine, NY Islanders main psyche guy was on-hand as they gave out a 180 question personality test.

Character and disposition count. They like good work ethics. Leadership. Two way play. A team player. Someone to mesh with others in the locker room besides on the ice. They also don’t seem to care on size, meanness or anything else that makes others salivate. In other words, they might judge strictly on core elements solely. They don’t bother with hype, latest trends, or anything than their own parameters.

OK, let’s now take all those elements and start to mix them and see who rises to the top…

My belief is it will likely be a forward, not a defenseman to start the 1^st round. I seem them catching dmen later. They might even move backward from #5 to get their man… like they did with Josh Bailey.

So Here Are The Unusual Suspects

Has not visited the Isles….

*Austin Watson
(BD’s most likely suspect of those who did not visit Long Island)

Austin was willing to play anywhere the Windsor Spitfires put him, but he was getting lost on the 4^th line there behind their stacked established players. Waived his no trade to go to the Petes and tore it up, showing far more than being just window dressing. Blocks shots. Does whatever it takes, and Isles might love that. Got a nasty feeling that this, like Josh Bailey two years ago, might be the 2010 Entry Draft surprise. Austin 3:16 says: “I skated past your ass”, and the Isles really might be buying-in.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jeff Skinner

Contains a lot of hockey intangibles, including lethal shot and goal scoring skill set. Not the greatest skater, but same was said of Tavares. Great hockey vision. Some feel he is highly underrated and might be the steal of the draft. Might the Isles have lasered in on him? You cannot discount this possibility. Scoring ability and those positive attributes, in a system that can lend itself for him to thrive might make him more than dangerous on the NHL level.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dark horses of those who have not visited the Isles

Quinton Howden

Not perfect, but a speedy two way player who has excellent defensive abilities besides an ability to score.

>

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Unsual Suspects of those that have visited the Isles…

*Ryan Johansen (BD’s most likely suspect if visiting the team counts)

Has all the tools, has visited the Isles. Under the radar, but really is the type of guy the Isles might really look for. 2 way player with grit, that seems to be good at just about everything. Extremely well-rounded player. System player who thrives in that system. This plus everything else might make him a well-regarded pick in the Isles eyes. Picking him would not be a HUGE surprise, or shouldn’t be. Though, might be a surprise to those who are enamored with El Nino, since they both play for Portland.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Nino Niederreiter (my personal preference)

I still love this kid. I see Johansen as the more likely pick by the Isles due to criteria fulfillment, but this kid’s grit, smarts, and competitive edge really is what I like in a player. To me, personally, Nino is a can’t-miss prospect. Only weakness I have seen is defensively, but seems to have gotten better there. But his play, speed and type of style, to me, would really do well on the NHL level for a team like the Isles besides lend itself to the uptempo system they employ. “El Nino” is my personal hope at the #5 spot. Wouldn’t be disappointed if they took Johansen over him, but will miss not being able to use his nickname.

Click here to view the embedded video.

DARK HORSES:

Mikael Granlund (has visited, and only a dark horse due to new parameters)

No OHL or WHL, but Granlund is a dynamic offensive dynamo. High hockey senses. Cannot discount him, size wouldn’t matter to Isles.

Brett Connolly

If they feel the medicals are clear, cannot discount his choice either. High skillset and character. The problem is his type of injuries does matter and do have an effect. Isles have had a bevy of injury woes that might have then gun-shy on Brett.

Dmen To Consider because they do fit the template…

Brandon Gormley

Cam Fowler

Mark Pysyk

Jonathan Merrill* (don’t discount them going here over the others. Lots of upside)

Those that fit the template at the back of the 1^st round or start of the 2^nd?

Jaden Schwartz* (very intriguing kid who might be on the Isles list IF they can trade back into the round)

Tyler Toffoli

Later is also where you might see a Tinordi, McIlrath, Forbort, and others taken. Could Isles get back into the 1^st round to take a sharp dman?

NOTE ON THE CASINO:

Newsday has Nassau Coliseum inaccurately cited as a likely venue for the casino for the Shinnecock nation.

Per a ToH source ,who did admit.they wouldn’t be able to stop Mangano or the county, they have already heard from many concerned citizens and Uniondale/Hemspstead groups over it to know there will be major opposition over it. The Shinnecock nation will only come to a location that welcomes them.

Newsday calling it likely venue location is irresponsible and lacking any pertinent local information. Do these guys even have a Town of Hemspstead beat writer anymore?

The Coliseum location has major opposition which Newsday is either oblivious of or dodging. Or both.

As for word of the ToH vaunted developmental plans of their own for the area….nothing. They are now over one month late to their Memorial Day weekend planned announcement.

Author would like to thank Nick Giglia, my fellow Isles blogger, for his help to bounce ideas, thoughts and conversation for this blog.

File under no-duh: Newsday reports that Martin Biron will test free agency.

If it wasn’t clear last season, when Biron wanted to go elsewhere… might have been clearer when Snow is talking about Lawson seeing some NHL time on call-ups this year. Guess they are saving news items over there?

Can’t wait for expose that Sim will test free agency expose that will be coming next.

Biron had very mediocre year, and was not really a fit to offset the Isles defensive lapses. This hurt his stats which destroyed his trade deadline value. It will still be a tough market out there for him. However he was a team guy and well-respected. He will be a backup somewhere next season. But his chance of starting in a very crowded field of RFAs and UFAs? Nil.

The Isles will say goodbye to many vets to make room for rookies and hopefully a free agent upgrade…except for the very well-liked and highly regarded captain Doug Weight who was resigned for the year. I still think we might very well see Andy Sutton back in an Isles uniform come free agency.

It was be very curious to see if the Islanders seek another goalie in this coming draft. Rick DiPietro, who was given to us as a packaged sham of health last summer, ended up seeing time mid-season with mixed results, swollen knees, and was shut down the rest of the season.

This season will start with a huge question mark on his long-term health, as the PR shellac has been sheared away by reality. Roloson is set as the #1 goaltender unless DP makes a miraculous recovery and can take the yoke consistently without pain or swelling after a small stretch of games.

Meanwhile, the Isles have two highly regarded goalies in their system: Kevin Poulin and Mikko Koskinen. Poulin was a Round: 5th (126th pick) overall steal as he had fell from 1st round draft year expectations. Under the Isles organization, he has gotten serious and has been developing well.

Mikko Koskinen is a 2nd round pick before many other teams could sweep in. There was a lot of buzz about him coming from nowhere with his long body and wingspan that made European scouts drool. Last season an injury wiped out a lot of his developement in Bridgeport, but if he can stay healthy this season, he might be ready to make a NHL jump in 2012.

Next week is the draft, and we’ll have some guesswork by the Isles blogosphere listed in this blog coming soon. Word on the street is lots of teams seem to be interested in getting in at the top of the 2nd round. Or will. That might mean the Isles first of 3 2nd rounds picks might be for sale.

Now….does this mean they move up into the 1st with it like last year? Or does it mean they move back to pinpoint some further back.

I’m with the moving up point-of-view. Isles have 10 picks this draft… that’s a lot to work with. I expect to see them push into the back of the 1st round to get their man.

courtesy of the NHL:

Club        # of Picks        Rounds of Picks        Overall Pick #s

Anaheim        7        1,1,2,5,6,6,7        12,29,42,132,161,177,192

Atlanta        9        1,1,2,3,4,5,5,6,7        8,24,54,87,101,128,150,158,188

Boston        8        1,1,2,2,4,5,6,7        2,15,32,45,97,135,165,195

Buffalo        9        1,3,3,3,4,5,6,7,7        23,68,75,83,98,143,173,203,208

Calgary        7        3,3,4,4,5,6,7        64,73,103,108,133,163,193

Carolina        11        1,2,2,2,3,3,4,6,6,7,7        7,37,46,53,67,85,105,157,167,187,206

Chicago        8        1,2,2,3,4,6,7,7        30,43,60,90,120,180,191,210

Colorado        7        1,2,3,4,5,5,7        17,47,77,107,137,139,197

Columbus        8        1,2,2,4,4,5,6,7        4,34,55,94,102,124,154,184

Dallas        4        1,2,3,5        11,41,71,131

Detroit        7        1,2,3,4,5,6,7        21,51,81,111,141,171,201

Edmonton        10        1,2,2,3,4,5,6,6,6,7        1,31,48,61,91,121,151,162,166,181

Florida        9        1,2,2,2,4,4,5,6,7        3,33,36,50,92,93,123,153,183

Los Angeles        9        1,2,2,3,3,4,5,6,7        19,49,59,70,79,109,148,169,199

Minnesota        8        1,2,2,3,4,5,6,7        9,39,56,69,99,129,159,189

Montreal        5        1,2,4,5,7        27,57,117,147,207

Nashville        6        1,3,5,6,7,7        18,78,126,168,194,198

New Jersey        5        2,3,4,6,7        38,84,114,174,204

NY Islanders        10        1,2,2,3,3,4,5,6,6,7        5,35,58,65,82,95,125,155,160,185

NY Rangers        5        1,2,4,5,7        10,40,100,130,190

Ottawa        5        1,3,4,6,7        16,76,106,178,196

Philadelphia        5        3,4,5,6,7        89,119,149,179,209

Phoenix        5        1,1,2,4,5        13,22,52,113,138

Pittsburgh        7        1,3,4,5,6,6,7        20,80,110,140,152,170,200

San Jose        4        1,3,5,5        28,88,127,136

St. Louis        6        1,2,3,4,5,6        14,44,74,104,134,164

Tampa Bay        8        1,3,3,3,4,4,6,7        6,63,66,72,96,118,156,186

Toronto        6        3,4,5,5,7,7        62,112,122,144,182,202

Vancouver        6        1,4,5,6,6,7        25,115,145,172,175,205

Washington        6        1,3,4,5,5,6        26,86,116,142,146,176

(or)

In a news vacuum, nobody can hear Isles fans scream

There is a scene in M*A*S*H, and when I say MASH, I mean the original movie, not the TV show, where “Painless” the dentist is given a fake funeral as the doctors give him sleeping pills instead of what he thinks is poison. When the Lighthouse shut out the lights back in October, it was no different than this scene. The lights were shut off, but the hopes that things would change had not.  So since then has been this silent shell game on one side…and this vocal “oh, we’ll save the day” by the ToH.

