Jones Lang LaSalle, the project management company for the upcoming $500 million renovation of Madison Square Garden, has begun work on a feasibility study for an Islanders arena at Willets Point -- the property surrounding Citi Field, the second-year home of the Mets.
>>A discussion-worthy bit from Chris Botta at FanHouse.
Update: Katie Strang's source contradicts the story.
The story says it's the Mets owners initiating the study here, but any bit of Plan B action is a nice sign. The MSG renovations JLL is managing look pretty sweet in this compilation at Blueshirt Banter. (Of course, money always buys you nice furniture, doesn't it?)
almost 2 years ago
Dominik
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Getting more serious
Sounds like discussions are finally getting more serious. This can only be good news!! If Botta reports it then it’s solid as he wouldn’t risk his rep on fluff, although he has been known to try to press TOH into moving faster, something nobody can do.
I want NYI in Queens for more corporate support, better marketing, more access fo fan support and better media and acess to mass transit. Plus it would be nice to stick it to TOH. Git ’er done!!
Don’t know if there’s smoke, but the flint is producing sparks.
Skeptic’s View: This is just the Wilpons checking into feasibility (although as one quote said, you don’t bring JLL in unless you’re serious).
Optimist’s View: This is happening at the right time, so that if/when ToH officially screws the pooch, the Islanders have a backup plan already in motion.
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On step closer...
… to building… THE HUBCAP!
NHL 500... Let the Less Filling vs Tastes Great debate begin!
extra special care...
lol, i’m fighting making a rim-job comment, but seriously, very apt name, i remember all the dingy car shops lining my drive into shea, all i kept picturing was this guy…
clean and sober for 2 months and change... only thing different is that now i KNOW i'm the asshole everyone says i am :-)
Too bad Abe Froman can’t buy the team and build an arena for them.
Of course I'm an expert, I've seen Slap Shot eleven times!
actually
it would work better to build the Shea Memorial arena in the parking lot along with a garage for both facilities. If you build in Willets Point, it could be tied up for years whereas in the parking lot, Wilpon and Wang just need to shake hands more or less. They can develop a real estate scheme involving Willets Point to replace the Lighthouse boondoggle.
As long as this doesn't involve either of two things, I'm down
1. Changing the team name, insignia, etc. Hopefully this shouldn’t be an issue, since Queens is technically on Long Island.
2. The Wilpons buying the team. Because I’m a Mets fan, and I really don’t think I can take being a fan of two teams owned by them. I don’t know what the hockey equivalent of Jenrry Mejia would be, but it might make me literally lose my mind.
But it worked out so well for fans of Tom Hicks Sports properties
…wait, nevermind.
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I’m now waiting for the Stan Kronke sports empire to crumble… all he needs is to secure Arsenal and its all over.
R.I.P. Hans und Franz... this is the price of professionalism.
by David Hanssen on Jun 14, 2010 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions
If he does that and mucks it up it will be very painful for me.
…Well, I mean he can muck up the Avs and Nuggets all he wants…and sure take the Rams, too.
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Mejia = Bailey
So… you’re already there.
I guess the biggest complaint about Mejia is that SOMEBODY (some say Jerry, some say Minaya, and you say (I guess) Wilpons) is ruining his development by using him in a mop up role rather than having him in Bingahmpton stretching his arm and repertoire.
Bailey could have easily spent year one in juniors, played the WJC and started year two in BP getting top six minutes with players that should come along with him (Joensuu/Martin) in year three of his development.
It appears to be working for the Isles, and it may work out for the Mets.
If the Wilpons buy the islanders we can hope that they eventually get the benefit of TOP NOTCH upper level management instead of just straight out nepotism, some sort of buy-out of Dolanville, corporate sponsorship and crossover marketing with the Mets.
Minaya…. may be the MM in this equation… but he’s MM with a HUGE WALLET… If the Wilpons took over, the one thing I’d want to happen would be to allow Snow 2 more years to realize the plan…. and then they can fill the cracks in that plan with GREEN PLASTER (UFA MONEY)…
The best part is that the Islanders will no longer be anchored to a BAD REAL ESTATE PLAN… If you seperate them they BOTH IMPROVE!
NHL 500... Let the Less Filling vs Tastes Great debate begin!
not sure i agree 100% – minaya was highly respected for his work with the expos, uncovering a lot of talent, leading to the failed run when they traded for bartolo colon (brief stay)
he has no clue though how to merge having a big budget with that no budget success he had
at least minaya got relative value on prospects or doled them out while they still had some value.
at least he didnt sleep with a pig while signing studs like roberto alomar and mo vaughn
clean and sober for 2 months and change... only thing different is that now i KNOW i'm the asshole everyone says i am :-)
Well, here are the issues
First of all, Mejia (from what I have read) is on the MLB roster because Manuel wants him there, and the Wilpons are overriding everyone else in the front office (including Minaya, who should have final say) to keep him there. He’s being used as a reliever in a mop-up role (probably the least valuable player on a baseball team) rather than a starter (one of the most valuable) for no discernible reason. It does look like it’s working out with Bailey, but I think the comparison isn’t totally apt. I think it would be more accurate if Bailey was being used as an enforcer or something, but I’m not totally sure if that works either.
