So, I needed a day to calm down. I always try to keep the blog lite and semi-professional at all times, but I guess I should let myself spill over now and then like all the big boys, so here it is.
I never knew the very place that basked in the glory and proud tradition of four consecutive Stanley Cups would let a “No” vote beat down such a sound proposal based on the criteria available, county land, county building, etc. Then I thought about it. Most of those people have already left Nassau County because it has become so difficult to make a home or run a buisness there. Thats what friends of mine have said and thats why they moved away. That bleak perception is the knock of the free agents during the off-season each year on why they wont sign with the Islanders. Bad PR and an old building. They don’t get to see the beautiful beaches, great neighborhoods Long Island has to offer. They see a barren plane of concrete and an old faded façade of a crumbling arena with grass sprouting through cracks in the concourse. They hear the bad press and overblown stories, just like the uninformed who only need to hear that a tax hike is being proposed and will vote no without questioning why or what the alternatives might be. They don’t really get that they will most likely pay more in the end anyway if the referendum fails.
Good things don’t come easy. Success is hard. Islanders aside for a moment, the local business and charities really supported the projects proposed by Wang and Company. They saw the value and that someone was willing to put it out there for their community. Charles Wang has shown his passion in this case. Despite all these shortfalls and setbacks, he remains steadfast to try and work something out. We all know the Republican and Democratic games that came into play each time. First Wang proposed a massive Lighthouse project to be paid for by he and his investors with a new arena, entertainment facilities, retail, housing etc. Too big they said, we don’t to be like NYC, the traffic will increase, NIMBY they said. Then, he retooled and went away from his vision and what he really wanted to do, continued to work with the town and local government to try and find a solution. He paid millions to research the projects as well. This time, because the Islanders were only to manage a town facility built on town land by taxes, which would be repaid, with interest, the Nassau County residents said no. “Why doesn’t he use his own money?” Seriously?
The vote wasn’t even close or well represented. Sure, we can point to the LIRR for their 2 ½ hour delay yesterday as people tried to commute home from work as a factor, and it probably was. But the fact is that enough residents didn’t make it a priority to vote and push the project though. A project that would have created a lot of local jobs and generated revenue for them each and every year the team was there. Profit sharing and partnerships weren’t enough from the only professional sports team that gave the Island a proud identity for so many years. The amount the Islanders do for the sick and needy is more than honorable. It’s what good people due when they try and be human to each other. To say you voted “No” because you didn’t care about having a hockey team is unfair.
To legions of fans, we are devastated that our team will be forced to “pursue other options,” but we understand Mr. Wang cannot run his financial future into the ground in that building. I love the NVMC. I grew up visiting family in Hicksville and seeing Isles games in Uniondale. Billy Smith was my idol. I never lived there, but I always had a special place in my heart for NC and the arena. Judging by the vote, most fans must live outside NC. The reality is that the building must be rebuilt and that takes money. If you didn’t want the Islanders to do it themselves, then how could you expect them to pay for anything that didn’t involve development rights up front? That is something all the haters on all the different message boards claimed Charles Wang bought the team for. They would say it’s because he was greedy and wanted to capitalize on a real-estate deal. The latest version of the deal shows they are wrong. I knew they always were. And even if that was part of his plan, he kept the Islanders on Long Island. No one else was going to buy them with that lease. A lease that we all know was not followed by SMG.
The other day I was so hopeful that the residents would ban together and send a message that Long Island and the Islanders deserved the best. That they and their families could see events and entertainment in a state of the art facility and that the Islanders would remain home until far into the future. Several of them still think it’s a bluff. They think Wang will just resign himself to settle, or that they will just build a new facility with someone else. It takes 38 months to build on comparable models. How much time is there? Who will the main tenant be? It won’t be the Islanders. No Basketball team has returned since the Nets left. Minor league events or periodic concerts or circuses will not generate enough revenue the thousands of jobs needed to staff the Coliseum.
I really hope that when the resident’s look back on this, they understand what they have done. They said "No" in the face of progress for less than $18.80 per month. That’s $.26 per week.
Send a message for all to hear I said. Heard and understood Nassau County.
Check out Frank Trovato’s take. It so complete and well said, I almost didn’t bother writing a KoC update. But that would have been lame.
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