The ToH and Wang’s group had meeting back in October. Wang denied this back when they shut off the lights, and was denied again when he had that questionable interview with Howie Rose. In that, he was caught in a bald-faced lie. He had met with the ToH, and so had some of his LHP staff.

In November, however, the Lighthouse group stopped paying FP Clark. Can’t pay bills if you are dead, folks. The Kabuki show continued as later on, the Mangano’s group was wondering if Charles was going to call them back. Then all LHP staff was reassigned. Their PR staff now works for Isles team.

Chris Botta yesterday, in a NHL Fanhouse scoop, connected the Isles/Wilpon/Queens and a large real estate firm. This follows the Ken Campbell blog from THN last month that tied it to the Wilpons.

Newsday, who has been constantly scooped by the blogosphere on the Lighthouse Project, was caught snoozing once again. They snapped into action, pressing their Isles blogger to find a source denying this.

Botta turns around and cites that Newsday is owned by the Dolans, who happen to run the Rangers. Well, of course that a reason…umm…. to what exactly, Chris?

Then Katie Strang’s story disappears from the site for a while this morning but now it is back. Meanwhile, Botta stands behind his story. So just who is blinking here? Will Newsday suddenly have some sort of “scoop” on all this, ignoring that they have been last to the well throughout this entire process for well over a year?

MEANWHILE:

Back at the Town of Hempstead: all quiet of the western front. They have not met their Memorial Day weekend deadline date for any announcement and sources have been silent. That is simply unacceptable. 


The problem is, like most things on all the blogs…all are things off the record. I cannot recall the last time someone said something on record. Maybe the hearing back last year? Even Wilpon’s words about exploratory talk was about as solid as goose feathers. Until things are quoted from the horses mouth and we know the actual horse, take everything with many grains of salt.

Meanwhile, don’t think that some people are in-the-know or have an answer from the hockey groups or even the NHL. Nobody outside the LHP brainstrust has a clue. I had journalists, bloggers and even the NHL people coming to me asking what is going on with the Lighthouse Project.

There is still a battle brewing because despite that the Lighthouse Project is dead, Wang still holds out hope that the Town of Hempstead will come to their senses and work out something. As broken here, he has been in touch with the ToH as little as two months ago. So don’t buy the Queens train tickets just yet. 

We all just sit and wait, meantime for the ToH to fulfill their development promise. …

Many objective people and politicos are fearful that the ToH plan is some sort of farce with an insane reduction of everything to almost minuscule proportions (below 50 to 60% the size of LHP). This would not be reasonable, smart, helpful, or workable. It would be just another slap in the face by the Town of Hempstead…and ultimately to the NY Islanders fans as well. It would be the topper to the multitude of mistakes, miscommunication, miscues and misinformation by the Town of Hempstead in regard to the Lighthouse Project.

If there is any afterlife to raise the dead; the ToH plan must be a substantial workable answer that does not merely sate their donors. Sating donors seems the new framework on how things get done now that Edward Mangano, the new Nassau Exec, proposed a casino, taking up the flag of his own biggest donor, Alphonse D’Amato, who is an enemy of the Lighthouse Project and Charles Wang, besides gambling supporter who represents the Poker Players Alliance.

In fact, it gets even more interesting with the casino, Mangano and D’Amato:

BREAKING NEWS - The Shinnecock nation, the one Mangano was cheerleading to get a casino in Uniondale received national recognition today. This means they can actively seek a casino. Oh, also today, Al D’Amato’s daughter JOINS Mangano. That’s right, Mangano’s biggest donor now has his daughter working for our Nassau Executive. Talk about conflicts of interest. I don’t even know where to begin.

This is all enough to make an Isles fan sick with disgust. Politics as usual has left things in the lurch once again. The true death might be Nassau County’s future as people leave it left and right for better places who aren’t bent on some suicidal self-interested glut.

So we can all say goodbye to Painless, who lies in the coffin. It is getting bleak. Even a bit dark. But don’t cry just yet. There is much more to this. Someone call a nurse.

Several players, preferring to stay anonymous had a few things to say over the goalie glut on Long Island. This should be no surprise since fans, media and just about anyone else have been scratching our heads over this past trade deadline when since last summer it seemed that the Isles would have more to sell than just Andy Sutton.

The one thing that peeks out glaringly through all this is despite the lip service that all is hunky dory with DiPietro’s return and various swelling hiccups, and as I alluded to over the course of last season, that perhaps the situation is much more dire than they let on.

Look, I prefer an all star caliber Ricky as much as the next guy, but the coordination of his return and the team’s fall from playoff contention coincide whether the team will like to admit this or not.

Whatever The Rick’s real situation, it might be far more time consuming of a process for a return with what is now a re-occurring condition of a swollen knee.

The issue more prevalent is how much the 15 year contract for DiPietro affects the team. As Garth Snow criticizes those players who are not thinking team-first with their speaking out to Katie Strang, one has to wonder if the propping of DP into the mix was so team-first?

One has to wonder if the 15 year deal where the Isles and Charles Wang tried to redefine contracts by not trying to circumvent a cap, but to create longterm employees is the very thing that is creating a more business first mantra than team-first.

You see, team-first is about the whole enchilada. It has to do with the development of those kids and how it all falls together, playoffs or not. While other players fall in or out of the lineup with various ailments and injuries, you don’t see awkward situations or crowds at a position.

What makes DiPietro different is the money they gave away for the course of what really equals 3 to 4 contracts. Nothing about that, despite intentions, is team first in the long run…and due to his health it is affecting that here and now. Well, in my opinion, of course.

Team-first means no player is bigger than the team. Well, hello…pot calling kettle, Garth, because players already know the team got placed 2nd here at least for this current season.

Hey, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I need to think about the longterm rebuild. If so, then why bring on two starting goalies at all last summer? Didn’t the Islanders want to compete? Didn’t they for quite a spell, despite the horrific defense on the Island…a defense that has not been even retooled via the waiver wire?

Every GM will get some heat. They will be forced to deal, duck and weave with what ownership dictates or be unable to do what they planned. Perhaps a more Brian Burke-ish reality from the Isles in some plain speak would have gone down smoother to the fanbase, media, and players than acting like all was well as the team stood pat when even a layman could see things did not go so well with the results. Maybe soft words and canned responses just don’t go down the gullet here?

Garth Snow runs a tight ship. They have tried to root out leaks. Many a comment has come down, including from media, of an internal paranoia at times. Maybe that climate creates an insular vision that just, at times, does not go so well with what we all see from the outside.

OR, Garth does know best, and we are not privy to all the things here.

Islanders fans over the course of years has been forced to play armchair GM when Snow (and Smith’s) predecessor seemed to be clueless at the tiller as he steered the ship into unmitigated wreck.So playing armchair GM is just not going to change anytime soon. We still wait for that ship to sail clearer waters.

In the meantime a discerning media, blogdom, public fandom…and now even players, will ask pertinent questions. What it belies is…they didn’t like the official answers. A 6-3 drubbing by the Thrashers last night didn’t quite go down easy either, especially in a huge win before the trade deadline playing top-flight Chicago.

The 800-lb. Gorilla in the Room,

- BD

It is a volatile time for NY Islanders fans. We as fans have been asked a lot, and then left for dead by both the Town of Hempstead and the Lighthouse Project. The Town of Hempstead has a lot to answer for in the poor communication and handling of this large project and to working with developers at the start of this process. The Lighthouse Project has a lot to answer for in a “date of certainty” that both Nick Giglia and I both reported that could never be met almost a year ago. Then a self-implosion within, and then going dark, running seemingly adrift since that time.

As some seem to pull the melodramatic button in a moments notice, including the esteemed Chris Botta who had a great evenhanded piece  suddenly veered to this piece of panic & assumption , erroneously implying that he actually forecast something that other bloggers had already taken the lead on almost 12 hours before on Twitter and hours before in blog. Come on now. Time to read around a bit, don’t you think?

As I alluded on Twitter and as I pointed to long before that the Town of Hempstead is having a press conference this morning on what seems to be the next step (for them that is).

It is not a vote no. It is calling out Charles Wang for not paying the developer FP Clark, who stopped the environmental report. Now, we have bashed both the ToH and FP Clark over 6 months ago for failing to inform the Lighthouse Project of a payment discrepancy. However this is far different. After that, one would think the LHP, had they been serious about finishing this part of things would do their due diligence.

