Boycotting this franchise

[Brunomics]

I'm a long time Isles fan and I'm tired of dealing with this. I want to watch good hockey. Not this crap we are being force fed due to awful management. I have tickets to the game tonight(part of my 15 game package) and I'm not even wasting my time going.

 

[19 in a row]

Not sure if someone else said this since I haven't read whole thread but a large portion of the base has already been boycotting for many years saying they refuse to go to games at the NVMC, or because of ownership or until they win so what difference will it make? We lost a whole generation of fans to the rangers because of what has happened for the last nearly 20 (25 by some accounts) years.

 

[nyiguy21]

Been an Isles fan my whole life and I've never seen them win a playoff series. I have watched every game for about the last 10 years and I'm not stopping any time soon. I totally disagree with people stopping watching their team, but that is their call. I'm a fan of this team, I am going to wear their stuff, and I'm going to rep them any chance I get. This is hardly the worst I've seen from this team, and I still believe in them, so I'll continue to watch. There is nothing I'd rather do than watch the Islanders, whether it's winning big or losing big, I'm still going to watch and enjoy.

 

[Bexlyspeed]

if i thought it would make a difference i might, but i feel really bad for the players. especially our captain. he has really rooted himself and showed immense loyalty to our wreck of an organization.
i can't hang Johnny T out to dry when he has dedicated himself to making this team better.

 

[Bexlyspeed]

I'm one of the dummies who bought season tix based on the fact that I thought last season marked the turning point for this team, so I'm not going to be boycotting for the forseeable future, as Wang already has my money.

dont be so hard on yourself Bud, we were all fooled

 

[On Edge]

As a life long fan since '72, and having gone to at least 400 + games at the NVMC not to mention the thousands of games I've watched on TV, I feel like I am entitled to expect a decent product for my money.

For too long I've given this organization the benefit of the doubt through the lean years - no, decades!!! - but no more. I swear I will not put another penny of my hard earned money on a team that so obviously does not care about the team or the fans. I'm tired of being a glutton for punishment. Watching this team should be about enjoyment feeling proud of your team and where you are from. Just really disgusted and feel they don't deserve any more of my time or money.

 

[Chardo]

As a life long fan since '72, and having gone to at least 400 + games at the NVMC not to mention the thousands of games I've watched on TV, I feel like I am entitled to expect a decent product for my money.

For too long I've given this organization the benefit of the doubt through the lean years - no, decades!!! - but no more. I swear I will not put another penny of my hard earned money on a team that so obviously does not care about the team or the fans. I'm tired of being a glutton for punishment. Watching this team should be about enjoyment feeling proud of your team and where you are from. Just really disgusted and feel they don't deserve any more of my time or money.

You're just coming to this now? What did you think of the past 20 years?

 

[bigd]

Many of the players don't care, management doesn't care, ownership doesn't care-then why should the fans?

What makes you think they don't care? Do you really think they enjoy losing?

 

[Islesfan22]

I am done with this team. Pathetic franchise,

 

[Schwartzee]

Anyone feeling different after that game? Or at least amused at the very least?

 

[nystromshairstylist]

Boycotting just makes you a fair weather fan really...

Not wearing any Islanders stuff, not going to any games, not watching, or supporting...that's not the way it's done. You're either a fan all the time or you're not a real fan, regardless of the organization being a circus for 20 years.

Could not disagree more, as this does not even begin to make sense.

Unless a person has some bizarre emotional attachment to a team, which is a sign of an emotional issue to begin with, following a sports team is an entertainment choice, like deciding between going to the movies or to the county fair.

When one of those entertainment choices is unpleasant/not enjoyable or fun, that will eliminate it from the list of options. Life is too short to continue to punish one's self enduring something unpleasant because of some psychological attachment. Should a person sit through repeated viewings of a lousy movie with actor John Doe, simply because they are a fan of that actor?

Your comment makes no sense, and boycotting a team is the only way a fanbase can clearly get the message across to the ownership/management of a team that their product is unacceptably poor, and no fan needs to feel the remotest iota of guilt because they are doing so. No one owes a sports team ANYTHING, and calling those who've opted to spend their optional entertainment monies on more enjoyable activities are not "fair weather fans," they are intelligent.

