Friday, February 6, 2009

EKLUND: When You Make Up Crap About the Islanders, At Least TRY to Get Your Facts Straight

I know I don't need to tell you, but Eklund is full of crap. Totally and completely.

Not only that, but he doesn't even understand the situations, teams, players and fanbases that he is making up crap about.

Today he says the Islanders are for sale for the low, low price of $100 million. Anyone who believe this needs stop whatever they're doing right now and have their heads examined. I won't link to it cause it's not worth the time and you can find that on your own if you really must.

Let's break it down:

Also, I am checking into a rumor that the NY Islanders are indeed officially for sale. I am a huge fan of this organization and its fanbase and I truly don't want to see this team leaving the area. In my time covering hockey I have always been amazed by the passion of Islanders fans. I would put them in the top 5 American Hockey Fanbases for passion and knowledge.
Thanks for the compliment, I guess that's what is going to make gullible people believe you. Saying you like an organization/fanbase doesn't mean you KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I think you also might be in the minority about calling this a top 5 American fanbase. It's loyal, no doubt, but let's be realistic and stop kissing ass.


I have heard the price for the Islanders may be under $100M. I have been hearing for a while that Charles Wang would not keep the team if he felt the Lighthouse project was not going to happen. In these times it is hard to get a project of that magnitude going although I do believe they have tried

UNDER $100 MILLION!?!? That's a nice round number you pulled outta where the sun don't shine. To believe a hockey team is worth that, even in this economy, is a joke. Forget about what it's actually worth, you wouldn't START THE BIDDING under $100 million. You don't sell yourself short at the start when you're trying to unload an asset like a NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE FRANCHISE.

Also, I think everyone knows Charles isn't desperate to sell. He would have done that years ago if he was.

Yes, there are problems with the Lighthouse Project, but the economy has not hurt it at all. In fact, the economy has HELPED IT. Wang and his partner Scott Rechler have pledged THEIR OWN MONEY to the project. Even with the current state of the economy they have not backed down nor have they asked for tax payer help. It would be EASIER to get the project going now because it would CREATE JOBS and INCREASE TAX REVENUES for the local area.

One of the possibilities for the Islanders that I have heard, and that do believe would be a slam dunk, would be to move the Team to Brooklyn.

Yeah, and we'll let the Coyotes share Edmonton with the Oilers. Get your facts straight!!! Brooklyn is RANGERS TERRITORY. Sure, the New Jersey Nets could be viable in Brooklyn. The Islanders are a suburban team and to put them in the city isn't out of the question, but would be pretty stupid and is no guarantee of success.

There's a reason you used the term "slam dunk" and that's because you stole this idea from the New Jersey Nets, who have been planning to move to Brooklyn for years.

Brooklyn, while it is in the shadow of New York City, is one of the biggest cities in America. Brooklyners are NOT New Yorkers and they will be the first to tell you that.

That doesn't mean they're not RANGER FANS.

And trust me, this isn't a pissed off Islander fan here. This is a pissed off Islander fan who has a first-hand knowledge of the team and their situation.

This "rumor" is as bogus as they come (E5!!!!!). Even if Wang was selling the team, it wouldn't be for UNDER $100 million. You've got to be freaking kidding me. If one more Islander fan believes this rumor I'm going to lose my freaking mind. If I haven't already.

*goes outside to get fresh air*


Update: And this is the last I'm going to say about this, but I missed one hilarious point. If you live in the NYC area you know a lot of out-of-towners don't understand this. Brooklyn is part of New York City. Yes, the folks there are proud of being able to say they're from Brooklyn, but Brooklyn is not a city. It is a borough of the City of New York. So, sure, Brooklyn's a city in the same way that Canada is a state.

6 comments:

  1. Aside from the fact that Wang (as you state) has no intention to sell lets throw around some arbitrary Eck numbers.

    In the past couple of seasons there have been 2 franchises that have actually been sold. Nashville and Tampa Bay.

    Nashville has never won a Stanley Cup, has never made a conference finals. Is ostensibly in the south and is certainly by all metrics a small (maybe mid) sized market. They also have to compete with the Titans an NFL franchise. They were sold for roughly $193 million (US). Not to mention Balsilli overed roughly $50 million over that price that was rejected.

    Tampa Bay has won a Stanley Cup. But they've also been down to the bottom (they have how many #1 picks?) more times than a Ranger fan on Dollar pbr night. They are considered a medium sized market given all the snow birds, but haven't excelled at finding a core fan base. They have to compete with an NFL franchise as well as an MLB franchise and to a certain extent the NBA as well. They were sold for roughly $206 Million (US).

    Now the Islanders, who everyone loves to hate, have won 4 Stanley Cups, have an established fan base (however misaligned they are) and are in a large market. Granted they have to compete with the Rangers and Devils, as well as several MLB teams, 2 NFL teams, and 1 and a 1/2 NBA teams. Their contract terms with existing players are a bit of a mess, and they haven't been the best drafting team.

    Regardless $100 million (US)?!? This not Daffy's or Fieline's Basement. The predators were bought for $80 million in 1997 and appreciated to $193 in 11 years.

    We all know Eck is ignorant, uninformed and panders to the worst type of rumor mongering, but if you're going to make your living at that at least come up with numbers that a 3rd grader with an internet connection couldn't disprove during commercial breaks of "Hannah Montana".

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  2. No worries, the sale to the Kansas City interests will be at least 200 million.

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  3. great post, Kev. I'm glad there's someone to plunge Ecklund's crap down the toilet. I love your posts you do a great job. Keep it up.

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  4. @stick: Great response. Glad you have the numbers that I was too hot headed to dig up. $100 million for any pro team in the four major is LMFAO.

    @BC: sigh. You're right. haha

    @Steven: Thanks, glad you don't mind putting up with lots of yelling (even if it is the internet). I don't like to stoop down to his level, but when you give me a nice juicy fish to fry, it's too much to pass up.

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  5. with such an inside scoop, it's amazing we didn't have to pay for it!

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  6. The hell?! Canada is not a state?!?!

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