They did not, and there is no excuse.

In fact, it is made many, including, reportedly those around Scott Rechler’s group say that there is no long financing from the Lighthouse Project. That it is dead in the water, and has been since the lights went dark.

There is also the contradiction of meetings, meetings that did happen behind the scenes. That is reportedly where the schism lies. That Charles will not go below 10% reduction to something many people believe he can go far more to still be economically viable. The Town of Hempstead, reportedly, might want a 30-35% reduction of size.

Yet these two stubborn elements can not find a middleground? I would love to blame the Town of Hempstead here (and holy god there is so much to slam them for last year), but it is the Lighthouse who went dark and is doing the misinforming over the very fact they had meetings or even communication.

Very questionable actions that must have me scrutinize motives. 

Kate Murray spoke to NEWS 12 and NEWSDAY last week telegraphing this next move that will be announced. One of whom likely leaked to the Islanders causing the rush to put Charles Wang in front of the camera on Saturday in an attempt to save some face. Instead he dug a hole deeper.  

But it was the LI Herald that broke the news embargo yesterday with this report of what precisely they will announce today at 11am.  

Here is NEWS 12, also pushing forward with their piece. Notice the NEWS12 piece has precise talking points from the ToH, most interestingly.

This does not mean the lights go dark. This does not mean bloggers and fans run around like chickens without a head.

It means we now see where everyone stands.

It means that the Town of Hempstead is pushing forward with their version of the reduction of size and scope

This I do not agree with because it is likely the 30-35% (or more) reduction that they have been pushing. I feel if they really wanted to have things done with the project, they’d at least come to a 25%. For that, they are playing a hard line they better show some flexibility on IF Charles Wang and the Lighthouse Project swallow some hubris and start acting like a development group, and begins a negotiation process.

The problem is….I don’t think that will happen. I think that the Lighthouse Project have been waiting for an excuse to extricate themselves from this with as much saved face as possible. And the rest will be finger pointing by both sides and their advocates thereafter.

It is a sad state of affairs.

I will point to one place now that responsibility now lies. The new County Executive. This is where Mangano now MUST step in and find a common ground. We have heard empty words of Project support, including a ridiculous article on how Ed Mangano has Project supporters around him. A source cites: “Mangano really wants to get this moving”

Well, now it’s time Ed.

The County Executive must now step in…as long as the Lighthouse Project doesn’t further implode and use this as an escape hatch trying to blame the ToH…which is very possible here.  

The new SMG revised lease and the China training camp PR story might be just what Charles Wang wants to walk away with, removing himself trying to put blame on the town. Many have cited he has clearly backed away from the Lighthouse Project since the media blackout, using that to blanket it. If so, then there is a ton of blame here to go on them as well.

Mangano, if he is serious on getting things moving must step in and really tack both sides down. Press on the Lighthouse Project’s true commitment. Press on the Town of Hempstead to make sure they are flexible to some sort of negotiation.

Is this the end game, where everything washes away in anger and blame? All it does is leave Islanders fans high and dry.

Or is this where, when all goes bleak, some sense of responsibility, propriety, honesty and problem-solving step in to get these two sides together. ToH thinks that their plans has them heroes here. They are no heroes. They are an extremely flawed group who sees things through muddle small-town lenses. Lighthouse Project seems to keep playing the victim, which they are not. They have now made themselves the victim by being obstinate and in denial.

Lots to blame. Lots of emotion. Where are the solutions to this mess?

POST PRESS CONFERENCE NOTES:

Town of Hempstead is voting on retaining FP Clark to do a zoning review. There is a 150k cap on this cost.  The desire is to create a scaled down development of the area.

Kate Murray does not want NY Islanders to leave, and does not believe they will. Plans will include refurbished arena.

Newsday: If Wang doesn’t want to do it, they report it will be opened for other developers, who might be interested.

Wang called Kate Murray and was very “pleasant” on the phone about an hour before conference. Looks forward to seeing the plan.

Per Kate Murray, this plan will incorporate many of the things in Charles Wang’s vision

Source: Charles Wang still has not called new Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano. Mangano’s group has called him twice now.

Vote is tomorrow night on it.

Goosby cites that those things she and others have questioned at hearing are not in the report, as the LHP keeps repeating.

Source: If it was in the report, one would think they’d come in and show us the page, right?

She also cited that the Environmental Study is required by state law.

Yesterday, as I have been chasing down Lighthouse Project information that will be hitting the feeder sometime soon, I heard Howie Rose say that he’d be interviewing Charles Wang...about the Lighthouse.

Very timely, since there were rumblings that Lighthouse News was imminent, per sources.

“Ahh, Charlie is trying to head them off at the pass,” I thought to myself.

I was fascinated. This week was going to be a mess was a gut feeling in my pit. Charles Wang did not disappoint as he seem flustered, repetitive and even angry at Howie Rose for bringing it up.

Well, Charles, why else were you there?

All he did was reiterate points made back at October 3rd. Points thrown back at him from Town of Hempstead sources ever since.

The biggest fib that exited his mouth was the one I broke months ago as I found out about a morning meeting between Charles and Kate, and then subsequent meetings between both sides on lower channels to hash issues out. It has been denied by the Lighthouse Project who even put it in a press release before things got dark, and then parroted by the usual public advocates. 

It was even repeated again last night.

Charles to Howie: “There hasn’t been communication with Town, County or anyone else.”

Well…I guess it’s me versus them. Right?

In this morning’s Newsday:

“In response to Wang’s remarks, Town of Hempsteadspokesman Mike Deery said that Wang and the town supervisor, Kate Murray, met one-on-one together in late October, their staffs met once or twice around the same time, and that the parties have exchanged “correspondence” since then.”

Oh wait…really. So these kind of no meetings statements by Charles Wang and some others are NOT actually quite on the up and up?

You don’t say?

I’d look for more blogs and statements to rip on…but I’m tired of picking slop apart on the subject. Despite some personal and professional issues on how some operate or use people for their own ends, I am absolutely disgusted with the Lighthouse coverage specifically. Sorry if this bothers some people, but I am not a fawning reader. I can’t abide. This dude cannot abide.

There is just far too much abiding and not enough questioning. Too much acceptance and not enough discernment. Fans need to stop following and start thinking.

Per a source, this is not the first time there has been a contradiction. I was told that back when Charles Wang first got this public cry of complaint rolling back early last year, he had just met with Kate Murray in a one-on-one meeting. His statement back then was nobody was talking to him. Per that source, this is why the Town has been angry at Charles Wang, and nothing has changed since. This is why the words “bully” had been bandied around.

Well, that’s just your opinion man.

Indeed.

Another source has been telling me throughout the summer, and especially now, that Charles Wang no longer has the financing for this project. That this is all just a giant crazy bluster of saving face.

Just this weekend it was said again…

ToH source: “We believe Charles has no financing anymore for Project. We have heard this even from those connected to LHP”

Meanwhile, the Lighthouse Project, since going dark, had stopped paying FP Clark for their Environmental Review. Something they must have to go forward.

Don’t believe me. Let’s go to that same Newsday piece today…

“The ball’s in his court. They have an outstanding balance with the consultant, and there are unanswered questions that the Lighthouse group is aware of. Quite frankly, you can’t vote on a zoning until the environmentals are completed.”

So, is this all attempt for Charles to blame everyone else and now look for other places? If so, then the Nassau County Lighthouse Project is an abject failure…and not just by one side. There has been far too many missteps, contradictions, and just plain old chicanery here. I’ve had about my fill of it.

“I dropped off the money exactly as per… look, man, I’ve got certain information, all right? Certain things have come to light. And, you know, has it ever occurred to you, that, instead of, uh, you know, running around, uh, uh, blaming me, you know, given the nature of all this new shit, you know, I-I-I-I… this could be a-a-a-a lot more, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, complex, I mean, it’s not just, it might not be just such a simple… uh, you know? ”
- The Dude

 So we finally need to ask, why? Why all this silliness? Why the lies? Why the subterfuge?

One theory might be that the Islanders have made some sort of headway to be one of the main choices for Queens. This would be an amazing feat since over 29 entities are vying for the space at Willet’s Point. It would make Brooklyn rumors merely a feint, and the Nassau County dance just…as Nick Giglia once said aptly: A giant kabuki show.

Another is that Charles is serious about being just a tenant in Brooklyn in a place that would need to be retrofitting to fit hockey. I still find this very hard to believe unless he’s selling.

Meanwhile, with the SMG lease redone, perhaps this is what it was always about. Create a huge ruckus so that in the 11th hour, SMG who is fearful of losing a cash cow, might be able to work further with NY Islanders. After all, it was when all was bleak that Suozzi did this for them.

Who is to say. I am not sure we will ever know the truth of what is going on. To me that is the great crime here.

What needs to be understood here is that this is a situation that Charles himself put himself in. Going dark. Being reactive, not proactive. Stopping the environmental review. This is not actions of a man here for the long haul. They just maybe trying to make chaos so that they convince the NHL they need to move elsewhere. What else would this chaos produce besides more chaos?

Someone keeps peeing on my rug, and I really don’t like it. And stay tuned folks, because this is far from over this week.