The crossover marketing would definitely be a positive, but I think that could be achieved simply by an agreement between the Wilpons and Wang, rather than necessarily having both teams run by the same group. On the other hand, I don’t agree with your assessment of the changes that would take place in upper-level management. Quite honestly, I don’t think the Wilpons have done a good job at all of constructing a front office. The Mets are a dysfunctional organization run based on outdated principles of team construction. If this was John Henry (the Red Sox owner) looking to buy the team, that would be one thing, but the Mets are not a model organization.
And finally, the Wilpons’ financial power is a bit overstated. They overspend on some things (like Francisco Rodriguez), but overall are a bit cheap, all things considered. I don’t know if they could honestly even afford to own and operate two teams, so this may be moot. But I fear that they’d be stretched way too thin. I’m on the fence about Wang still (as I’m not as much of a hockey expert as I am a Mets expert), but at this point I think I prefer him to Wilpon, and I KNOW that I prefer Garth and Gordon over Omar and Jerry Manuel.
by Thomas Wachtel on Jun 14, 2010 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions
The Mets are a dysfunctional organization
so very true… 2nd class in terms of professionalism, too many things to list really
clean and sober for 2 months and change... only thing different is that now i KNOW i'm the asshole everyone says i am :-)
I love the Mets wholeheartedly.
But this quote from an Amazin’ Avenue commenter says it all:
“It’s just everytime we think the bar can’t get lower, they lower it. Now next year we’ll just be happy to hear that rogue shirtless officials aren’t implementing useless detrimental drills in spring training for no apparent reason.”
by Thomas Wachtel on Jun 14, 2010 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions
As some of you know, I live Upstate these days, but still make it to a couple of Islanders games a season. That being said, it doesn’t really matter too much to me whether the Islanders play in Queens or Nassau (or even Suffolk), but I would rather root for the New York Islanders as opposed to the Kansas City Islanders or Las Vegas Islanders. That being said, for the long term success of the Isles, the best place for them to be may be in Queens.
I think that any involvement between the Wilpons and the Islanders has to do with increasing the flow of the revenue stream for the Wilpons. I’m not even sure that they would keep the Islanders for long if they were to buy the team, just that it would help their real estate goals. If the Islanders were to be bought by the Wilpons, I would think they may employ a strategy similar to that of flipping a home for greater resale. A revitalized Willets Point area, including a new home for the Islanders, is a winning situation for the Wilpons regardless of whoever happens to own the Islanders at the time. Also, I think that Bloomberg and whoever else may be involved in NYC at the time may be more amibitious to improve Willets Point as opposed to the TOH and Kate Murray. I think the best situation in a potential Islanders move to Queens is for the Wilpons to just have Wang on the same page as them as far as area development goes. There may even be something in it for Wang for all I know.
by Dougtone on Jun 14, 2010 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Ooh, this is fun with PR
Katie Strang says “a well-placed source” refutes this story.
Fun with story leaks! Why … it must be … the Islanders’ Future Venue Game!
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i’m really starting to get fed up with her anonymous sources, i mean, if you’re gonna charge a fee for the site, at least give me the sources name in a puzzle form, like unscramble the letters or find-a-word
clean and sober for 2 months and change... only thing different is that now i KNOW i'm the asshole everyone says i am :-)
On that note
It’s pretty obnoxious for old-media companies to cite “a report today” without providing a link or even the name. Most of them do it — through some prehistoric competitive instinct, I’m sure — but if the name of the game is providing information to your readers, you should provide the whole picture.
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here's the question
I mean I don’t always agree with CB…but both writers cited unnnamed sources. Whose sources are you going to trust? A cub reporter who a year or to ago only knew snow as something to shovel…or someone who has been covering the Islanders for most of his professional life and cowrote a book about them with Stan Fischler?
It does come down to whose sources you trust. Although to be fair, Botta hasn’t been “covering” the Islanders for 20 years — he’s been working for them. As a reporter cultivating sources, you could still consider him green (for argument’s sake). You could also argue that the Newsday reporter is specifically trained for this. But for my money Strang’s experience has far less to do with doubts than the corporate incest of her employer.
Of course as far as the reporters go, I don’t distrust either of them. Neither of them are going to make something up — even with a theoretical Dolan overlord breathing over a shoulder. But every relayer of information is at the mercy of their sources; and with consolidated media mucking things up ever more, I can easily imagine someone who doesn’t like a story putting the right person in touch to say “this isn’t true,” just as I can see someone who wants to push a story getting in touch to say, “Boy have I got a scoop for you.”
Because the network of interested parties is so closed, it seems like this has happened a lot and will continue to happen in this saga, sadly. Someone wants the one report to be known/believed; someone else wants none of it.
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However you slice it
I have to believe that Botta has developed better sources over the years then Strang has in the few years she has been around here. And I also have a hard time believing that this story could have been invented.
