Nassau Coliseum Discussion
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As I shared before the game, my father and I flew in on Saturday as I had a feeling it would be the last ever game. We hadn't been to a game together in 32 years. I got tickets front row behind the Isles bench. Couldn't see a damn thing all game, but didn't matter. Great experience, had a blast, kids back home saw us on NBC feed all day.
Then, around 9pm, I drunkingly went for one last walk around the stadium and saw a door had been propped open by the cleaning crew. Walked around for a few minutes, took some selfies and can say I was probably the last ever Isles fan in the Colliseum! That was of course until security found me and kicked me out before I could find the locker room. I probably would have gotten away with it if I didn't still have a beer in my hand.
Then, around 9pm, I drunkingly went for one last walk around the stadium and saw a door had been propped open by the cleaning crew. Walked around for a few minutes, took some selfies and can say I was probably the last ever Isles fan in the Colliseum! That was of course until security found me and kicked me out before I could find the locker room. I probably would have gotten away with it if I didn't still have a beer in my hand.
BossyMVP
Die SABRES die
It will...think it still hasn't sunk in for many. Did for me today when i drove south on the meadowbrook parkway. Saw it through the trees and just shook my head with disgust.
I'll remember most when this team was bad and me and my friend bought tickets for $19 with our college id's. Pre-games at nassau community college parking lot. Piss lining the floors of every bathroom, and 8000 die hard fans cheering on Brett Lindross. Those were such sad and fun nights at the same time. My youth will be destroyed with the passing of the barn. Luckily, my last game was with the same friend i went to all those games with back in the late 90's. Thanks Islander Fans. You made it fun.
JKP
Registered User
My only experience was in November. We drove 15 hours on a Friday. Watched them beat the Pens. Drove 15 hours home on Sunday.
I wanted my two boys, both Isles fans, 9 and 12, to have experienced the holy ground of where our cups were won. And I wanted to see it too. Mission accomplished. Great night. Great game. Once-in-a-lifetime experience. I was teary eyed seeing those banners in person for the first time. My 9yo ended up getting Matt Martin's first star puck that night. Amazing experience and one the three of us will never forget.
My only date with the old barn was perfect.
I wanted my two boys, both Isles fans, 9 and 12, to have experienced the holy ground of where our cups were won. And I wanted to see it too. Mission accomplished. Great night. Great game. Once-in-a-lifetime experience. I was teary eyed seeing those banners in person for the first time. My 9yo ended up getting Matt Martin's first star puck that night. Amazing experience and one the three of us will never forget.
My only date with the old barn was perfect.
bstash19
Registered User
my fondest memories of the coliseum are going to the games as a kid in the late 90s, with my grandpa. The team was terrible, but i still enjoyed going. it was one of the things i was glad that we got to do together before he got Alzheimers. with him passing away in november, and the coliseum over, those days are over.
its actually pretty sad.
i still don't think it will hit me until next year, when they're playing in brooklyn.
its actually pretty sad.
i still don't think it will hit me until next year, when they're playing in brooklyn.
PK Cronin
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- Feb 11, 2013
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My brother and I took our dad to the last regular season game at the Coliseum. My brother was a season ticket holder for one seat, so he already had a ticket. My wife surprised me with tickets right after Christmas because she knew how much it'd mean to me. It just didn't seem right that the two of us were going to be going to the game without our dad, so my brother sold his seat and we were able to pick up tickets for the two of them to ensure he got to go to one last game. He knew beforehand that both my brother and I were going, but he was pretty stunned and elated when he found out a week before the game he'd be going with us. Even though they lost, it was a really special moment for me. I moved away about four years ago, so I don't get to see as many games as I used to, and it felt great to get back for the last one and share it with them.
There are other memories too. '07 Isles Rangers game with Dubie making the shootout save to keep hope alive. The playoff series against Buffalo in '07. Going to my first game in the mid 90's. Seeing Chara in person for the first time when he was with us. Tons of memories, good and bad. I've been more emotional about it than I thought I would.
There are other memories too. '07 Isles Rangers game with Dubie making the shootout save to keep hope alive. The playoff series against Buffalo in '07. Going to my first game in the mid 90's. Seeing Chara in person for the first time when he was with us. Tons of memories, good and bad. I've been more emotional about it than I thought I would.
"You never know how much you love the one you love until it's gone"
-- Denis Potvin
"Fort Neverlose: The New York Islanders and Nassau Coliseum"
I watched this documentary April 18th the day before the first home playoff game, and the first of the last 3 home games I would ever get to see at the Coliseum as we know it.
Tuesday morning when it was all over with and it was finally just setting in that this was it for my beloved coliseum, I fired the video up on youtube, on my way to work, and just listened to each and every word.
I could not put my finger on exactly how I felt about the end of the Coliseum till today.
Our team died on April 27th....
- Sure we will have the same New York Islanders roster next year (give or take).