Long ago, there was a day that Newsday was a paper that was honorable; that between those partisan lines, it strove for what was newsworthy and important. That this, informing Long Islanders, was its creed and nothing else. Sure, once upon a time it had a strong leftist editorial board. But, the news itself was pertinent, helpful, if not necessary for Long Islanders.

That day is long gone. A new black mark sits on its pages in how it has handled many a story. One proof positive of this papers absolute and total failure is the news that the Town of Hempstead beat writer, once a highly respected and award winning journalist that in the last year became either became disinterested in her job, out of touch, or at worst…. a lazy, slanted, ineffectual reporter, basically “mailing it in” until making a jump to an employer she was partially covering.

She even did a Mangano-focused piece ONE week before accepting a job to be Communication Director for the new Nassau County Executive.

If you are not privy to this story, please read my blog from yesterday about it.

The blemish, and slap of the face of Long Islanders, will be one that does not rub off for a long time. To NY Islander fans, it might be a stain forever. It certainly is a black mark on Ed Mangano. And the guy just started. Not good.

Newsday has fumbled Long Island hockey fans and concerned citizens through fat-buttered-fingers and gravy-grease for years. From lying to it’s advertisers on circulation numbers a few years back, to the shell of itself being sold to the Dolan’s Cablevision; the result seems to be journalism unraveling itself before our very eyes.

Forget the ill-thought out and looming failure of the Cablevision “bright idea” of a pay wall. Newsday needs to answer Long Islanders who went for to them as a source of information and only got a biased and half-stories as one of the beat reporters seemed to bang a drum to a different tune.

The tune is making a move to the body politic, and in doing so, the very fact people were questioning her work for months and months becomes a flaming torch scalding Newsday’s credibility.

Newsday’s editors must speak out. Newsday must say something here.

Then there is the credibility of Eden Laikin’s and Ed Mangano’s own decisions. The Nassau County Executive has just taken office and let of a series of head-scratchers. The decision to hire Laikin isn’t sour grapes or just “Isles-Centric” outrage. It brings forward many questions, and dips the paper she worked for into black pitch.

As an Islanders blogger who has caused both the Lighthouse Project and the Town of Hempstead to pull out their hair, I feel I am in a unique position to heap this criticism. You certainly see some soft hands handling Charles Wang and even Newsday over on some other sites.

None here. I owe nobody favors.

I could work for the NY Islanders, the Town of Hempstead or even Newsday tomorrow and still stand behind my body of work. My Lighthouse expert counterpart here and on his own site, LetTheBeLight(house), Nick Giglia, could say the same.

Laikin can not. Not even close.

And she was the journalist.

This simply boggles my mind.

Perhaps I’m just bitter. But in following this story over a year, putting heart, soul and effort into it, I am outraged, aghast, and just frustrated with the lack of anything cohesive from the one mainstream press paper  that does follow the Islanders and the Town of Hempstead. Not in that she is working for Mangano. I couldn’t care less. But that her body of work over the last year was factually incorrect, incomplete, slanted, missing information, skewed, lacking any depth… and I could go on and on.

A source disagrees with my (and many others assessment) on Eden Laikin:

“Good move with Eden Laikin.  She was a good investigative reporter and knew a lot of the b.s. that went on in the ToH.  Now someone with have to start from the ground up on the ToH beat.  It takes some of the pressure off the ToH administration with her gone.  We’ll see who the replacement is.  In my 10 years at the ToH, there have been about 4-5 different reporters.  Too much turnover.”

My guess on the disparity is my source is not an Isles fan. Nor are they ToH. So it does become a head-scratcher.

One theory is that Laikin didn’t quite with the Newsday corporate changeover. Per one source: there is virtually a battle going on there in the news room.

In one piece over the summer, upon complaints, she cited Newsday’s Editors as the issue. But for a paper that was calling out the ToH on it’s editorial pages, suddenly the editors were curtailing work in the other space? It does not equate unless Newsday internal structure was in complete disarray.

According to one Democratic source: Laikin has said that she did not believe that the Lighthouse Project would get done.

Is that just a hard-line from observation or a personal belief that had spilled over to her work (and lack thereof) over the course of the year?

Ok, so I am not making friends with the Mangano campaign. So what? I am certainly not a pal of Newsday, who wanted to talk to me about doing some hockey blogs on the site earlier this summer. I chose to make HockeyIndependent instead.

In doing so, I have chosen to glean truth and desiring to remove the innocuous, subtle spinning that other blogs or mainstream sites have done.

Whether it hurts or hinders me in the long run, I will not change who I am. Newsday and Eden Laikin, however, cannot say the same. Good luck with the new job, Eden. Hope it was worth it.

As for Newsday…they owe Long Islanders, besides NY Islanders fans and concerned parties, a huge apology.

The long litany of questionable work from Laikin and Newsday over 2009-2010:
Blogs on IslandersIndependent

Blogs on HockeyIndependent

Though we all are probably hopeful on the new Nassau County Executive, Ed Mangaro, as he now takes office, there are some reasons to be concerned,

Rhetoric, Firings & Censorship:
Once Mangano won, rhetoric heated up on the Town of Hempstead side of the aisle. Smelling blood like a UFC fighter, they started talking smack behind the scenes.

They began to even question the very lease deal worked out between Suozzi and the Lighthouse Project. Of course, Suozzi pulled one over on them.

As for censorship, reportedly all references to the Lighthouse have been deleted from County web sites. This, as Mangano takes office, is extremely concerning that some are trying to erase something from the conversation, perhaps? This is far worse than just some bloggers deleting comments.

Rhetoric, censorship and controlling the debate weigh the process down. It is one of the reasons the Lighthouse Project ‘going dark’ has been misguided and foolish. I believe it has not helped, but instead hurt and hindered the cause.

But what is truly concerning here is the firing of Ed Aulman, who was head of Nassau County Veteran Affairs. Ed was a supporter of the Lighthouse Project, and had been to hearings/meetings for it. Veterans are up in arms, and of course, many are outraged.  But, in lieu of the many moves here, seems to be more than just changing the guard, as the Mangano group as suggested. Sounds political.

Maybe Newsday can do another puff piece that Mangano is surrounding himself with Lighthouse Supporters.

Yeah right! Ok, terrific.

Money Trail:

Most interesting is the flood of cash that has entered Mangano’s coffers after he won. Thanks to Nick Giglia, we know that some developers and Al D’Amato’s PAC have made GENEROUS donations.

No comment has been made by Mangano’s campaign, but it is heavily concerning for a myriad of reasons. Developers stand to gain from a Lighthouse Project flame out. Meanwhile D’Amato is a fearsome specter thanks to the ONE good piece Newsday ran for the entire year on the Lighthouse, thanks to their investigative reporter. I guess one for 100 is, hmm…1%. Good job!

Mangano’s Team:

Speaking of reporters, Mangano has assembled an eye-opener of a team of just that. Mike Martino, former of the LI Press, becomes Press Secretary. Martino, interestingly enough, is the very person who wrote LIGHTS OUT?, citing that Charles Wang had pulled the plug.

Yes, a real eye-opener. Wait, it gets better…

Sit down.

Breathe deeply.

Eden Laikin, of Newsday, who tossed softballs at the Town of Hempstead IS HIS boss.

She is Communications Director for Ed Mangano.

I’d laugh if it wasn’t so damn sad.

She had a story on Mangano just last week. Jumped ship right after. Outrageous, irresponsible, unprofessional and just plain wrong. Will Newsday do something about their own questionable integrity now?

Assessment:

MEANWHILE, we’ll give Martino the benefit of the doubt. I have read some solid work from him , and I believe the other side of the aisles or Lighthouse/Isles source was the basis of the Light’s Out story. Though, also in his work it is clear he wasn’t a Suozzi fan, either. But I have been long concerned that writer and journalist’s personal vices and politics do skew the work and attentions they focus on. LI Press and Mike’s work had strong opinions and attentions. But, then again, FoxNews and MSNBC are fair and balanced, right? A bigger and more subtle issue that we won’t pin on Mikey.

HOWEVER, IF it was the Republican party or connected to the ToH or Mangano campaign, well it is a very dark contemplation. It would be a slimy dirty trick that might make all of us question what they all stand for.

Mike Martino is an honorable man in my estimation, and I’ll go with that, despite some questions in lieu of the plethora of other things I’ve cited here.

BUT, we don’t need to contemplate Laikin much. We just have to laugh at the sheer mockery that her reporting took as she basically was last to stories, soft on the ToH, and horrific on the Lighthouse Project. Was this really just Newsday Editors out-of-touch, or just not watching as Laikin making “balance” more like a listing galleon on Newsday pages and website?

Mangano, in my opinion, would have been better off with a Communications Director that could actually Communicate. Well, besides in embarrassing emails threatening lawsuits to bloggers who had the nerve to criticize her. Yes, a real piece of work.

Laikin’s inclusion is a black mark on journalism, Newsday, and the Mangano group. It is more than severely questionable, for her, Newsday and Mangano. It lends itself to many questions.

Eden is smart lady who was extremely perceptive in person, but in the course of the year, suddenly couldn’t write her way out of a paperbag. But DID write her way from her job and into the new Body Politic on Long Island. One has to wonder of deeper connections between the two, besides just the Newsday murk.

To say something is rotten is an understatement. Lots of questions are coming to the fray, instead.

Be wary. The stink is rather noxious.

