You know what this deal tells me? It tells me that Charles Wang has zero intention of pouring any money back into this team. In essence Ratner is renting the team for "x" amout of dollars, so, hypothetically, if the Isles were to bring in merchadising reveue on par with the Yankees, none of it goes back into the team, rather it all goes into Ratner's pocket and the funds available to improve the team stay stagnet.
The New York Islanders available revenue to improve the team is now stagnet, let that sink in! And don't tell me about the measly single digit percentage increases amounts to anything because it doesn't. Further proof Wang doesnt care about building a winner here.
So you know the supposed $35 million in additional revenue, guess what, dosen't mean a thing because Wang will not get any of it.
I always knew the move to Brooklyn was bad for this team but this has gone to levels that I hadn't even thought about. Charles Wang, the savior who fought so hard to keep the NYI in NY just screwed over his new arena owners. His take will certinly be more than a half empty area full of fans watching a borderline team struggle to make the 8th seed each year will bring in consessions, tickets and merchandising. No wonder Wang was OK with shoe horning them into Barclay's and could give a crap about 34% of seats being obstrcuted. He dosen t care!!!! With this deal he would have put them into the ice rink at Newbridge Park.
I have said it before and I will say it again, nothing Chrles Wang does is clean in any way what so ever. Once word of this ass backwards situation gets out to the sports world the NYI will solidify their top spot as laughing stock of the NHL.
If there is a silver lining, it is two fold. One is that if a new owner comes on board, they do not have to abide by this horrible rental agreement and get the hell out of Brooklyn, second is that once Wang has decided his pockets are adequatly stuffed he will sell. A third could be Ratner gets tired of getting the short end of the stick after a year or two and bails on Wang.
"Hi Garth? JT here, GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!!!!"