How Hard Will Dolan's Media/Newsday Work To Defeat Ratner Coliseum?

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/01/2015 04:26:00 PM | | | | | | |
You saw this act with the referendum, the owner of Newsday, and his media reach got out the no vote for weeks with tons of mostly negative articles, and editorials, then when it was clear the 2011 referendum would fail the late tepid endorsement came, simply saying the process should continue, and to vote yes.

No gang, I was not convinced Dolan's mug on the Islanders website for two seconds saying to vote yes was genuine, his players, management absolutely were sincere. 

It's different now, Dolan showed his true colors, and bid for the Coliseum.

He lost to Bruce Ratner, his media people blamed the record of Nassau County politicians.

And Dolan Newsday put on the it's usual shameful show as they are doing now.
8/13/13: Long Island Press: Newsday Omission in Story on Owner’s Rival Raises Questions
9/9/13: Long Island Press: Newsday Fails to Disclose Suozzi Ties in Primary Endorsement

Msg made clear they are watching very closely at the time as things moved forward and Dolan's rep on Coliseum bid, Hank Ratner (no relation to Bruce) is now gone from Msg.  I cannot write Dolan would jump right back in if Bruce Ratner walked from the project which he can do at any time before the ground breaking, however it's very possible.

But it's clear Dolan's Newsday/News12 LI can go all out to make every update as negative as possible to influence the public on top of the fans still in denial since October 2012 the Islanders are moving.

Which is what we see again from the owner of Newsday, who lost the bid to Ratner, a circus in their paper every few days. 

Now every update is big news, almost always filled with downside, some of it is fair when Blumenfeld and Ratner sue one another, but let's get real because if Dolan was selected as winning bid you think his media would be doing one negative update about his project in his paper?

You would see positive articles or nothing at all.

Updated 5/2/15:
Sorry, Dolan's entire Newsday editorial board got into the act. Can't make it up.


Updated 5/1/15:
And here's a member of Dolan's editorial board on cue, mourning the Isles loss but really knocking Ratner's plan not mentioning Dolan's bid once or the massive tax money he receives for the Cablevision Garden or the exemption he wanted on the Coliseum and surrounding land + real estate rights.

I wrote my entire entry before seeing this. Welcome back to May-July 2011 when it was one negative article or editorial after another to defeat the referendum in James Dolan's Newsday before he bid for the property himself in 2013. 
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Why Dolan lost Coliseum bid in 2013 to Ratner:
As some will recall in the past I asked who made up Ed Mangano's financial advisory board that decided who would renovate the Coliseum, and win the bid? I looked long and hard back to 2010 when he said he made up his board.

And yes, I fully expected Dolan to win the bid over Ratner, and wrote why here at the time. 

On 9/6/13 Nassau's Decision On Why Ratner Over Dolan: I got my answers when the decision was announced and in the end felt l it was strictly about who would spend the most money which for neither party was not much to moderately renovate the Nassau Coliseum.

No folks, around ninety million dollars was all anyone was willing to commit to renovating the Coliseum, these politicians waking from their slumber thinking more should be spent now have still not grasped the concept the revenue streams are not there to make any further renovations possible. 

Dolan wanted his usual tax exemption like he has now on the Cablevision Garden, the only private company in the entire state of New York not to pay property taxes since 1982, which is now worth 54 million dollars a year out of the NYC taxpayers pockets, which was voted on by NYC council members to repeal but will not come up for a vote in Andrew Cuomo/Shelly Silver's state legislature, who received money from the Dolan family during their runs for office.

Let's be clear Bruce Ratner/James Dolan lean democrat, Charles Wang republican and has been listed in articles at the RNC conventions. Wang's gotten both parties to support him in the past.

 NY Post 12/11/2006:


And of course I can produce a dozen or so articles from professional media to support what I'm writing about Dolan's exemption on Msg.  

From Mangano's Committee: 

And Dolan unlike Wang in 2013, and Ratner wanted development rights over the entire site which were awarded to Don Monti, who is the Master Developer of the HUB to this day. 

Dolan's media/business writers did not put any of this in his Newspaper, or it was well hidden behind that paywall.

The AHL/Coliseum/Sound Tigers Issue:
So now it's time for Newsday to make the AHL another of the many big hurdles for Ratner, and we all know who owns the Hartford/Ct Whale/Wolfpack since 1997 when they brought in their AHL team and have been soundly rejected by die-hard NHL Hartford Whalers fans since day one. 
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In Ratner's 2013 Legislature Hearing on Page 135-139 the Sound Tigers/AHL issue was discussed at length with all possible scenario's where Ratner, Yormark and Kevan Abrahams pulled no punches on this subject.

Of course none of this made it into any article where Dolan's business writers, Robert Brodsky, and Randi Marshall are involved to say nothing of shock jock Jim Baumbach, who never met a positive article about the New York Islanders since Arbour in 2007 where he tried to discredit his 1500th win. 
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Kate Murray/TOH Approval:
Ratner finally submitted his plan this year, Murray scheduled a public comment hearing in May, she can let it rot past Ratner's construction period, and kill it outright if she wants Dolan's plan or another but it may hurt her bid running for district attorney among fellow Republicans.
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Ratner Issues: 
Let's be clear Bruce Ratner has been slow on every single thing he has said he was going to do, and was a year late submitting his final plan to Kate Murray's TOH who have to approve his plan vs her development criteria and zoning which she released in 2010 after driving out Wang-Rechler Lighthouse.