Funny thing happened on last night’s HNIC telecast…they had a quick blurb on that Charles Wang was fed-up with the Lighthouse situation and was looking to sell the team.

Funny…in that all the way back in Feb 09 I had a piece on just that scenario as Charles Wang was meeting one potential buyer at Gary Bettman’s behest. However, nothing really came of it. Or was it just due diligence and a far-envisioning Bettman forseeing the mess that would come between what Nick Giglia aptly terms: an unstoppable force hitting an immovable object.

Some Isles bloggers seemed to be in a panic last few months pushing fans to Queens, Brooklyn, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, and of this late date…maybe now Nassau again. Talk about hedging your bets.

REMEMBER THIS ONE?

“And with each week, Queens becomes a more realistic, attractive option. Did you know there is a Charles B. Wang Community Health Center in Flushing? Did you know Wang’s family moved to Queens when…” One blogger on 3/23/09

Oh boy. No wonder Islander fans have been in a tizzy. This spurred on push has been going on for months…so much it has left many of a fan base confused/irate or like lemmings waiting for the next rumor. Everyone seems to have a lot of guesses. But no solutions. Plying another area IS NOT a solution. Especially when they are reticent to actually going into the negatives of each area. Instead it has been up to others to remind that Brooklyn, Queens and Suffolk are not easy places, and are rife with their own issues. We all want an easy solution…just aren’t any.

If these were truly solutions offered, then it is on those same bloggers to divvy into the real issues of that area as well. The fact they many do not is not quite responsible and smacks of agenda to this blogger.

It seems at times that some in the blogosphere and mainstream press prefer the Isles faithful confused, by changing gears so often. That and citing perhaps only half a story.  Is this for more readers or paper sales? Add whit the media blackout by the Lighthouse Development Group, and all we are left with is rumor, innuendo and a state of fear for the hard trudging fan who was called for service earlier this summer.

If we flash back to the very start of this ridiculous slew of events, we’d come across the Kansas City rumor. The Isles moving out of this area was never going to happen, despite words otherwise… KC was never EVER a reality. Anyone who read my blogs on the subject would know it was a pile of crap from the very start. Err…the rumor, not my blog.

Not to tout my own horn too much, but the my take on KC proved a reality when Charles Wang admitted that they were never going to KC when they met with the Nassau County Legislature mid-summer.

Though that rumor as dumb and far-fetched as it was still grabbed up by Newsday for a whole series of articles….on a subject that was never going to happen.

BLOGGER NOTE: If we look back over the course of the year, Newsday has eaten humble pie for just about everything. To the ridiculous KC rumor they ate up, to the Queens/Brooklyn spin, to god knows what else. They even bit on the Matt Duchene rumor which was an obvious phantom ploy by the Isles who had decided extremely early who their pick was.Sadly, Logan took the fall. But who takes the fall for the slew of erroneous, ill-found, slanted Hempstead work, and non-reported issues Newsday has done over the year?

As I said on radio, blog, and anywhere else, the NHL will NOT let a cup-winning, much less, dynasty team from a lucrative market move outside the region.They already looked weak with the Phoenix fiasco, where they had to change their plans to do the draft there to show their power, to now LA.

Ok, not outside…but what about Queens, Brooklyn and other areas within the NY area. Well, there is something there once Nassau is closed out.

The reason Queens has moved to the wayside in the rumor-mill is due to that the Isles would be 1 of over 29 possible suitors. That’s not good odds, thus Fans and Bloggers Who Cry Queens has moved away from citing Queens as a rumor anymore, and now is the Fans & Bloggers Who Cry Brooklyn.

Brooklyn? Sure. Right. Yeah.

Most already know my take on the place. To me,  it is just another apple thrown in front of Isles fans by the stick of the same ilk.

Wang would never be a tenant … much less to a guy he hates. Ratner torpedoed his NJ Nets dream and two-team Coliseum move that would have made things a lot smoother for his Lighthouse Project. But now we are supposed to think the Isles will be retro-fitted possibly in Brooklyn thanks to some innocuous text?

Way too many are retro-fitting Brooklyn to fit the Isles.

If Wang would sell to the Russian billionaire…sure. THEN there are legs to it. I’ll give it that.

But last night, in the vacuum of lack-of-info came the HNIC rumor of possibly selling. Very strange.

This was a rumor way back from Eklund of all people that Wang was considering selling the team. Of course, that led to a bitch-slapping fest between him and Chris Botta…”protector of the Isles” who was conveniently  also receiving a severance check from that very team at the time.

Or, as Chris Botta immediately responded from his own vacation in a cantankerous mood as if he was Christain Bale on a movie set. He insinuated that Eklund launched a rumor capitalizing from a large long island readership on Hockeybuzz and because his Bottaness was out of the country.

Will Charles Wang sell the Isles? Well, more on that later…

The bigger issue is that people need to stop trying to be the hero to guessing the results on all this and start actually reporting from both sides of the issue. If people are just going to hedge bets and try to remind us they had it back when with the ten thousand other guesses they made, they are wasting time, effort, and should try a new field of work.

Nassau: make no bones about it. IT is in trouble right now. Wang says he’s done and waiting for a vote. However according to the ToH, the LHP is supposed to supply information to them. Between the two sides there is now a lot of bad blood over the hullabaloo that has gone on all the way since Feb of this year.

So is Wang ready to sell? Who knows. So much games have been played by both sides, the only thing that is clear is the deep divide and the unwillingness by both sides to reach any kind of flexible compromise.

If Wang is to sell, can someone like Scott Rechler take over…a man who the ToH has made many a comment on being far more reasonable, respectable and knowing how to play this game? Or does anyone want to buy-in to a team clearly on the rise, but with a horrendous venue that leaks cash, and deal with the entrenched political system that has left the Coliseum and area in disarray for years and years.

Guess there is a sucker born every minute. After all, D’Amato got Charles Wang to buy the Islanders in the first place.

Anything is possible, but the stare-down between the LHP and ToH needs some smarts, not political and public relations shellac. Meanwhile, Edward Mangano has yet to take over as Nassau Exec, yet has his coffers padded by many developers who seem to be positioning themselves for Charles Wang’s failure in Nassau County. That is a sour feeling as we go into a holiday season with not much clarity and a hell of a lot of confusion.

BUT, if he does…do we open up Pandoras Box on Long Island once again? NY islanders can pin a lot of their woes in the last 15 years not only on a horrendous GM, but also a mess of ownership.

To me, this project is about Charles Wang’s legacy…just as buying the Isles in the first place was to lay foundation for that purpose. I don’t see him selling until he FORCES the ToH’s hand to vote NO. Or until the new year when Mangano and the Republicans take over.

Just my humble opinion. And yes, it does go against we we have heard from others. I am complained to them privately and publicly that they are telling only half a story. The answer I was given was some passive/aggressive veiled threat  and they didn’t care since they have a large size of audience. No answer I will accept.

- BD

The New York Islanders have been, for many years, the Rodney Dangerfield of the National Hockey League.  Some people have worried that the franchise “don’t get any respect,” and the constant hit pieces in the press (including that pathetic piece from last year suggesting John Tavares refuse to play for the team if drafted by them) reinforce that.  A short piece appeared in the business section of yesterday’s Newsday and served as the latest salvo in the continuing disrespect of the Islanders (I’d link to it, but their site is being moody, and most of you wouldn’t be able to see it behind the ridiculous paywall anyway).  Other bloggers have had blistering takes on the article, and while I do not like the Newsday piece, I want to take a different tactic.

The article, entitled “Slippery Surface for Islanders,” paints a dire picture of a franchise that is losing value and about which nobody seems to care.  I will say first off that the writer did not present a full picture of the Islanders’ financial situation.  The writer cites a 3%, or $5.6 million, drop in the team’s value in 2009 as compared to 2008.  The team is now valued at $149 million, $46 million less than Charles Wang paid for the franchise in 2000 (in absolute numbers, not counting for inflation), and, as the paper made sure to mention, “third from the bottom” in the league.

The picture is not pretty, but there are pieces left out.  The author does not mention that 14 of the 30 National Hockey League franchises lost value in the past year, largely as a result of the bad economy.  In addition, the author also forgets to mention that, percentage-wise, 7 teams lost more value than the Islanders (including the Colorado Avalanche, whose value plummeted 11% after a disappointing season).

The author then hits all the tired buzzwords that fans of the Islanders are so used to hearing, including the attendance that’s been as low as 6,000 on weekday games.  He also falsely accuses Mr. Wang of threatening to move the Islanders to Kansas City if the Lighthouse Project is not approved.  It’s true that the owner has promised to “explore other options,” but there is not an active threat to move the team to any specific location.

There is also a quote from John Meindl, president of Sportsbrandedmedia, a sports marketing company in Rockville Centre, that hits at the crux of the issue.  Mr. Meindl claimed Long Island lost its love affair with the Islanders shortly after the dynasty in the early 1980′s, saying that, if the Islanders left, “there wouldn’t be a lot of sleepless nights.”