- We might have the same coach or coaches
- The same GM
- The same owners
- The same broadcasters
- Even the same Jerseys
But in all the years we have all been fans, all the things I just mentioned have always changed over the years. Some of them more often, others less often, some for better and some for worse. But the one thing that tied all the aspects of our team together was Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
No matter how good or bad the team was you knew when you walked into the building and sat in the seats and watched the players on the Ice that there was some magic link to the past, to the glory days of the past. On that same Ice had played not only some of the greatest Islanders players and teams but they were also some of the greatest NHL players and teams of all times.
No matter what seat you had that day in a past era, another fan had watched from the very same seat, (an usher told me recently that the seats literally were never renovated). The fans of the past watched from your current seat as another version of the Islanders hoisted Stanley Cup's # 1, 2, 3, or 4. When they move to Brooklyn next year they are a New team in my mind.
Sure the New York Islanders Organization will carry the storied past with it to The Barclays but the one thing that tied all the aspects of the Organization together, the one thing that was the constant through all owners, personnel, uniform, and PR moves was The Barn.
That constant, "The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum" is no more and that makes me sad.
Winning and the forging of new memories in a new building will ease the pain but it will never be the same...
Thanks for all the memories NVMC
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Updated title...I will miss it so much, it's like losing a family member. I hate Nassau County so much, I commute from Suffolk to Jersey City, I could have moved to Nassau but they will never see any future tax revenue from me.
Lame Lambert
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The Underboss
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Brunomics
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Probably have to be out by a certain date.
All the coliseum had was the past. Zero relevant wins since 92-93. Let this team shake off all the negative energy that was generated at this place for the past 20 years and watch them succeed in a place they can call their own where they aren't victim to SMG/Hempstead/Fat ass Murrary/Nassau/Nimby's/Voters/you get my point.
This is the best possible solution.
Sorry you got abused as a young Isles fan. There is so much more to it than the way you describe it.
Brunomics
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Sorry you got abused as a young Isles fan. There is so much more to it than the way you describe it.
Let's see
93-94 - Destroyed by the Rangers
94-95 - Missed Playoffs, Turgeon/Malakov traded, start of the downfall
95-96 - Missed Playoffs
96-97 - Missed Playoffs
97-98 - Missed Playoffs
98-99 - Missed Playoffs, Palffy traded, almost went to rags
99-00 - Missed Playoffs
00-01 - Missed Playoffs
01-02 - Phenomenal Start, played mediocre hockey the rest of the way, lost to Leafs
02-03 - Traded Osgood, Went with Snow as the starter(why?????), Lost to Sens
03-04 - Made Playoffs, Lost to Lightning
04-05 - Lockout
05-06 - Missed Playoffs
06-07 - Dubie miracle, Lost to Sabres
07-08 - Missed Playoffs
08-09 - Missed Playoffs, Tavares!
09-10 - Missed Playoffs
10-11 - Missed Playoffs
11-12 - Missed Playoffs
12-13 - Resurgence, faded at the end of the season. Lost to Pens
13-14 - Missed Playoffs
14-15 - Great 2/3rds of the season, limped into playoffs, lost to Caps
Playoff Appearences - 7
Playoff record - 10-28
Series won - 0
I'm also not including all of the horrific **** that went on with the ownership side, the jerseys, lack of attendance, county politics
There is nothing more to describe. Best thing to happen to this franchise is JT. As much as I love JT that's pretty ****ing sad and that is why I'm happy they are getting out of that dump.
Brunomics
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Strummergas
Regular User
I'm not asking this question to rile people up, I'm just honestly curious about this....
Has a team moving to a new building (NOT a new city) ever been this disconcerting to a fan base in the history of sports? I don't even remember this kind of pall around Yankees fans when they closed the old Stadium.
Has a team moving to a new building (NOT a new city) ever been this disconcerting to a fan base in the history of sports? I don't even remember this kind of pall around Yankees fans when they closed the old Stadium.
What I find sad is that you can't see the other side of the fence. That the Coliseum was a place where some of the greatest hockey ever played happened, but before you were born.
You and I have been through this before and I understand where you're coming from. I'm 52 years old and remember the Islanders as far back as our 2nd season. Try to understand where I'm coming from.
Brunomics
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I don't dispute that at all. But I'm not young I'm 34 and I do understand where you are coming from. But why are Islander fans so afraid to look forward and constantly have to look at things from 30 years ago? It's a condition a lot of us have(not trying to be mean just making an observation)
If the Yankees can tear down the place where Ruth/Mantle/Maris/Gherig played and people were able to move on but why can't we?
Fair question.
I can't think of a team (other than the Jets and Giants) who left their municipalities the way the Isles did. I wasn't at all angry about leaving the Coliseum. It's not a shrine. I was praying they could get a new building in Uniondale.
The closest analogy I could come up with to the Isles situation would be if the Green Bay Packers moved to Milwaukee permanently (yes I know they used to play a few home games a year in Milwaukee).
The new Yankee Stadium is right next door, though. They moved about 400 feet.
That said, I did have some Yankee fan friends who seriously mourned the loss of the old stadium due to the memories they had there.
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