Ratner Offering AHL Team For Coliseum With Islander Home Games?

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/05/2013 10:20:00 AM |
As much as folks (myself) want to move on from this subject, it's absolutely become something of critical importance to the future of the New York Islanders, and especially now the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Brett Yormark from the Nets confirmed an AHL team to the Coliseum on 5/10 in an audio interview 6:10 mark.


Why sign a twenty five year, so-called iron-clad lease, then have your new landlord offer your team play six games a year back in a down-sized Coliseum after less than seven months after the Brooklyn press conference? 

Is this how you really increase your fan base or start building one in Brooklyn or make money? Does five games at a downsized Coliseum every year become ten in Quebec with this so-called iron clad lease.

It also seems virtually everyone has an American Hockey League franchise all set to bring to the Nassau Coliseum.

Bruce Ratner:
If Bruce Ratner speaks for Charles Wang, his NHL team is moving, but coming back, an AHL team will be brought in to compete with the Sound Tigers or it will be Wang's team in Bridgeport moving.

There have been many entries here with comments on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers lease, with quotes from team President, Howard Saffan, that Charles Wang's AHL franchise will be in Bridgeport until 2021 with a binding lease, in a building Charles Wang operates/renovated this year.

So where is Mr Ratner getting his AHL team from?

Where are all these bidders getting their AHL franchises from besides Dolan?


Why Now? 
It's being decided by June or July at the latest, it's an election year, the bidding is over.

I know some of our teams fans besides being 30th in attendance, only care about owners throwing money out the window on free agents, but this is what pays for those front-loaded contracts.

So you better care a little because you are not getting a 2013 payroll at 1975 ticket prices. 

You Need An Updated Scorecard To Tell The Players:
There have been a few fascinating trades along the way too. 

Wang's Lighthouse/Marriott, Sublease, partner, Scott Rechler, in with Msg/Dolan bid? So much for them being best pals.

Dolan's former Msg President, Dave Checketts, who was practically escorted out of Msg in 2007 in with Bruce Ratner for John Davidson's whatever ceremony:
Just below it, the Dolan stench-maker was at full throttle. Davidson was given a suite for the day - but with one restriction: Members of the Blues' new New York-based ownership/management team, the men who used to work for the Garden, including ex-Garden president Dave Checketts, Ken Munoz and Mike McCarthy, were denied entrance.
That's right, an NHL team owner made it clear that fellow NHL team owners were not welcomed in Jimmy's Playhouse, er, Madison Square Garden, on the day their teams played each other.           
"A couple of weeks ago I heard I'd not be welcomed into the suite they were giving J.D.," said McCarthy. "And then I couldn't even buy tickets through the Garden. I eventually had to buy them on StubHub.
"I always took the high road; I never did anything but good for Madison Square Garden; I gave everything I had to the Garden, and for 23 years. And now I'm not even welcomed to set foot in the place. It's disturbing. I guess that's why I left in the first place."

I guess Mike Sielski was not interested in that story unless it's in a three minute video. 
  
Blumenfeld in with Smg, who you can bet want to keep management rights with Al D'Amato.

New York Sports and Entertainment LLC is partnered with Global Spectrum,a subsidiary of Comcast or Flyers owner Ed Snider, who's Smg company that manages the Coliseum with Isles under 2009 sublease.

Does Flyers owner Ed Snider have two bets down on this bid? He got a new AHL home under construction with taxpayer money.

At this time former Msg President, Bob Gutkowski does not seem to be a part of this, but here is his latest resume here.

Anyone notice no one is talking baseball stadium yet on the rest of Don Monti's HUB.

Nothing Could Be More Personal For Dolan Family:
When current Msg President Hank Ratner says It's Personal you better believe it. 
“Said simply, our group is uniquely qualified to create a world-class destination for Long Island,” said Madison Square Garden Company President and CEO Hank Ratner. “For us, it’s not just business. It’s personal.”

The Nassau Coliseum, and the New York Islanders were Islander fan, Charles Dolan's, first choice of hockey's franchises to own. The New York Islanders were Cablevision's signature television property when they were trying to get started long ago.

Charles Dolan signed an agreement with John Pickett to purchase the New York Islanders. 

Charles Dolan kicked Msg off Cablevision in those days.

For Ranger fan, James Dolan,  it's revenge for the continuing unexpected television contract payments in Brooklyn, a chance to wipe New York Islander history off the Long Island map forever, expanding his own Msg branding officially into Nassau County,  and perhaps force a failed New York Islander brand in Brooklyn out of business at some future point, again saving on huge future cable contract payments.

Kind of circumvents Wang's idea of keeping practices on Long Island, and commuting besides Iceworks.

The Rangers will be having open practices at a James Dolan operated Coliseum as the official home team, no doubt future home exhibition games.

No Mr Wang, the Islanders will not be permitted to continue on Long Island in any capacity as the home team. 

Nassau Coliseum:
One thing that can be written is the Coliseum with enough extra's thrown in is considered self-sustaining to the many people that bid for it.

Considering all the modern arena's bleeding red ink, and this is not the entire HUB that Don Monti is Master Developer of is surprising.
 
Ed Mangano: 
Frankly put, Ed Mangano won huge, and is correct about one of his problems now being solved.

Someone will pay hundreds of millions for the privilege of giving Nassau County money.
 
He could care less about the Islanders, and will quickly name the RFP winner giving Nassau hundreds of millions as part of his re-election campaign promise kept. 

The taxpayers (on paper) will not pay one dime, Mangano can start honoring the AHL Long Island Rangers as Nassau County's official home team in the new Msg Live Zone as soon as he approves Dolan's Msg/Nassau East which likely will happen no matter what Ratner, Blumenfeld offers.


Cablevision, Newsday, News12LI, Msg media can break anyone on Long Island, and have the money to do it, this is their home area, not Bruce Ratner, or any other bidder.

Anyone really think Ed Mangano wants the Dolan's who defeated Mike Bloomberg, and have fought virtually every sports team/channel as an emeny in an election year on Long Island?

This is not the Lighthouse or Town of Hempstead with Kate Murray approval required or everyone other team who got paid by taxpayers for keeping their team where it is. It's also not the entire HUB.

In other words, construction will happen as soon as the New York Islanders are out, with Charles Wang's approval. 

The entire HUB is Donald Monti's problem, who has to deal with Town Of Hempstead/Murray zone.

Could Mangano's selecton committee actually turn down Msg? Never underestimate Nassau County incompetence, but in this case that's an incredible long-shot.

Charles Wang: 
He controls the Marriott, the abatement permanently, and until 2015 has right of first refusal "It's a situation where he really controls the site until 2015," when the team's lease at the arena expires, Burman said.

Long Island Busniess News August 2012 
Wang’s newest lease for the Coliseum signed last year gives him a say in what eventually gets built around the rest of the property. The Hub’s master developer will have to build a tiered parking to make up for any of the 6,500 parking spots lost, and Wang can reject any plan he deems would “adversely affect the use and operation” of his Long Island Marriott hotel and the Coliseum.
In short until 2015, Wang can reject any plan approved (including Ratner's) but if he wants out of his Islanders lease earlier it may be something he has to trade.

Wang rejects Dolan's plan if given RFP good luck finding any New York Islander telecast or pregame until 2031. Say goodbye to any Newsday coverage of the team anywhere. 

It seems for now Ratner has more say over the New York Islanders than Charles Wang, who's hotel is likely as easily available for purchase as the Sound Tigers could be very soon.