I had a visceral reaction to this at first, but, in all honesty, you can’t blame Mr. Meindl for drawing such a conclusion.  Let’s take a look at a few specific issues:

• 2 weeks ago, an election that will largely determine the fate of the Lighthouse Project was held.  Turnout was pathetically low, the Lighthouse was not a galvanizing issue, and project supporters did not play a key role in any races.
• The New York Islanders are showing signs of life, yet fans still do not go to games.
• Time and again, including the example of the Hartford Whalers, teams have moved, and high-level politicians have not paid for it with their jobs.
• Now that the project has hit a rough patch, people are rightly clamoring for another event, such as a rally.  To be honest, I don’t want to schedule any kind of a rally unless there’s an assurance people will come.
• While Ed Mangano showed a sense of urgency about the Lighthouse Project in my interview with him, we’ve already had two elections where the Lighthouse was not a factor (Greg Peterson couldn’t defeat Tom Suozzi in 05 by opposing it, and Tom Suozzi looks like he won’t be able to keep his job despite supporting it).  If Mr. Mangano takes office, how could he fear losing his job if the project fails?

This is the key question: How can we expect to be given respect if we don’t act in a way that demands it?

I spoke about this on Islanders Independent over the summer; Islanders fans need to understand that their behavior

Bottom Line

If we want to be taken seriously, and if we want the Lighthouse Project to happen, we can’t sit back and wait for people to take us seriously.  We got this process moving along, and we made the Town of Hempstead take notice, because we organized and positively advocated for the project.  We can’t sit back now when there is still so much left to do.

Where can we go from here? Many places.  We can write letters to the Town of Hempstead reminding them of our advocacy for the Lighthouse Project.  We can go to games (if we can, I know times are tough) and take advantage of the team’s ticket promotions.  If we don’t like something that’s written, we should contact the author or the author’s editor to make sure our voices are heard.

I know we exist.  You know we exist.  Now let’s prove it.

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Did you know the Islanders beat the Rangers last night? If you looked at your Newsday, you’d have to look hard for it. But it’s there buried 18 pages…yes 18…in the sports pages behind the World Series gripes, a throwaway article about the umps being right on a call, more baseball guff, basketball, football, and then some hockey stuff.

Gone are the days of deep insightful analysis. It seems Newsday’s new philosophy is to flood hot subjects with content and let god sort’em out. Gone are the deeper naunced texture of what made Newsday a great sport section back in the later 90s. Satisfy the common denominator seems the new beat, and beating that dead horse til it draws glue to keep Long Islanders reading.

The new school seems to want to tweak, pinch and sooth the sports nerve. When drama invades Isles Country or controversy, they’ll flood us with a Mark Herrmann piece, an Arthur Staple piece to irk us, a Jim Baumbach one to tweak or an Anthony Rieber to outrage. Or get their Town of Hempstead steward to put forth one. They will look to churn the content, but to me it lacks the depth and insight to why we used to go there or read the paper in the first place. I grew up reading this paper. I know what and why I read.

But until when the powers-that-be (content direction deciders) point in our direction, Islanders and Ranger articles seem to be buried behind a pecking-order despite the rivalry. And the fact it is the rivalry being ignored is a slap in the face to Long Island hockey fans.

Hockey news across the board has failed to meet our needs. Sports news and even regular news has gone the same way. Things are so ham-handed, talked-down-to, patronizing, and diluted to demographics they have forgotten they are servicing people, fans and inquiring minds.

Today, Newsday’s website closes its doors in the backward attempt to pretend it is relevant, needed and a commodity…like it used to once be. The real attempt is a bright idea to get everyone to register. A failed move that has killed many a business or organization. Newsday’s content simply hasn’t been good enough to chase to me. Just as the coverage, despite the effort of new beat writer and all-around great person, Katie Strang, isn’t enough to leaf through 18 pages to find.

I’ve moved on.

Remember the meeting that didn’t happen? Breakfast with Dick and Jane…errr, Charles and Kate. But, hey, “no meetings happened or are happening”. Meetings can only occur if someone ordered waffles evidently.

Denial or not, that was a few weeks ago. So what’s happened since…

Wouldn’t you know it? Another meeting. This time with underlings instead. As was described in this very blog waaaaaay back before Newsday. Yes, I’m stirring the pot with them before they close the moat to the Cablevison insular castle where they can then just read themselves. Bye bye, Edie!

So likely this meetings “that aren’t happening” will continue to be what sources say are “quiet discussions”.

A point on Newsday: It is a terrible business practice to take one product and think it should be treated like another product. A newspaper and site is not a cable box, ladies and gents. Apples to oranges. Meanwhile, the Newsday website is a horror that is still hard to navigate and hard to read. To close it to subscriber-only seems suicidal and stubborn to realities of what comes free this day and age. So Newsday is burying their head’s like an Ostrich.

Interesting thing happened in Garden City. Several letters ended up pro-Lighthouse and ran in the Garden City Press. The Official Lighthouse blog touted these. Except for one thing: quite a few were written by proponents of the Lighthouse Project where those who are connected or stand to gain fiscally/economically by the project.

A few even identified themselves when they spoke at the hearing back in August. Yet nobody seemed to do so when writing declaring their support in the Garden City Press except for Michael Picker. Not Charles M. Strain: managing partner to FarrellFritz, where Larry Feldman, attorney to the Lighthouse Project who passed away earlier this year, was also a partner. Nor did Joanne Holewa, a 25 year employee of the Islanders who “has been the deputy to every Islanders GM“.

Lighthouse proponents mailing the GC Press will backfire as they are really goading the minority there…and let me tell you the village trustees, mayor and two dingbats from Eastern Property Owners’ Association are indeed a minority when most regular Garden City population don’t care as long as there isn’t Light Rail disturbing their iddylic shangri-la-de-da. But if you keep mailing the GCP and making people concerned? That will get them going where most didn’t care as long as they can shop at Nordstrom’s without a hassle.

But, those mailing should have identified themselves nonetheless, just as the woman from Easton Properties should have back when she slammed the project on her own letter months ago, which Nick Giglia called her out on.

While on the subject of the Lighthouse, Queens and Brooklyn cheerleader Chris Botta is pushing Willet’s Point (again), despite the negotiations going on quietly in meetings. Go Spartans!

Hilariously, many of posting in his comment section seem pile-on that Queens bandwagon yesterday, as well.

I certainly get the ill-ease, frustrations and the desire for a solution by Isles fans and bloggers alike, but thinking Willets Point is paved with gold is seriously naïve and misdirected. Sure it’s an option…a fallback. A position of retreat if 5 years of work with the County and the many months of the ToH come to a fail whale.

The Queens Chamber of Commerce will keep calling the Isles like a street hooker. But the lay, errrr…way  is fraught with issues besides some environmental VD.

Meanwhile, the Islanders just keep on losing . . .
Yes, the team is young and needs to learn how to win, hold leads, etc… But I still question the level of talent on those deeper lines and defense to be able to do that. Are they NHL level? Well some for sure. But are they NHL talented enough to compete on a consistent basis and to a level that has them not stuck in the NHL basement?

Well that is the bigger question: My answer is no.

Last night the Isles faced Montreal and Halak again. Montreal has played better, including a 5-1 drubbing of the Islanders to came to MTL with none of what they showed when they beat and held off Carolina. Now the Isles came in with a shot to avenge. And in that first period, wilted and weathered a storm.

If vengeance isn’t enough impetus to show more than they did last time, then some should just pack it in. In the first period last night, you’d almost think that was the case. But the Isles gave it a shot with Jeff Tambellini showing up to score two. Tambs showed the play in a snapshot of what he is capable of in drips and dribbles of being possibly more than a speedy 4th liner. Now, the big question that has dogged him for years, can he just build on it?

Isles face the Rangers tomorrow night back at home. Home where there is a strong difference in their play.

HOME

Giveaways: 52

Takeaways: 74

AWAY

Giveaways: 68

Takeaways: 38

These aren’t particularly good. They are 3rd in Giveaways in the NHL this season. But, credit is where it is due: They are first in Takeaways in the NHL.

One ghost of loss have been exorcised last night, and at least there is one less ghoul lurking in the Coliseum. Sadly, there are many more.

Unlike the gloss and shellac painted onto an admittedly relieving win by those who give the Islanders the good vibrations they desire, there are major areas of concerns. In each loss, invariably there is a difference in the shot column. It is a by-product of opposing team momentum and control, best described by a boxing term: ring generalship.

This is when one boxer dictates the action of the round and tends to causes the opponent to react to him or her. The third period generalship by the Hurricanes had Islanders fans and likely players reeling.

Don't buy into the Buzz

Dwayne Roloson, touted by the Isles for his previous years of being the kind of guy who can stop that kind of onslaught has really yet to capture those halcyon days. In fact neither goalie has really stretched that almost impossible divide to counter a loss of game control by coach and team that seems to be the ritual la habitual. Then again, Roloson has gotten better, and hopefully the defense in front of him will follow.

Period generalship was lost last night by both teams when they allowed the other to impose its will. The Islanders came out as in previous games in what Stan Fischler calls: vim and vinegar. Then in later periods, they did what I like to call: pissing it all away.

Yes, in the shootout, rookie extraordinaire John Tavares notched a goal, allowing the Islanders to finally get a victory. But, you should also give the credit to finally a shootout where as Isles goalie didn’t allow the opponent to put it away. Moreover, the most concerning thing is how Albert’s hit on Tavares against the board in the third period was somehow unpenalized. In a league that protects star players almost to a ridiculous degree, how can the referees miss a blatant late hit? As the wind was knocked out of Tavares, the wind collectively was knocked out of a fanbase who has taken so many hits they are almost punchdrunk.