ESPECIALLY when a team's ownership/management has deliberately chosen to spend as little as they can on their team/product - they deserve little or no attention from the public at large until they truly commit to putting a competitive product on the ice. The Islander ownership has chosen not to commit to putting the best product on the ice, so calling those fans who reciprocate as such "fair weather fans" is ridiculous nonsense, and not credible.

 

[19NYSports91]

Absolutely not, I'm a die-hard sports fan.

 

[nystromshairstylist]

Remember this is an owner who has said that even if we sell out every game and win the stanley cup we'd still lose $. Even if that is somehow true, it just goes to show that he doesn't care 1 bit about winning.

Then he should not have bought the team. There is a reason that the ownerships since John O. Pickett have been such garbage; if the financial arrangement did not offer a path to financial gains, then the prospective owner would need to decide if he wanted A) to lose money on a product that he loved and did not care, not buying it for profits B) would endure the losses with a financial arrangement that would change over time, as per contracts.

Any owner who bought the team and did not do their due diligence beforehand, knowing that the deal would lead to negative cash flows, is an idiot - or incompetent, two terms that might be applicable at this time. No owner has the right to buy a team and claim that "we're losing money, so I cannot put any into the team." Wealthy owners easily have the means to investigate potential purchases like this to determine if it would be a wise financial decision; Wang has no excuses not to invest what it takes to improve the team - and has refused to do so. The league is just as guilty for allowing this dreadful situation to linger as long as it has.

 

[19NYSports91]

Boycotting just makes you a fair weather fan really...

Not wearing any Islanders stuff, not going to any games, not watching, or supporting...that's not the way it's done. You're either a fan all the time or you're not a real fan, regardless of the organization being a circus for 20 years.

Personally I think when the fans showed up at the end of last year and started cheering the players, that was a great moment for them and us. I'd think many of the players get down because there is virtually no support from the fans. The coliseum is like a morgue constantly. It must be depressing for them and it would only make me not want to play for an organization with no fans.

I agree completely with this and for the people saying it doesn't make you a fair weather fan, you're delusional. Some of you so call fans will be back when they start winning games, which makes you a fair weather fan.

 

[tag0519]

While boycotting seems like a great way to get the message to Wang I can't see myself or my wife doing it. There has to be a better way to get to Wang and let him know he's doing it all wrong.

 

[ScaredStreit]

What makes you think they don't care? Do you really think they enjoy losing?

They (the players at least) have hundrends of thousands to millions of reasons not to care.

 

[ScaredStreit]

I agree completely with this and for the people saying it doesn't make you a fair weather fan, you're delusional. Some of you so call fans will be back when they start winning games, which makes you a fair weather fan.

There's a BIG difference between boycotting and not caring. For example if somebody were to stop paying money to go to games-but still caught them on TV, are you going to suggest that they're not a "real" fan? Is somebody who's a season ticket holder and goes to every game more of a fan than I am-because I only get to see them 1-2 times a year? It's a silly argument.

The whole "fair weather" fan thing does have some merit-but anybody who's watched the Isles over the past 20 years for any length of time isn't a fair weather fan-because by default they've watched during the bad times.

In my opinion most of the people who claim to be "real" fans are the chest-bumpers who they're think they're better than somebody else, just because that other person thinks it's a waste of time to watch a pathetic (yes the Islanders are nothing short of pathetic this year) product on the ice. Because they'd rather spend their saturday nights doing something productive, with their families, hanging out with friends, watching "real" sports teams, movies, going into the city, etc.

Let's be honest-people will pay for the product when it deserves to be paid for. I'm just glad that when I go to see them my money's going to a "real" NHL organization. What do I mean by real organization? This:

The last time the Islanders won a playoff series was the Lightning's first year in the NHL (93). So while the Isles have been losers for 2 decades the Lightning have: won a cup, won 7 playoff series, been to the conference finals twice, made the playoffs 6 times, iced 2 future hall of famers (St. Louis and Stamkos), have had players win the: Hart, Pearson/Lindsay, Richard, Art Ross, Lady Byng, Conn Smythe.

