Updated 7/30:
Nice to see a Cablevision/Newsday lukewarm endorsement has finally arrived, good luck finding it buried in an article packed with downside before you get to it.
Overall it came off as forced and written as a transparent deflection of being the company that would directly benefit by everyone going to NYC, the downside of the project got the greater depth and billing.
Of course, the damage has already been done already by Newsday to influence a no vote.
Lou Lamoriello, as usual, proves himself to be one of the classiest ambassadors of our sport.
Updated 7/29:
I feel bad for Charles Wang having to run around like this and fight so hard.
Mr Wang's been fantastic getting his message out on every level displaying dignity & class, with the energy of a man half his age. Another interview Thursday NHL.com
Has any owner in this town ever fought so hard or been this visible, as other teams received huge taxpayer funded modern buildings in backrooms?
Updated 7/28:
Regarding Dolan owned media, do not fall for this transparent shell game folks. The people who have the most to gain by defeating this referendum are not going to come out and say so directly, the people involved in sports, and their support are of course genuine and above this.
Glen Sather's turn for a whole-hearted statement of support, the dancing employees then enter on cue, while those who need Msg access for their business benefit sing for their supper/credential by over-hyping it.
Is an Isiah Thomas endorsement next?
Meanwhile the Dolan family crucial voter influence (News12/Cablevision/Msg/Newsday) that spread to other media outlets, quickly provide negative referendum coverage the higher billing/depth with the other hand.
All this discussion about revenue going to NYC if the Coliseum closes for events. Who owns the permanent tax exemption Cablevision Garden? James Dolan.
Shell game.
Meanwhile, nothing on their own companies huge financial gain by by the Islanders leaving has been reported, or the yearly cable contract revenue at stake until 2030 which should be stamped on all coverage.
Democratic Party Chairman, Jay Jacobs, horrible WFAN appearance, was barely a footnote in Dolan owned Newsday. Nothing from the political reporters on Jacobs classless twitter message insulting Islander fans, then telling people to vote no?
Mangano is not legally allowed to tell people to vote one way or another.
Mr Jacobs sophomoric performance was not even mentioned on Dolan-owned News12 Wednesday night ninety minute special?
A lot of voters have been influenced already and likely know where they stand. If a very late Newsday transparent endorsement happens does it even change anyone's mind, is it be page one or will it be top billing for something negative?
A very respectful Thank You to Mr Sather, who scored the first goal ever at the Nassau Coliseum in an exhibition game. Fair to write most New York Islander fans do not want him to go anywhere either.
Updated 7/22:
James Dolan (ten seconds/less) were one of many celebrities in a one minute ITV spot on 7/22, where he encouraged everyone to vote for thousands of jobs on 8/1.
The New York Islanders were not mentioned.
James Dolan's media coverage (since 1998 on television/purchasing Newsday) is what reflects his true overall voice/agenda. This may not be the last Dolan moment before 8/1 because no doubt Wang has demanded for him to finally show some half-hearted support after his team has been treated so poorly on television and in his newspaper.
I'm not sure if this is what they had in mind.
Dolan's personal appearance likely only hurts any effort because of how unpopular he is generally perceived.
Let's see some ads supporting this project on Msg/Msg+ run next week like Knick ads during Islander games. They can run them like Ranger updates during the last Islander game in Philadelphia.
Our viewpoint stands, no doubt those who need James Dolan for a credential or whatever else, will hype those ten seconds to dismiss the last thirteen years.
When our fans read front page articles in the Dolan's newspaper that this team is a public trust and should never go anywhere, we can talk when the television and print coverage is equal that of his own teams.
Not before.
That is what being a partner is, regretfully the long-standing record since 1998 reflects the complete opposite.
Do you really want NYIFC to include all the local teams/events taken off Cablevision or bitter fights against them for leaving Msg? The Jets Stadium in Manhattan, their lawsuit against the NHL, among other items?
Anyone have fifty thousand dollars in Metro Ice Challenge money to spare?
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Updated 7/17:
NYIFC has received many e-mail request to re-post our recent entry on highly selective/questionable Newsday coverage (which only seems to be increasing on the negative end) to influence/defeat an August 1st referendum vote.
Updated 7/18:
A note has to be added here. Cablevision/Newsday/Msg have done nothing illegal, it's newspaper viewpoint has every professional/legal right to publish information that is positive or overtly negative regarding the referendum or outright oppose it daily.
One of NYIFC's purposes is to examine the coverage, asking only fair/reasonable questions regarding the reporting.
Cablevision/Newsday/Msg's own long-term massive potential gains in cable contract money saved, which includes possible future expansion into Nassau County for their own brand, has not been included in any coverage to date.
NYIFC has noticed the articles on a new Coliseum's financial benefits, was not given the same top billing/depth as NIFA front-page article (with another George Marlin feature), that now includes Sunday's latest push-back by the Dolan's writing staff to influence voters. When the benefits of a new Coliseum were published, Newsday included a university economist viewpoint, to dispute, where people would go instead of the Nassau Coliseum to spend their money locally.
Obviously those who need Dolan to make a living/retain credential to Msg, must do like-wise, and will in their space even if they support the project. PHWA President, Kevin Allen, made clear teams determine who is credentialed among bloggers so taking the subject to Dolan's coverage/potential gain will-not happen.
Our Strongest Recommendation Moving Forward:
As things progress to 8/1, if you read these articles concentrate on the direct quotes only, tune out the writers slant/spin/headline writer. Question anything that does not point out everyone's personal gain in this referendum being passed or rejected starting with Cablevision/Msg/Newsday, include any blogger that needs an Msg credential for their personal business.