Scott Gordon had to be happier, as one could probably hear Brian Burke howling: “Noooooooooooo!” back from Toronto as they are the only team in the league without a win. They have 1 point. The Islanders have 5 now.

So as fans walk with a jolt to their step and where the sun seems a bit more brighter today, we still all are in an insecure Long Island world where a venue and futures sits upon a political precipice. Yes, finally the Isles notch a win, but there are sobering realities beneath the very stretched good vibe veneer. This game is only different from the first few in that in OT, they actually held them off with two shootout goals. A much needed win, but still with the same things going on that had them losing.

Stay tuned later or tomorrow for a Lighthouse Project piece that puts some of the ToH Town Board issues in perspectives. Something else you won’t read in Newsday. Newsday, who by the way, will be pissing away their own blogging and online coverage by going subscriber only. Great idea, cut your viewership even more. Brilliant!

bd@hockeyindependent.com

I was given a snide email last night by a certain mainstream media writer who took umbrage at my commentary of the local paper constantly being a week behind. To be honest, calling them a week behind to be honest, in my opinion, was kind.

The email and response is below. BUT I’d like you all to weigh into a poll that it has spurred me to do, also. Please spread the word on the poll to sites and boards. This is not about this blog and writer, but the blogosphere vs the mainstream press….in the case of the Lighthouse Project and beyond…

Email: (names removed to protect the guilty)

you might want to check your facts before you post idiotic, incorrect
half-truths on your site.
Newsday isn’t a week late on anything to do with the Lighthouse story.
today’s story was about a letter sent yesterday morning in response to a
letter sent last thursday.

MY RESPONSE: (part of it)

So, let’s do that poll:

The question is simple, for the Lighthouse Project, who is your main source of info? Newsday? Or the blogosphere?

And I don’t mean just me. If you aren’t reading my fellow HI Isles bloggers, or Chris Botta IslandersPointblank, Nick Giglia LetThereBeLight(house), and Dominic of Lighthouse Hockey, you are seriously short-changing yourself.

So here it is: Poll#1

Maybe we should expand this to all things hockeycentric… Poll#2

Welcome To The Cone of Silence Agent 86!

UPDATE: Per a source, the Lighthouse Project met last night. Smells like damage control. Someone must have gave out a directive to wait until today. That in itself is problematic, insulting and what makes it still stink to high-heaven.

But what is the official take on the LI Press story that engulfed the entire Islander fanbase? There wasn’t one until 11:30am this morning:

This statement was issued by Charles B. Wang, Principal of Lighthouse Development Group and Owner of the New York Islanders, at 11:30 a.m. today.

“Yesterday’s report on the Lighthouse project which appeared in the Long Island Press is untrue. There are no plans to abandon this project which is so vital to the future of Nassau County and Long Island as a whole.

As far as the status of the Lighthouse project, we have submitted to The Town of Hempstead and Supervisor Kate Murray all the studies and required documents. A lease has been negotiated. Supervisor Murray and the Town Board need to make a decision on the zoning.

Long Island stands in this defining moment waiting for an answer. Yes or no.

Moving forward, we will not discuss any meetings in the media. Any reports of meetings should be considered untrue.

My heart is still on Long Island. I love Long Island. This is where the Islanders belong. Let’s play hockey.”

This follows their first play to Newsday to supply it an hour earlier. Last night Newsday ran a piece on what is likely a top LHP brass (not Wang) who says nothing has been abandoned. Feel played? You should, it is likely that the situation was either manufactured or simply preyed upon, once again using fans as the pivot in-between two sides that need to work issues out. You can blow smoke up our asses all day long about Atlantic Yard Brooklyn…who is now being sued by residents about eminent domain, and Willet’s Point… fraught with issues. To me, it is Nassau or bust.

And for a group who accused the Town of Hempstead to playing games? What was yesterday, ladies and gents?

Let’s go back to the start of it…

Somewhere within the media blackout of silence that resembled the Cone of Silence from Get Smart, someone got antsy. Someone attempted to go to the papers and tell a tale as the rest of the Isles faithful sweated it out. Newsday, despite all the Chuck Dolan nutty conspiracy stories by some, will not do a story with one unnamed source. So it is that reason perhaps that the Long Island Press had an exclusive that Charles Wang had pulled up shop, reassigned staff and all went “dark”. This is actually true. Some staff, reportedly, have been reassigned. It was probably set in motion long before the October 3rd deadline. Perhaps even planned to coincide? Plainview offices have been consolidated to the Coliseum. Currently, the inner offices at the Coliseum resemble a giant dorm room . . . errr . . . without the gravity bong.

I called three people when that story came out. One with the Islanders. One with the Town of Hempstead. One well-placed smack dab in-between. All three don’t buy the hype or rumor. Unless the Lighthouse Project or Charles Wang give out a certain statement, all this rumor and innuendo is just that.

If true or not, this silence if continued is an lack of professionalism by using that drama, because all it does is affect long suffering fans. Fans have been asked to do so much. They really deserve far better.

The question that smack most is who is the unnamed source and were they really in the know, or just sucked up for a paper who hasn’t had many words or a timely article for this entire process. IS it really someone with a bone to pick or with inside information, or just someone with half a story? Was this a setup, which is something the LI Press article alludes to the possibility? Or was this a frustration of “5 years” despite the fact it was only in the Town of Hempstead’s for less than one?

A lot of questions and little insight except for a little buzz for a free paper.

Whatever the case, as some promote Brooklyn or Queens to assuage their own fears and concerns, let it be known that this ham handed drama still has not played out. Last week, Kate Murray and Charles Wang met for breakfast and agreed to bring in others into meetings. Then late last week, Charles tried to ammend that to also include the labor group.

Per a source: “Kate and Charles had a positive meeting. I find it hard to believe that he’d opt out unless he had finance problems”

It is there belief, unless rumors pull true, that they will continue to meet and work out issues.

But, that isn’t so easy, says another source. If there is a point in which Charles decides that this is not worth his while, he is capable of changing his mind and taking it as a NO.

So is this moved for others to hash out, and did someone just get antsy and chattering simply because they misconstrued the actions/motions of another Islanders office consolidation.  Is this a final gambit/ploy to get the full project? Or has Charlie finally had his Good and Plenty?

Or is this the escape hatch they hoped for all along where they are no longer on their own wallet to pay for their own venue? Or is an amateur move by a group involved that were slurping a bit too much of the kool aid?

Meanwhile, despite the rumors, there are some hard truths hidden in there . . .

What would happen if he did?

Is there a contingency plan coming about for that land? Something on a small scale that perhaps was more palatable to the Smallville ethos that the Town of Hempstead subscribes to in an election year. Many developers have adopted a “wait and see” attitude to this entire situation. One can wonder if some are already coming up with ideas in which to throw if it comes to that the Project fails. Some have to be rubbing their palms furiously. Unfortunately that doesn’t answer the more important issue of the fate of the Islanders, in any case.

Per a ToH source: “That land will be developed. It will not just sit there. We will do something with it if Charles Wang decides to move on.”

BUT What is it is true???? What if that source had something juicy before the Isles/Wang could announce? Ok, let us examine . . .

Whatever proceeds here, the blowback, if this is all correct from the article, will litter them all. Charles Wang looks like a flaky business man who gives money away to goalies with lifetime deals but complains about money spent on getting the Lighthouse Project pushed through and then as soon as his own date to have certainty, he even says that he’s still talking, but then . . . jumps ship? If true, it looks terrible for the Lighthouse Project and Charles Wang. Because as of last week, they were talking.

The Town of Hempstead also would get theirs . . .  they who used aloof and silence as a weapon faces serious questions on ideas, ideals and intent as a huge recession buster of a project walks away. As the waltz to re-election now faces irate fans looking to blame where Pavlov pointed. Sure, Murray does get re-elected, but memories of pissed off fans are long indeed. Someday the piper will be paid.

The Islanders, who for all Charles Wang’s spending on the Lighthouse, has gutted the business structure and has people juggling multiple roles and hats. This seems more message of shearing the business organization. This was something perhaps put in motion over year ago. So, despite the play on this to the press, it seems that the LH being “darkened” is simply because only the top brass are involved anymore, and most else had to be changed.

So, to me, the LI Press piece and source is not telling the entire story.

So will this be the end? Or just an attempt at rumor and innuendo to play the press that blew up in the Lighthouse’s own face? Or is there more twists and turns as gambits and ploys hit the feeders as two sides jostle with Islanders fans left tied above the boiling cauldron like an old episode of Batman and Robin? So is all for naught by a nut and small-town retreads, or is this waiting for the “rescue” as this is the climax and all gasp and tremble with POW! BAM! and KABOOM!??

We fans have been pushed and pulled throughout this drama of discord and antics that will have me looking to write a book if this truly goes belly-up. In the end, this is another chapter to a sad state of affairs where we fans are the one holding the bill, bitter taste, and dirty laundry. Only a happy ending to this story is acceptable. Meanwhile the Lighthouse Group meets within their own created media blackout. Will they answer, put out flames, or just add more gasoline?

Nobody is telling, but meanwhile don’t buy the hype wholesale.