And the Islanders? Well....the Islanders have sucked.

 

[Quicklime]

I don't have a horse in this race since I haven't even been in the same time zone for more than about 4 days in the last several years, but it feels dirty even trying to like another team more than just in passing.

Been a fan since Volek put the Pens to sleep in '93. I was 12 then, 33 now, and it's been rough. I take a little more time away from the site and likely won't hit any games this Spring when I visit the family. I'll never stop being a fan, but I'm that much less likely to spend money on gear, and it saves me a trip through LaGuardia.

I'm no less a fan, but I'll gladly gravitate to more pleasant facets of my life if I can't even watch an Isle' game in a bar on my day off without going home pissed both ways. (1-6 when I catch a game at a bar this season.....WTH?!?)

 

[DV]

Have suggestions/comments for Garth?(516) 501-6700, enter his name when prompted. Who knows, maybe he will even be in today

 

[On Edge]

I agree completely with this and for the people saying it doesn't make you a fair weather fan, you're delusional. Some of you so call fans will be back when they start winning games, which makes you a fair weather fan.

Really???

I'd love to know where all that fair weather has been then over the past 20-25 years of which I've probably dropping at least $40,000 on tickets, parking, concessions etc.

Please enlighten me.

 

[ScaredStreit]

Really???

I'd love to know where all that fair weather has been then over the past 20-25 years of which I've probably dropping at least $40,000 on tickets, parking, concessions etc.

Please enlighten me.

I'm 27 and literally cannot remember last time this team won a playoff series. I too would love to know when this so-called fair weather was?

 

[Hershey Hockey]

I watched every single game in the shortened season last year. It's accurate to say I was extremely emotionally invested in the team. I was more excited for the playoff push and first round games than anything in sports besides the Giants going to the Super Bowl(s) in years. I was devastated when they lost game six but very optimistic and excited for the upcoming season.

It's a 180 change now. I don't watch games anymore unless they're on local TV (Pens/Caps). Sure it's not as easy because I wasn't shelling out the ridiculous full price for Gamecenter this year, but I could hunt down streams. I follow what happens for every game on Twitter and read about it and watch highlights after, but I just don't care like I used to. And you know why? Because it's a reciprocation of the attitude of this organization. They don't care either. This organization does not have a top priority of winning.

If this organization cared about winning, Capuano would have been fired a long time ago. Major lineup changes would have been made. Significant trades would have happened (the Vanek deal went down before this ship really started sinking). Does any single player ever get called out for being dead weight after having a poor game? No, but players have games like this all the time.

If these were close games being lost, if there was significant effort being given, if everything was being left on the ice every game, if the mistakes and poor decisions weren't preventable and easily addressed by a coach who knows what the hell he's doing, then yes, I'd care. But that's not the case.

If I go to a business and they make a mistake but make an honest effort to make it right and show that they sincerely care, I'm going to be OK with it. If a business screws up and they make it blatantly obvious they couldn't give a ****, that's not acceptable. The latter is exactly what is going on with this organization. And that's the reason they don't have my business anymore, not nearly as much as they used to anyway. Sure I don't live nearby so it's not like I'd be going to games anyway. But you can sure as hell bet I don't have any Islanders merchandise on my Christmas list this year.

 

[GardenStateIslesFan]

I've seen some dumb stuff on here but this is the worst. Boycotting a team does in fact make you a fair weather fan. It's a game by the way not someone that actually effects your everyday life. Stop being a bunch of babies and deal with it.

 

[PK Cronin]

Could not disagree more, as this does not even begin to make sense.

Unless a person has some bizarre emotional attachment to a team, which is a sign of an emotional issue to begin with, following a sports team is an entertainment choice, like deciding between going to the movies or to the county fair.

When one of those entertainment choices is unpleasant/not enjoyable or fun, that will eliminate it from the list of options. Life is too short to continue to punish one's self enduring something unpleasant because of some psychological attachment. Should a person sit through repeated viewings of a lousy movie with actor John Doe, simply because they are a fan of that actor?

