Islanders would very much like to be in Winter Classic
Chris Botta has been gone from his post as an Islanders spokesman for nearly a month, but he's still blogging and still defending the honor of his former employer.
(Memo to Newsday: Don't count on this kind of treatment from me when I'm gone.)
This time he's setting the record straight - as he sees it - regarding the Isles' role in the NHL Winter Classic-in-the-Bronx saga.
Botta is in a better position to know than I am, but . . . sorry Islanders fans, even though I do have "an ounce of fairness and decency" in my soul, to quote Chris, the rest of America is more likely to get pumped up for Rangers-Bruins than Rangers-Isles.
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Comments (17)
Any self respecting "New Yorker" who would even consider the possibility of a team from BOSTON getting the opportunity to WIN the final sporting event in Yankee Stadium, so as to satisfy the need for "better ratings", is no better than a Times Sq. streetwalker.
This event is not (shouldn't be) about national ratings.
It's about paying homage to a structure that has been the essence of NEW YORK for nearly a century.
The game should be played by New York area teams.
If the game happens and the Isles (or Rangers) ain't in it.....I'll be outside the Stadium with a picket sign on game day.
Fair point about Boston, I guess. OK. Make it the Black Hawks, or even the Flyers. Or the California Golden Seals.
Whaddya got against the Islanders?
Or is this simply about "ratings"?
Believe it or not there are some hockey fans west of the Hudson who understand the intensity of the Ranger/Islander rivalry, and would get a kick out of seeing all the extra security added to keep the denizens in line.
Neil...
>
YOu're not taking the Washington Post buyout, are you? ;)
If I could take a Bettman on this ...
I see the soon-to-be Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings against the New York Rangers.
To drop the ceremonial first puck ....
Eddie Giacomin/Rod Gilbert/Mark Messier
Some fellow named Jeter, who apparently shares spectacle designers with one S. Avery ...
And a guy from up north who some say is on the back of Canada's $5 bill - Gordie Howe.
There is no way this game could be any better than Islanders/Rangers.
the idea that the rest of America is "more likely to get pumped up for Rangers-Bruins than Rangers-Isles" is CRAP. If I dont know anything about a sport, but I hear that a pair of heated rivals are playing, Im more interested. WTH is inherently more interesting about playing Boston? Bruins Rangers will be much more boring than Islanders Rangers... if you want the new fans to be interested, give them something to get interested IN!
HOCKEY IS NOT BASEBALL.
The Bruins rival team is the Cnadiens, not NY.
HOCKEY IS NOT BASEBALL.
Unlike the Mets and Yankees, the Islanders and Rangers are in the same division of the same conference of the same league, they are direct rivals.
HOCKEY IS NOT BASEBALL.
Has that gotten through your head yet?
The Islanders came up with this idea YEARS ago- and the Rangers were always going to be the team they played. The notion that this might go on without the team that originated the idea is disgusting. And stupid. And wrong. If this game happens and the Islanders are not in it there will be more than just Islander505 picketing.
Get Sean Avery to fight Danica Patrick between periods.
Neil,
I would like to know what you base your statement off of?? I don't think any self-respected hockey fan would rather see the Rangers-Bruins over the Rangers-Islanders at Yankee Stadium. Sorry, this is not MLB, if you cannot get pumped for an Isles-Rangers game at the Stadium, well maybe you are covering sports in the wrong city.
I'm sure the fact that ESPN (and, as a result, every other national media outlet) is absolutely in love with the Yankees and Red Sox is a factor here. The NHL and NBC probably figure that they can get the rub as a result, and I can't say I blame them. I'm an Islander fan and I'd love to see them in the Winter Classic, but I think the league will go with a team with broader appeal. Besides, it's not even a given that the Rangers will be there.
http://nyhockeyrivalry.blogspot.com
"Get Sean Avery to fight Danica Patrick between periods."
You'd be more likely to see Avery doing her nails, as a prequel to the new Bravo Reality Series..."He Can Make Her Hot".
"If this game happens and the Islanders are not in it there will be more than just Islander505 picketing."
I'M SPARTACUS!!!
Aren't these Winter Classic games an idea that sounds great but shouldn't be done too often? The quality of play in the Saqbres vs Penguins game late wasn't very good. Constantly stopping the game to zamboni the ice.
But if it can draw huge crowds and get high TV ratings then it meets the purpose of sports. To make money. I'll certainly watch it and I'd love to see a Canadiens vs Maple Laffs game.
The rest of America could care less if the Rangers ever played another game in this league.
Florida could play Phoenix at Yankee Stadium and Yankee fans would produce the television ratings.
http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/media/comments/rangers_penguins_draw_average_rating/
According to Sports Business Daily (reg. required), NBC’s telecast of the New York Rangers-Pittsburgh Penguins game on Sunday drew a 1.0/3 rating.
January 1st, Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo: 2.6
January 20th, Boston vs. New York Rangers: 1.1
February 3rd, New York Rangers vs. Montreal: 0.8
March 2nd, Philadelphia vs. New York Rangers: 1.1
March 30th, New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh: 1.0
Season Average: 1.1
Season Average (Without Winter Classic): 0.9
Is this your idea of America getting pumped or a Ranger fan like yourself lobbying only to get your favotrite team in?
You know, as strong as the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is, I don't understand why the NHL wouldn't want to showcase a similar game for its regular-season centerpiece.
That game isn't Rangers/Bruins - there IS no rivalry between the two teams. That game would be anything else: Rangers/Isles. Rangers/Devils. Red Wings/Avalanche. Red Wings/Blackhawks. Leafs/Habs (yeah, like that would ever happen...)
If the game is going to happen every year, eventually the spectacle of it will cease to be a draw, and the league will have to go back to providing some punch (literally and figuratively) by showcasing a compelling matchup instead of just putting Milbury and McGuire in parkas.
Rangers/Devils at Giants Stadium. That would be a better draw, better match-up, better ratings, and also you won't have Giants fans like myself whining that one of the last games at our stadium would be a hockey game.
Rangers vs. Devils would be the best game in this area. After all, they have played meaningful games over the last 15 years. The Isles and Rangers haven't played a meaningful game in 14 years. The Devils and Isles haven't had a meaningful game in 20 years.