What's transpired has raised fair and legitimate questions about Mr Ratner's ability to see this project through in the manner promised but it's hardly uncommon based on most of these projects. It's usually more the norm based on the taxpayer stadium's in Queens/Bronx/Newark/East Rutherford, Harrison, and of course the Barclay's Center.

Nassaucountyny.gov: 4/14/15: Ratner's plan submitted to TOH. 

Press Conference; Hub Conceptual Master Plan Submitted to Town of Hempstead from Nassau Executive on Vimeo.

Long Island Press 4/15/15 reported Ratner's final plans were submitted which required another legislature vote which was needed over financing and was approved 17-2. 

LIHerald.com 4/22/15:

But there is the significant difference in how other professional media outlets on Long Island has presented the news on this subject vs Dolan's Newsday. 

Bruce Ratner has mostly put on a very poor show vs the day he was unanimously approved 19-0 by the Nassau Legislature on 9/23/2013 which I watched live as he put on a magnificent presentation.

The archives here have these updates/minutes from that meeting. 

Dolan's specific approval was discussed to the Islanders returning for regular season games, Mr Yormark at the time did not see this as an obstacle.page 157


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Ct Post 3/1/15: On Wang obligated to provide AHL team or better in Bridgeport.

And as we know Mr Ratner is obligated to provide an AHL team as anchor tennant, even if Charles Wang is obligated to give Webster Bank Arena an AHL team or better with his lease through 2021.


Funny how Lou Lamoriello took his team from East Rutherford to Newark and there was never one hint of his AHL teams in Albany/upstate ever moving into their former home which was closed this year (Izod Center)  likely forever.
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So Now What? The Circus Continues On All Fronts.
Brock Nelson, Kulemin, Anders Lee escaped the circus, and are playing in the World Championships.

The New York Islanders move to the Barclay's Center, many of our fans act like they were blindsided or asleep since 2012, and think Santa Claus is coming to give Nassau an NHL revenue capable rink to play in front of crowds under 10,000 most years on weeknights since 1989.

The same people who boycotted the team away since 1989 will now try to boycott them back, and are demanding a max payroll with ticket prices under twenty dollars. 

I think that's the Jay and Judy Jacobs circus tent which Tom Gulotta demanded be built by private money when Wang-Kumar bought the club in 2000.

It's next to Howard Milstein's scoreboard hoist eviction tent where some Islander fans now love the fisherman uniform? Mangano wanted a referendum for financing that tent in a public-private partnership.

The Armand D'Amato fund jar for donations is in the back of the tent, and everyone better donate. 

The Cosmos are already tired of Nassau County politics and Brooklyn would love for them to do more than make a few cameo's there.  (not kidding)

Hofstra President, Stuart Rabinowicz, wants a Shinnecock Nation t-shirt to go with some Jets training camp memorabilia and some Cosmos gear before they go.

Tom Suozzi will replace Alan Hahn on Msg/+/+2+3+4 to show us the proclamation he gave Charles Wang in April 2002 which Brandon Steiner will put up for auction.

Come on Charles Wang, here is your gift, Sam Wyly filing for bankruptcy with his Ranger governance from the CA days. 

The Long Island only crowd will play the Long Island card, the Brooklyn only crowd will play the Brooklyn card, most of them will go to baseball games and never call the Mets Queens or the Yankees Bronx, and wear their New York uniforms when they go to East Rutherford, New Jersey for football games with Jay Jacobs PSL tickets. 

The fans who see this as any other New York team (even the NJ football teams) will do what they do, which is where I sit in this hopefully with Charles Wang's forty percent of season ticket holders from around NYC area according to his 2011/12 interviews. (see audio archives) 

Dolan's media will likely do what they did in 2011 until the final day Ratner breaks ground if it goes that far, and bring up every negative issue they can forever.

Ratner/Blumenfeld will do their thing, likely in court because none of these friends never are  when push comes to shove. Mr Yormark will use the word Brooklyn three times in every sentence.

No one will consider my idea to make most of the Barclay's center seats unobstructed for free and center the scoreboard which is use the Boston Garden, Aud, older rink dimensions, people don't like money.

And the idea of adding Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens to the Isles logo will not happen even if it's as subtle as the 4th stripe and makes every single fan still feel welcomed. (IE make more money)


Barclay's Center President & Chief Communications Officer, Barry Baum will not return to the NY Post Islander beat or have any confrontations with John Vanbiesbrouck. 

Mike Vaccaro who went to the Nassau Coliseum once since 1978 for a Ranger game will play Islander historian for the Post.

Every die-hard older Ranger media fan will treat the Islanders at the Barclay's Center like Bryan Trottier coaching the Rangers, especially when the Islander fans double at Msg from the loud cheering crowds there now. 

Hopefully Mr Ledecky, Malkin make their payments on time to Charles Wang, and all three keep things quiet beyond cheering on their team.

Smg will get their celebrated walking papers on 7/31 but somehow will work on 8/4 so Billy Joel can take off his Ranger sweater for a night with his Msg performance contract? Another common sense fair question to be asked of Mr Ratner's decision making.

Wang and Mr Joel are being honored, and given a degree by Stony Brook University this month:


Kate Murray will be elected district attorney and be the only person to show up for George Maragos day to appreciate the Islanders history.

No, I did not get my coaching change, life goes on.