Your comment makes no sense, and boycotting a team is the only way a fanbase can clearly get the message across to the ownership/management of a team that their product is unacceptably poor, and no fan needs to feel the remotest iota of guilt because they are doing so. No one owes a sports team ANYTHING, and calling those who've opted to spend their optional entertainment monies on more enjoyable activities are not "fair weather fans," they are intelligent.

ESPECIALLY when a team's ownership/management has deliberately chosen to spend as little as they can on their team/product - they deserve little or no attention from the public at large until they truly commit to putting a competitive product on the ice. The Islander ownership has chosen not to commit to putting the best product on the ice, so calling those fans who reciprocate as such "fair weather fans" is ridiculous nonsense, and not credible.

I didn't say you have to go to every game. But not following a team you're a fan of when there are bad years, and I don't care how many years that may be, and then coming back when the winning starts up again...that's being a fair weather fan. Why not just watch other teams and root for the winners? Change horses every year? That'd be a lot more enjoyable and pleasant for most I'd think. But that's not what being a fan is about.

There's a BIG difference between boycotting and not caring. For example if somebody were to stop paying money to go to games-but still caught them on TV, are you going to suggest that they're not a "real" fan? Is somebody who's a season ticket holder and goes to every game more of a fan than I am-because I only get to see them 1-2 times a year? It's a silly argument.

I guess you didn't read my comments later in the thread. I don't think boycotting going to games is horrible for people to do. However, boycotting following and supporting (not financially) the team is a problem, which is what the OP suggested.

The whole "fair weather" fan thing does have some merit-but anybody who's watched the Isles over the past 20 years for any length of time isn't a fair weather fan-because by default they've watched during the bad times.

Stockpiling bad years doesn't allow you to skip the next 20 bad years and start being a fan again when the winning starts.

In my opinion most of the people who claim to be "real" fans are the chest-bumpers who they're think they're better than somebody else, just because that other person thinks it's a waste of time to watch a pathetic (yes the Islanders are nothing short of pathetic this year) product on the ice. Because they'd rather spend their saturday nights doing something productive, with their families, hanging out with friends, watching "real" sports teams, movies, going into the city, etc.

You all keep bringing up money. That is not what I talked about.

Really???

I'd love to know where all that fair weather has been then over the past 20-25 years of which I've probably dropping at least $40,000 on tickets, parking, concessions etc.

Please enlighten me.

So stop buying season tickets.

I don't care if you watched a **** product for 20 years, if you stop watching/following altogether for a lengthy period of time and only come back to following and watching when winning starts, that would make you a fair weather fan. How are you not if you're going to forget about the team and not care about it until the winning starts?

I'm 27 and literally cannot remember last time this team won a playoff series. I too would love to know when this so-called fair weather was?

I didn't say there was fair weather, but that there will be fair weather. So not watching/supporting anymore until that fair weather, then jumping back on board...that'd make you a fair weather fan. Get it?

It's not that hard to grasp. Seriously.

 

[On Edge]

I didn't say you have to go to every game. But not following a team you're a fan of when there are bad years, and I don't care how many years that may be, and then coming back when the winning starts up again...that's being a fair weather fan. Why not just watch other teams and root for the winners? Change horses every year? That'd be a lot more enjoyable and pleasant for most I'd think. But that's not what being a fan is about.



I guess you didn't read my comments later in the thread. I don't think boycotting going to games is horrible for people to do. However, boycotting following and supporting (not financially) the team is a problem, which is what the OP suggested.



Stockpiling bad years doesn't allow you to skip the next 20 bad years and start being a fan again when the winning starts.



You all keep bringing up money. That is not what I talked about.



So stop buying season tickets.
I don't care if you watched a **** product for 20 years, if you stop watching/following altogether for a lengthy period of time and only come back to following and watching when winning starts, that would make you a fair weather fan. How are you not if you're going to forget about the team and not care about it until the winning starts?



I didn't say there was fair weather, but that there will be fair weather. So not watching/supporting anymore until that fair weather, then jumping back on board...that'd make you a fair weather fan. Get it?

It's not that hard to grasp. Seriously.

I DID stop buying tickets and love that you care so much about how I spend my time and money.