Island Hopping

According to the Associated Press, New York Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon has talked to New York Islanders owner Charles Wang about building an arena for the NHL team near Citi Field.

Wilpon told Newsday for its Wednesday editions that he spoke to Wang about trying to develop something "synergistic with Citi Field and a hockey arena." Wilpon says he also talked to Wang about the possibility of buying the team. With the inability of the Islanders to secure a new arena on their own and their frustration with Nassau County for being virtually unresponsive regarding their proposals, Charles Wang seems to be honoring his word when he said he would explore relocation.
Let’s take a look at this. As the majority of baseball fans and Bernie Madoff can both attest, the Wilpons aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer. But compared to Charles Wang (Rick DiPietro-15 years-nuff said), the Wilpons have the sports-business acumen of Dana White. An ownership, or at the very least partnership, with the Mets would be an incredible boost for the Islanders both financially and structurally.

The obvious financial and logistical hurdles aside, at first glance this seems like an absolute no-brainer. A new arena for the team that would keep them in New York, numerous potential partnerships with the Mets (which will instantly increase the strength of their brand), and a move from Long Island to within city limits gives them a little more juice when it comes to press, sponsors and being viewed as a legitimate player in the New York-metropolitan sports landscape. The Nassau Coliseum is the worst arena in America. Fans hate it. Players hate it. It smells. It’s falling apart. It’s not suitable for circuses, concerts, wrestling or job fairs let alone professional sporting events. For the good of everyone associated with the team, a new arena for the Islanders is vital. Without a new building, the team is on borrowed time and is destined to be jettisoned to a city like Hamilton or Winnipeg in the very near future. In regards to the actual relocation of the franchise to approximately 20 miles west and its impact on fans, we’re talking about a minor issue. The majority of Mets fans reside on Long Island as does practically every Islander fan. The drive out to Queens is far from a backbreaker for them and the prospect of a new arena would be enough to convert even the staunchest of non-commuters.

The Islander dynasty of the early 80’s was arguably the greatest hockey team ever assembled. The rich history of this team has been stuffed away in mothballs, up in some attic in Uniondale. Only for a brief period in the early part of the decade and just recently with the adoption of a youth movement has the team or its fan base registered anything higher than a whisper in the sports or hockey world. The big move to Queens along with the partnership (and possible ownership) via the Wilpons is something that will save the franchise and spare the NHL of losing an essential piece of its history. Make the deal work. Fire up the U-Hauls. Let the Wilpons save the Islanders so I and many others can really start hating them again.

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