It appears there is enough flying around today about the Nets' (lack of) interest in, and the under-construction [English bank of some sort] Center's ability to host, a pro hockey team such as the New York Islanders -- enough buzz that we owe ourselves a separate thread on the topic.
Alternative scenarios are going to pop up for the foreseeable future, usually without major updates behind them. It's just the nature of the thing.
Once again today the Brooklyn arena's CEO Brett Yormark said the arena could host ice hockey, but with a limited capacity (~14,500). Once again today Mikhail Prokhorov's representatives have told reporters that he has no interest in adding another sports team "at this time." At. This. Time.
Those who have followed sports ownership and franchise movement long enough to know better, know this means mostly nothing. The Islanders are not for sale and are tied to Nassau Coliseum up to 2015, so an owner who might want to lease his arena to them or poach the team on the cheap is not going to tip his hand in 2011. Remember, Prokhorov was also quite cagey in his pursuit of the Nets. That doesn't mean he's interested -- just that if he ever might be interested, he's certainly not going to show his hand now.
Who is showing their hand? Well, Queens Chamber of Commerce for one. Brooklyn civic leaders, for another. And Nassau Democrat Jay Jacobs, for one more. Those people have reason to beat the drum now. Not to go all PR 101 on this, but it's leverage. Public figures tip their hand, or leak their interests, at the time that is best suited to attain (or at least further progress toward) those interests. For Prokhorov -- and for Wang, incidentally, the day after the referendum defeat -- that time is not now.
Sit tight and don't sweat reports today or tomorrow because this saga? It's going to take a while.
* * *
Returning to Our Regularly Scheduled Hockey Diversion: In which we read and discuss the Hockey Prospectus ranking that puts the Islanders system at #2 in the NHL.
Brooklyn, Part 1: In which commenters have fun riffing on the hipster requirements for future Brooklyn-based Islanders fans.