Question the messenger's motivations everywhere, not just in Cablevision's newspaper. Spread the word. Let people know long and loud, Cablevision, Msg and Newsday have a huge vested potential gain in the New York Islanders leaving.
Per our loyal readers request, I will re-post our earlier article, however this will be the final NYIFC blog entry before any referendum vote.
All hockey updates/signings will be posted on our twitter feed exclusively.
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Dolan's Newsday & Those Who Need Him Cannot Be Trusted On Nassau Coliseum Referendum Reporting/Coverage
NYIFC has tried for years to get it's message out on this subject. If Charles Dolan bought the Islanders from John Pickett, or there was no James Dolan, we would likely have seen a true partnership that would have only helped hockey's viability in New York.
The New York Islanders for Charles Dolan/Cablevision in the 1980's was what the Yankees are to YES Network.
That was then, this is now.
Sorry folks, anything who believes or does not report the Cablevision Dolans stand to gain a great deal from the referendum failing, simply have another agenda.
That would be an agenda that, runs/hides from the long-standing poor treatment of the New York Islanders in their print or television coverage, which contributed to putting their viability in question.
Many need the Dolan's to stay employed and have nothing to gain by going there, or will even ignore what has happened and defend the company that owns the Cablevision Knicks and a hockey team with one more playoff appearance than the Islanders since 1997.
Those folks will be self-muted or defend Cablevision for their own gain.
The coverage is running exactly as expected here, mostly negative, with anything positive being quickly questioned by Dolan's writers and publication.
What are Dolan's writers going to do? Anything that questions their employer will not be printed, the writer sent packing faster than you can say John Mancini.
Scrutiny of the Garden's 1981 tax exemption is not to be mentioned, anything negative from another outlet receives top billing. The word Dolan never to be used, while Wang is a constant subject, despite his requests to keep negotiations out of newspapers.
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What Can Wang/Islanders Do?
They do not own a newspaper or a major television outlet beyond their own website, the folks that own media (representing the other side) will call up their friends and request time to control the message.
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Ultimately:
If a referendum fails, Mangano has his out for good, Wang too.
I fully expect Ed Mangano to use that out and be rid of the Nassau Coliseum issue for good.
Charles Wang owns the hotel, it's in his best interest to keep trying, however this could well mean the end of his efforts to retain the team at it's present location.
Sure a rejection could lead to the compromise I first wrote about when the project was announced, still what happened in Phoenix will officially be stamped on everything that happens moving forward, the push will be on for the team to leave from all circles.
If a referendum passes on 8/1, I see Nassau Democrats making sure it dies in a legislature vote, or ultimately NIFA because of political party agenda.
A positive referendum vote will be dismissed as not-legitimate because it was done in summer.
Marquette.edu: Has a list of all stadium/area referendum's that have passed and failed back to 1990. Many failed and were constructed anyway.
Ultimately it depends on how much further Charles Wang wants to go. It would be impossible to blame him if he decided he has tried enough. Charles Wang is going to be over seventy if a new Coliseum is approved and constructed, his time as owner is going to end at some point.
NYIFC Viewpoint On Coliseum Referendum:
The New York Islanders are a public trust, with a tradition that is special among all sports teams, never to be placed into the embarrassing position Mangano has put them into.
The Coliseum referendum is a good project that will bring in new revenue, new jobs, and finally get something happening there, it will pay for itself and a lot more. No more Smg taking the revenue Nassau handed them from the Islanders.
Still, Mangano is a joke. Can you imagine if any other team had it's future put to a public referendum? Most/all of them would fail as Mike Bloomberg closed fire-houses to give baseball teams absurd tax bonds.
All those teams in NYC/NJ carved up the taxpayers in the backroom. Edmonton and Quebec will do likewise to it's taxpayers if an arena is built.
Unlike the New York projects which closed neighborhood businesses, or placed the revenue streams inside the owners new theme-parks, a new Coliseum adds capacity, it includes a new baseball stadium, new development on that parking lot. Those projects lowered ballpark capacity.
Updated:
Wall Street Journal: provides comments from local businesses around Yankee Stadium that support this viewpoint.
A new Coliseum helps what already is there on Hempstead Turnpike.
If a new Coliseum received naming rights, the final four, other major events, a great deal is realistic in what can be gained by voting for this.
Wang's paying for overages, I cannot see a new building coming in at only 350m based on so many other local facilities.
The loss of the team and a shuttered Coliseum will take away the jobs, revenue and tax money a million visitors currently spend going there. The demolition of the Coliseum will take away from outside businesses that desperately need that revenue.
The loss of the Coliseum revenue, has to be passed on the taxpayers, which includes the demolition.
A nightmare for Nassau County on countless levels.
Maybe after a decade of all the politicians running off everyone who does not make their friends money (sound familiar Desmond Ryan?) something will get done there, the taxpayers will be on the hook for that too.
See Roosevelt Raceway.
NYIFC Blog has created a special section on the referendum via the Islanders website.
Dolan's Coliseum End Game:
Dolan rides in like he did with Hartford.
Cablevision pays Wang for the television rights, regains the territorial right for their own teams expansion into Nassau County.
A renovated (naming rights) Cablevision Coliseum becomes a reality with the Long Island AHL Rangers taking over (Wang keeps business at his hotel) games go on Msg+ and that will be it.
NYIFC Endgame:
It's up to each individual to clearly determine who's future interest is being best represented in referendum coverage, which will influence voters.
You know where NYIFC stands on this subject, it's a viewpoint that comes from a sincere and honest place with no agenda or gain ever.
NYIFC is our public trust to give you an honest blog, never anything else.
Regardless what happens, this is as far as we go on the subject, our best effort has been provided to NYIFC readers.
Thank You Always.
Hockey coverage will resume after the referendum.
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