If I had to bet I’d say you’re right on both counts. On that note, I can understand why Botta’s source would request anonymity — but the person refuting the report? If there’s nothing there, why do you have to hide in order to merely say the truth?
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from CB
Now that Cablevision-MSG-Knicks/Rangers-run Newsday has published a story with a source declaring my Islanders-Mets-Queens story "ficticious" – LOL – time to get back to the draft! Here’s my interview with Taylor Hall.
clean and sober for 2 months and change... only thing different is that now i KNOW i'm the asshole everyone says i am :-)
But a is LOL-ing at them for calling it ficticious, so what does that say?
Isles fans… once again we are left in the dark not knowing WTF is really going on.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Jun 15, 2010 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions
(he is LOL-ing, not a is LOL-ing)
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Jun 15, 2010 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Knowing the Mets
the “well-placed source” is probably Jeff Francoeur.
by Thomas Wachtel on Jun 14, 2010 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Come on
The Mets have never worn a bad uniform.
by Thomas Wachtel on Jun 14, 2010 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Don’t forget these classics:
R.I.P. Hans und Franz... this is the price of professionalism.
by David Hanssen on Jun 14, 2010 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I actually went to the Mercury Mets game, and remember the way the players looked on the Jumbotron all to vividly. Mike Piazza had green skin, for one. Fortunately, it was just a promotion and nothing more serious.
If I remember right
Rickey Henderson got really upset about his Mercury Mets picture. Being a crazy person, this should have been expected.
by Thomas Wachtel on Jun 14, 2010 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions
LOL
Ricky doesn’t like being green. Ricky is upset. Ricky is still the greatest, though.
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Ricky needs to clarify things
Ricky is not whack, Ricky is not a narcissist, and Ricky won the card game with Bobby Bo.
I might be wrong, but if I remember correctly, didn’t the Mets have Israuhnhausen at the time, and they couldn’t fit his name on the jersey so they just went with Izzy?
The Islanders went from Marty McInnis and a 2nd Overall pick to Jesse Joensuu.
It’s possible. Mercury Mets was in ‘99 and Izzy was traded to the A’s during that season.
R.I.P. Hans und Franz... this is the price of professionalism.
by David Hanssen on Jun 14, 2010 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions
my favorite part
As the Herschiser picture reminds me… they were the “Mercury” Mets but their space uni had a picture of the moon.
Further, we also know where Reebok got the idea for those Edge redesigns of NHL jerseys… so yeah, I’m thinking that this promo has much to answer for.
Of course I'm an expert, I've seen Slap Shot eleven times!
is that a weird male/female symbol on the moon or is it just me?
clean and sober for 2 months and change... only thing different is that now i KNOW i'm the asshole everyone says i am :-)
It’s the astrological symbol for the planet Mercury.
R.I.P. Hans und Franz... this is the price of professionalism.
by David Hanssen on Jun 15, 2010 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Well- Mercury does not just mean the planet. Mercury is a Roman god. Mercury was also the first US human spaceflight program.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Jun 15, 2010 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
MIB explained
Bernard Gilkey was remembering how fugly those Mercury Mets unis looked when that ball hit him on the head in Men in Black.
Of course I'm an expert, I've seen Slap Shot eleven times!
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1979-80
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May 24, 1980: Tonelli to Nystrom. At long last, the steady build of the New York Islanders from expansion doormat to surprise semifinalist to annual contender reaches the promised land: Buoyed by a late season trade for Butch Goring that gave the team the depth up the middle GM Bill Torrey had been seeking, the Islanders knock off the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
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May 21, 1981: This time it was much easier. After falling to "only" 91 points in the 1979-80 season, the Islanders returned to their division title tradition, piling up 110 points -- a whole 13 points over second-place Philadelphia.
Between the quarterfinals (where they beat the upstart Oilers in six games) and the finals, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive wins -- with a four-game sweep of archrival Rangers in between. As they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in five games for their second Cup, their goal difference in the final was a combined +10.
1981-82
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May 16, 1982: Another year, another landslide title. The Islanders won the Patrick Division by a whopping 26 points over the second-place Rangers, and were seven points clear of their nearest competition for the President's Trophy, the still-not-quite-ripe Edmonton Oilers.
A first-round scare against the Pittsburgh Penguins turned in the Isles' favor thanks to John Tonelli's heroics, and a true dynasty was on its way: Past the Rangers in six games, then an eight-game sweep of the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks to run away with the Stanley Cup.
1982-83
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May 17, 1983: Not so fast, whipper-snappers. The Edmonton Oilers' steadily rising challenge for league supremacy took them all the way to the finals for the first time, where the New York Islanders summarily dispatched them in a four-game sweep. For the Islanders, the Dynasty was secured. For the Oilers, it was a powerful lesson in where talent ends and the demands of playoff hockey begin.
Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins (a record that would grow to 19 until the rematch with the Oilers the following year). Mike Bossy scored 60 goals yet again, and Wayne Gretzky became acquainted with Billy Smith's crease.
