A Team Goes To Brooklyn
by Michael Kemmet
It was announced recently at a press conference in Brooklyn that the New York Islanders will be moving into the brand new Barclays Center in 2015. Being that the Islanders are Long Island’s only professional sports team and a staple in Nassau County, it is a bitter-sweet moment for both the citizens of Nassau and the fans of the hockey team. The Islanders have been a part of Long Island ever since their arrival in 1972. Since then, the franchise hauled in an astonishing four consecutive championships from ’80 to ’83, but from that point on has not quite had a history to remember.
The team’s forgettable history is not its only problem; its arena has become forgettable as well. The franchise has played in the Nassau Coliseum for 40 years of its existence, and the building remains exactly as it did four decades ago. With the lease on the Coliseum nearing its end and no desire to stay where they are, it made absolute sense for the New York Islanders to make the decision they did: to join the festivities in Brooklyn.
Following the arrival of the 2015-2016 NHL season, the New York Islanders will share the 1 billion dollar venue with the Brooklyn Nets and become the 3rd professional sports organization to call the great city of Brooklyn home. However, the New York Islanders disappointingly informed the public that the team has no intentions of making any adjustments to its name, logo, or uniforms, in order to respect the tradition of the franchise and its history. If this happens to be the case and the team does not change its mind, the Islanders will be Brooklyn’s first franchise to not include the city’s name in its title.
Unlike the franchise’s excellent decision to relocate, the decision to maintain the appearance and title of the New York Islanders is quite the opposite. Last year the New York Islanders ranked a pathetic dead last (30th) in terms of total revenue with just 63 million dollars which is utterly atrocious considering the team’s steady fan base and potential marketability.
If the franchise were somewhat intelligent, it would come to the realization that its tradition and history in Nassau County are irrelevant and unimportant in the city of Brooklyn. Therefore, the team’s name and appearance should be redesigned. Take the Brooklyn Nets for example. Much like the Islanders, they were a weakly marketed team before heading to Brooklyn.
The opportunity is just what the franchise needs to attract new fans as well as rejuvenate the already existing ones. Most importantly, this opportunity could put the franchise back onto the map of truly relevant professional sports organizations and bring back the excitement in the sport.
It was announced recently at a press conference in Brooklyn that the New York Islanders will be moving into the brand new Barclays Center in 2015. Being that the Islanders are Long Island’s only professional sports team and a staple in Nassau County, it is a bitter-sweet moment for both the citizens of Nassau and the fans of the hockey team. The Islanders have been a part of Long Island ever since their arrival in 1972. Since then, the franchise hauled in an astonishing four consecutive championships from ’80 to ’83, but from that point on has not quite had a history to remember.
The team’s forgettable history is not its only problem; its arena has become forgettable as well. The franchise has played in the Nassau Coliseum for 40 years of its existence, and the building remains exactly as it did four decades ago. With the lease on the Coliseum nearing its end and no desire to stay where they are, it made absolute sense for the New York Islanders to make the decision they did: to join the festivities in Brooklyn.
Following the arrival of the 2015-2016 NHL season, the New York Islanders will share the 1 billion dollar venue with the Brooklyn Nets and become the 3rd professional sports organization to call the great city of Brooklyn home. However, the New York Islanders disappointingly informed the public that the team has no intentions of making any adjustments to its name, logo, or uniforms, in order to respect the tradition of the franchise and its history. If this happens to be the case and the team does not change its mind, the Islanders will be Brooklyn’s first franchise to not include the city’s name in its title.
Unlike the franchise’s excellent decision to relocate, the decision to maintain the appearance and title of the New York Islanders is quite the opposite. Last year the New York Islanders ranked a pathetic dead last (30th) in terms of total revenue with just 63 million dollars which is utterly atrocious considering the team’s steady fan base and potential marketability.
If the franchise were somewhat intelligent, it would come to the realization that its tradition and history in Nassau County are irrelevant and unimportant in the city of Brooklyn. Therefore, the team’s name and appearance should be redesigned. Take the Brooklyn Nets for example. Much like the Islanders, they were a weakly marketed team before heading to Brooklyn.
The opportunity is just what the franchise needs to attract new fans as well as rejuvenate the already existing ones. Most importantly, this opportunity could put the franchise back onto the map of truly relevant professional sports organizations and bring back the excitement in the sport.
