Monday, December 8, 2008

Random Thoughts - Still No Progress?

Random Thoughts returns to the voice with some thoughts on the state of the Islanders from the fans point of view.

1 - Repeated calls to the Town of Hempstead have revealed no new information and no one is talking. A poll on this web site and most of the people I speak to at Islander games are worried so why can't we get any answers? It is now December 8th.

Are hearings scheduled for January or not?

Is there a chance the Lighthouse group breaks ground in July or not?

All we have is questions and no answers. Do not be surprised if this is the beginning of the end for the New York Islanders.

2 - On the Islanders themselves, each step forward is met with 2 steps back. This is to be expected with a team in the state they are in. With all of the injuries, inconsistencies to be expected with a team of youngsters coupled with the ridiculous level of ineptitude with Jeff Tambelini.

I never thought anyone would challenge Andy Hilbert's level of ineptitude from last season but "Tambo" is making a run.

3 - Whats the word on Rick? Knee injuries usually have a time table of recovery. Rick DiPietro's knee injury (the latest one) does not seem to have a time table of a possible return. Why not? Something is going on with this guy and it isn't good. We all knew he is injury prone, but the team is obviously hiding something more serious.

4 - Scott Gordon gets high marks. Results be damned, Scott Gordon is doing a great job in his first year. Its good to see everyone in the organization seems to be on the same page and it should be great to see how the team progresses over the next few seasons. The only thing that scares me is that the Islanders will be just turning the corner to contention as they are moving off Long Island.

5 - Avery gets 6 games and anger management for using harsh words. Anyone want to compare what Avery did to what Mike Mattou did to Franz Nielsen? No? What about what happened to Patrice Bergeron? Mattou and Randy Jones both got 2 games. Avery got 6. So what your saying is its ok to maim and show depraved indifference to fellow players, but insult an actress and look out baby Gary Bettman and his band of disciplinarians will really come down on you.

I am all for protecting the NHL's image, but this kind of hypocrisy is what makes Gary Bettman the worst commissioner in sports.

Let me know where you stand on these and other issues surrounding the Islanders.

FCT

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This team seems to take 3 steps back & 1 step ahead.Not just game after game, but year after year, what a joke! Patience is not the word to throw around when making excuses to Isles fans, watching the Toronto game yesterday & seeing a packed Air Canada Arena, it is clear to me that Wang should move this team there.Talk of a second Toronto team has always been around. This hockey town will embrace the Islanders. I am sick of this team,it is pathetic when year after year, the only positive thing to look forward to is the Draft day! And we always get jerked around then too, EH!
Mr. Wang, please sell the team or move them to Toronto, I'm finished!
Take off, for the great white north!

FCT said...

See here is the exact opposite problem... no quarter. I agree the patience of the fan base is worn about as thin as an anorexic on a celery diet.

To just say that you hope the team moves to Toronto.. WHY? and where would they play? The Maple Leaf Gardens is still there but its basically condemned and would need hundreds of millions of dollars in improvements to be habitable and is there a way the team could play in Air Canada Centre? No Way. Either way they would be 2nd class citizens in the Canadian equivalent of New York. That and the economics of moving a team INTO Canada are suspect, even if it is the home of the Brass Rail and a city as large as Toronto.

If the Islanders move and they move to Canada Winnipeg (they already have a new arena) Quebec (they would build for an NHL team) and Hamilton, which has a population almost on par with Winnipeg and Quebec City are the probable destinations.

One thing I am relieved about is that not every fan thinks like you. If they did, the team would be gone already.

FCT

Anonymous said...

FIRE SCOTT GORDON BRING BACK PETER WHICH WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAVE FIRED HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

For the true fan I think we need to get the word out to everyone and anyone to go to the Town of Hempstead website and go to the Lighthouse Project link and sign the petition to approve this ASAP. We cannot afford to lose the Isles, they are too much a part of Long Island and the charitable things they do, who will do it?? Come on people lets put pressure on the dumb ass Nassau County Jerkoffs sitting on their hands with this. We don't want to lose out team, who would be have to root for the Rangers, noooooooooo way