I don’t know if it was something in the air or the stars aligning a certain way this first day or autumn. To Isles fans, Fall is how they are feeling from reading Newsday’s skewed take on the proceedings yesterday at the Lighthouse Hearing. Newsday coverage of the Lighthouse Project and the Town of Hempstead is one of the most sloppy, inconsistent, just plain wrong, if not amateurish I have ever seen in a newspaper besides the NY Post.

Then later I read Christopher Botta’s blog on AOL Fanhouse, and have to say, love the guy, but not quite agreeing with his blog either. The blogs and many fans feedback ranged from anger, frustration, panic, to defeat, to…now a MOVING VAN? However, his strong point is that this hearing is putting Charles Wang date of “certainty” on October 3rd in jeopardy. But it is Charles Wang himself who is downplaying October 3rd recently.

Has anyone actually been to a hearing before. A zoning hearing no less? Someone once told me the tale of how the Town Board hammered two guys for over 45 minutes when all they wanted to do is landscape around their Auto body shop. Listen, I don’t think the hearing went that great from a Lighthouse point-of-view. But, the air is getting mighty thick with all sorts of takes. Let’s try to make sense of it . . .

Look, I am as concerned as an Islanders fan as anyone else on the longterm health of the team, the business and believe in the Lighthouse Project. I get that many, including former Isles employees who fought the fight for 20 some odd years during some VERY rough and tumble times, are going to be concerned about yesterday. Nick Giglia, Dee Karl, Doug Davidson, and many others all had strong takes and concerns on the goings on.

The Lighthouse House Project Is From Mars, And The Town of Hempstead Is From Venus

To me, yesterday’s hearing feel I was getting was polar opposition moving away from the center than towards it. That the Town of Hempstead made a big production of taking the Lighthouse to task at the hearing, even if they also looked like horses asses while doing it. As we read in last night’s blog, there are completely two different takes stemming from the proceedings. There is a large expanse between both perceptions, and that to me was also concerning.

I publicly warned what it might lead to if the ToH continues to play hardball. Evidently, they seem quite clear on that. For this morning at the Baldwin train station was none other than Mark Bonilla and the matriarch of the Town of Hempstead itself, Kate Murray.

So I spoke to Mark Bonilla first, telling him my concerns over the Lighthouse Project/ToH post meeting. Bonilla was very positive about the project.

“Listen, we just need to make sure of things. Don’t worry, this is going to happen. But it is our job to ask those questions and check certain things.”
Interesting take on the record, having identified myself as a NY Islanders blogger.

Murray & Me:

The Big Kahuna waiting for me at the top of the LIRR stairs where we had about a 10 minute conversation, after identifying myself.

Her first words out of her mouth floored me: “Listen, don’t worry, the Lighthouse Project is going to happen.”

Whhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!??!?!?!? I then talked to her about some feedback I got from many fans, bloggers and some of the text I was reading on the subject this morning. I mentioned the “dire straits” of what we were reading, hearing and seeing.

“It’s not dire at all. the meeting was usual for hearings like that. That is how those meetings go. That’s interesting that Isles fans walked away that it was contentious and they were disheartened, but this is how these types of hearings go. The Project is fine. Take heart.”

Now, we can all wonder where the truth is to all this. Is it the undisguised panic on one end? Is it the calm reassurance of the other? Or is it the thinly disguised contempt for Charles Wang from one source who called him a bully earlier this year? Or is it “Ass-to-Mouth” who cited yesterday that the Town Board has serious concerns and did not like the answers? Or is it Nick Giglia’s sharp take on that the Board didn’t seem to listen, or simply didn’t want to?

Or is it really somewhere in-between? Is it beneath the veneer of the political shellac which is being liberally applied by both parties, as Christopher Botta (or as his friends call him…Chris), Nick, myself and many others try to somehow plow through all of this, all coming up with different feels and takes?

I guess the question is, and sadly in the surprise of being there talking to her trying to get her take on yesterday, I did not think to try to pin her on the October 3rd date when she told me to not worry/be happy. But, just the same, a interesting take on the record the day after many people came away from that hearing terribly confused and some disillusioned.

1/27/2009

I sit in my blog semi-retirement wearing a hawaiian shirt, bermuda shorts, and smoke a large cigar.

I sip Don Julio tequila as I relax, and let the sun wash over me.

I have been blogging since March of 2007, and blogging about the Islanders since September of 2008 in an official capacity.

Sometimes, even in semi-retirement, the hands look for things to do. So I will leave them here on this site for your perusal, ire, agreement or dismissal.

I might do one in a few days, a few weeks, or hell, a few months. Who knows?

But, the good thing about a semi-retirement, is that I now have to please nobody. If I’d written the truth I knew for the two years, about 60 people—including me—would be rotting in prison cells from Suffolk to Nassau County.

Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of hockey blogging.

So let’s dig a deeper for some truth on the Long Island atomic bomb of a possible Kansas City move by the NY Islanders…

Much has been made of the Isles’ planned pre-season game in Kansas City. So much, it is as if that the groundwork for the slew of articles that followed from all the local papers seems to have been laid long before the KC announcement came over the wire.

In fact, as I was reporting that the Islanders were internally talking about 2010, it is very likely a final gambit was being hatched from far higher up to press hard to make sure if 2009′s groundbreaking wasn’t going to happen, they were going to make the Town of Hempstead’s life very uncomfortable. Or at least ensure that 2010 was iron clad.

Since then, it has been a deluge of articles, rumors, innuendo, and a whole lot of hot air. One has to wonder if those writers who filled Newsday with all sorts of angles were clued in a few days or weeks before it all dropped. A paper who was giving less space for Isles games and information suddenly blew up into several pages at the drop of a hat.

It has been a very poorly-kept secret that the Town of Hempstead’s (ToH) Kate Murray is eyeing Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi’s position. The Republican Murray has been sending quite a few indications, including commercials on local cable on what a swell job she is doing for taxpayers.

Another might be that when Chris Botta of IslandersPointBlank.com interviewed Nassau Exec, Tom Suozzi, about the Lighthouse Project, he piled it at the feet of Murray despite the fact that it is State Law that the Town of Hempstead do a environmental impact study. Suozzi clearly knew this, but laid it on her and the ToH feet anyway.

When I spoke to a source in the Town of Hempstead late last year, they cited that some main issues was the lack of plans for sewage, water, and other things that were slowing or at least causing some problems. When I contacted the Lighthouse Project people, they told me the water issue was handled and fine, and it is very often that things like sewage are done at this stage.

Well, then, why is there a pile of sewage bubbling up to add more murk to the entire situation? If things are so hunky dory, why has it escalated to NHL head Gary Bettman to make statements pushing the Lighthouse Project and ripping the County? And now, far more.

The most interesting thing about the Lighthouse Project itself is that despite Charles Wang’s constant push for 2009, most political flacks around the area have always been thinking that is far too soon, and it would be at least a year or two later. So this has clearly been said to Wang and promptly ignored.

Meanwhile, Kate Murray has repeatedly parroted the term “generous offer” to Charles Wang and Scott Rechler in which they can renovate Nassau Coliseum and then work on the Lighthouse Project thereafter. But that ignores that the the whole enchilada is the real issue and a far more important to be solved.

The truth is, the Coliseum renovation is a small blip in the scheme of things and all that is at stake. The rest is where the money is, and therefore, paramount.

Yet, that said, despite a small thing, Charles Wang seems entrenched with a 2009 date that is coming and then going to renovate the Coliseum. Well, something has had to give.

It did. The Isles changed locations for a training further west and agreed to a preseason exhibition against the LA Kings in KC, and then all hell broke loose.

The truth is that there is very little chance that the Islanders go to KC. This is merely the escalation of a game of chicken by a slow process, a politically upward-seeking Republican ham, and a real estate deal that is about far more than a local hockey team.

Wang cannot afford the blowback if he sells the team, puts together the land package without a local sports draw, and expects people to run there. There is simply too much at stake for both sides.

In a political climate that has had most Democrats trounce Republicans, Kate Murray also cannot afford blowback by the Isles fan constituents when she might try to run against Suozzi later this year.

It might even be more clear to that the process might suddenly move forward far quicker when she is visibly running, as to maximize what might be a long hard if not impossible uphill battle. In fact, might this be the very reason that the Project sits in limbo?

If so, it is no wonder there is a power struggle going on between her and Wang.

The politicization of the Lighthouse Project would be a bad sign. For it is due to local politics that Nassau Coliseum has gotten dilapidated and with no good plans for the area in the first place. For years, politics reaped what it has sown, and the area has suffered. The Coliseum itself is a running joke in hockey circles.

Fact is, the Lighthouse Project has—at least now—become politically charged and now a lightning rod for all. Many ride on its momentum, but ground to a halt it will then cause a tug of war as both sides entrench themselves.

The losers are the Isles fans who are being manipulated over this scheme while fear and public relations are being piled in heaps to leverage movement. The Isles fans have been on a 15 year roller-coaster, and the further this all goes, the further some might walk away from the whole situation.

The battle of attrition that is going on through the press needs to stop. Common sense and the extraction from political machine must be made for any movement by both sides. The Lighthouse Project means much more than just a local hockey team, it means a revitalization for the entire area into something that can benefit the local government, businesses, consumers and families.

If the KC talk continues, they might as well do what they threaten, because those few Isles fans left will tune out and drop out simply because they cannot afford to be emotionally vested anymore. It simply hurts too much.

Fans know when they are being used. (or they should, anyway)