Nothing new from what I have been writing for years, had more on twitter but that's the bottom line.
With Cuomo/all those politicians needing Dolan's newsday/media/spin to stay in office, they did what they were told, but you can't make people go to games, that location is a nightmare, same as Nassau has been since 1989.
Can't work at that isolated location as another teams tenant between Dolan-Oakview-Leiweke-Azoff-Wilpon-Sterling-NYRA.
People don't go to malls aka retail villages, with transit access 1/2 plus mile from building & worst highway access in NY. Bottom line, not enough people go to 41 games like real markets do in cities. The devil will be in the hidden lease agreement, Dolan via his media will hide that until it's clear, this does not work financially, and these owners sell/relocate. Dolan's 2013 loss was going to be reversed to put Coliseum, now NYI out of business, but our current owners bought this lemon.
NHL teams in this era cannot afford to play in suburbs, everyone plays in a city because that's where the money/people are. It's the wrong location for a fanbase that walked in 1989 for good, & refused to support the team in first place there last March, with announced crowds of 11,000-Columbus 11,000-Ottawa-12,200 thanks to Devils fans. Tons of seats were given away with only 21 games that began 12/2/18, it does not work in Nassau, it won't work at Belmont, and for all Queens fans to stand 20 feet from Queens, and pretend it's Long Island is just another lie.
Dolan even got two Ranger games in Nassau, and five others relocated. The fans who paid for NYC Islander games get shafted, in a facility/location they needed to stay to grow the fan base, that had 14,000, 13,800, 14,800 for it's three games in Feb last season 3-0, with a record thirty games over five hundred since going there.
Good luck seeing the tenant NY Islanders lease, that will be filled with attendance based out clauses, and Bettman demanding this franchise finally pull it's financial weight or a another market will.
The lies will continue, the fans in denial will do what they do best, but won't go to games, they are great at demanding owners pay for everything, while other teams get their own taxpayer funded building. Another preseason games in Nassau well under 2,000 at best thanks to opposing fans, while other teams mostly fill the building.
