Fort Neverlose for now remains New York Islander Country.
If the NHL approves, the New York Islanders will play six home games at a renovated/downsized Nassau Coliseum. Bruce Ratner has to come up with an AHL team as promised in his bid which will shift the focus to Bridgeport/Wang's lease until 2021 in a facility he manages. Wang obviously can now continue to use the Coliseum for some Islander-related things like practices.
Dolan offered more money for most of the bidding period, a higher capacity facility, he had Master Developer of the HUB, Don Monti's endorsement, and one of the best real estate developer's on Long Island in former Wang/Lighthouse partner, Scott Rechler.
Plus Dolan owned virtually all the Long Island media.
Obviously the Nassau legislature, Mangano perhaps were not the biggest fans of Dolan's past, and present with bullying politicians/media/unions, and their tax exemption/operating permit demnds. Dolan historically has been a huge Suozzi supporter.
Perhaps Wang's right to reject any play detrimental to the Marriott, also played a part?
Whatever the truth is, it likely will not be reported. The Long Island Press on 8/13 reported Dolan's selectiver reporting standards regarding politcial contributions here.
Newsday printed a story recently blasting a firm competing with the newspaper’s owners over the opposing business’ political spending without disclosing campaign donations made by the paper’s parent company—a new low.
“It is an error, and highly suspect,” Jaci Clement, executive director of Bethpage-based Fair Media Council, a local media watchdog group, said of the omission in the Aug. 7 article titled “Forest City’s political spending.”
“The whole product clearly screams who the owner is, and that it’s meant to be little more than a marketing vehicle for what it has to sell,” she said of Newsday‘s coverage since Cablevision took over. “And that may include seats at Nassau Coliseum.”
Unless Wang comments, who knows how he feels about it? AHL teams will have to pay the same prices NHL teams do when they visit.
Dolan reportedly went to no meetings, the latest Msg President, Hank Ratner (no relation). Bruce Ratner not only advised Nassau but was there for everything, maybe the personal factor won over some of the legislature?
Another former Msg President, Dave Checkettes, who has a very contentious history with Dolan, is on team Ratner, and no doubt very happy.
There will be no Msg zone at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, it will remain the historical home of the New York Islanders along with all the extra's.
Will be fun now to see Dolan have to hire writers for Ratner's Coliseum teams, and provide television coverage?