Category Archives: Arena News

Madison Square Garden Makes Compelling Bid for the Coliseum

Kevin Schultz, Islanders Point Blank:

After the last couple weeks, Islanders fans and other Long Island residents have heard plenty about Bruce Ratner’s almost Lighthouse Project-level vision for the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum property (Ratner even compared it to the Eiffel Tower at the public hearing earlier this month, which had to have Lighthouse proponents of the mid-‘00s shaking their heads). There is also the Ratner-Yormark promise of six Islanders games in front of 13,000 fans at the Coliseum starting in 2015, even though it’s uncertain whether that’s a promise they can keep.

For the sake of equal time, Point Blank is providing some insight into the vision of the other major player in the RFP –- the Madison Square Garden Group. Although MSG cannot offer the tease of six annual Islanders games -–  but the Garden, the NHL and seemingly everyone else can block it -– their proposal is not without merits. Take away those Islanders games and there’s as much, or arguably more, to admire about MSG’s plan than the Ratner plan.

“We are thrilled with the opportunity to bring the power and magic of The Madison Square Garden Company’s legendary brands to the Nassau Coliseum and the people of Long Island,” said Hank Ratner, President and CEO of The Madison Square Garden Company, in a statement provided to Point Blank.

To read more of this story, click here

BROOKLYN 2015 — So Far, the Barclays Center Isn’t a Dangerous Place at All

Kevin Schultz , Islanders Point Blank:

Since the Islanders announced that they would move to Brooklyn back in October, one of the issues that has been heavily debated online has been the issue of getting to and from the arena and whether fans would make the trip from Long Island to the Barclays Center. It’s understandable and unfortunate that due to the move, the team will likely lose some of its eastern Long Island fanbase and driving to the games will pretty much be a thing of the past. Generally, most of the debate hinges on how many people will fill the arena and how far they’ll travel to do it.

Sometimes, in the debates that pop up on twitter, message boards, and even this blog’s comments, things degenerate a bit — as things on the internet are wont to do — and focus on some deep seeded issues like the crime rates in Brooklyn and how dangerous a place the Barclays Center is. That comes partially out of truth; some of the crime rates in Brooklyn are higher than the national average. It also comes out of some inaccurate and paranoid places induced by fear and racism. To read more of this story, click here

7 Questions for the Islanders in 2013

Kevin Schultz , Islanders Point Blank:

With 2012 behind us, it’s time to take a look at what’s ahead for the Islanders in the upcoming year. We’ve got seven burning questions that need to be, or are likely to be, addressed in the coming 12 months. First up though is one question about the NHL:

#7 – Will there be a 2012-13 season? To read more of this story, click here

2012 — The Year the Islanders Finally Found a New Arena

Kevin Schultz , Islanders Point Blank:

barclaysoutsideAround the NHL, 2012 will certainly be remembered for the ridiculous, arrogant lockout that is still currently going on. But for Islander fans, this year should be remembered as the year the team finally put a decades long arena issue to bed. Whether you’re thrilled about the team’s impending move to Barclays or not, sad to leave the Coliseum or not, I think we can all agree that it is good to finally have closure. The team and the fanbase needed to move past the decades of political shenanigans, failed projects, and other issues (asbestos! attempted condemning!) that have plagued all involved over the years. To read more of this story, click here

BROOKLYN 2015 — First Thoughts on the Barclays Center

Kevin Schultz , Islanders Point Blank:


Click any image to enlarge. All images owned by IPB.

The Islanders were supposed to head to Brooklyn on October 2nd for a pre-season game against the Devils. Everyone was supposed to get a glimpse at what could have been — and now will be — the team’s home in 2015 (Maybe, if there had been a pre-season game and an NHL season, that would have been the day the team announced the move?). Due to the cancellation, we’ve only had fleeting glimpses at what an ice rink inside the arena looks like. Still, we can take a look at the facility and hypothesize how exactly this is all going to work.

On Friday night, I took a trip to Brooklyn to check out the arena and the Barclays Center Classic, a college basketball tournament featuring Kentucky, Maryland, LIU Brooklyn and Morehead State. Kentucky and Morehead both won close games, if you’re scoring at home.

As for the arena, which was the the main attraction for me, it is gorgeous, very modern, a stone’s throw from the LIRR, and even closer to a bunch of subway lines (See that big green, grassy hill in the photo above? That’s the backside of an Atlantic Avenue subway entrance). Playing in this arena will finally bring the Islanders into a 21st century sports arena. It’s also for better or worse a lot different than anything Islander fans are used to at the Coliseum.
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What the Heck Happened at the ‘Haunted Coliseum’ Concert Last Night? (UPDATES)

Kevin Schultz , Islanders Point Blank:


1:37PM:While we do know who promoted the event, we do not know who booked the event and security on the Coliseum’s side of things.

In 2009, the Islanders themselves took over operational control of the arena, managing all bookings that came through, according to Let There Be Lighthouse. SMG still maintains responsiblity for the day-to-day management of the facility.

However, it is not clear as to who was responsibile for the security mess last night. Many times for an event such as this the building manager(s) simply play landlord and rent out the facility to the promoter, leaving the promoter to bear responsibility for security, ticketing, and other activities. For example, Disney on Ice brings their own concessionaires and many music acts have their own security teams.

The Islanders have not yet returned a request for comment.

11:55AM: DubStep.net has gotten in contact with Louis Branchinelli, the event’s promoter. His company is, you guessed it, the aptly named Lou B Industries.

“Kids were showing up drunk. They were drinking…somewhere. When a kid shows up a drunk and is puking in the parking lot, what can we do about that? They weren’t serving minors alcohol inside the venue.”

Also if you’re looking for a refund, you should contact your ticket broker. This person says they got a refund from StubHub.

10:39 AM: Newsday on the substance use; “Molly and ecstasy were two drugs that witnesses noticed being used as well as alcohol disguised in bottles of Gatorade.”

(Picture via Twitter)

10:20AM: Thank you to those sharing their stories in the comments. Alexandra, who attended the event sheds some light on what happened:

A short time after 11 during Alesso’s set, the music was cut, the lights turned on, and an announcement along the lines of “The police have requested that we shut down tonights concert, please leave the building.” Many were so surprised by this, people were trying to figure out if the announcement was a joke, because many people at the time did not realize the tragic events that were taking place in the building. Although, once we left the building, it was extremely evident that many things had gone wrong; at least 11 ambulances, 3 firetrucks, and a countless number of cop cars lined the building, followed by a low flying helicopter overhead, as well as police on horseback. The major downfall of this event was the extreme lack of security at the doors and inside the concert. In case your wondering the most disturbing thing I had to witness last night; it was probably the two young teenagers having public sex on the dance floor. That pretty much sums it up.

Christian tells of security lapse at the event:

I’ve been to I can’t tell you how many Islanders games and concerts at the Coliseum over the years and have never seen such chaos. Normally when you attend Islanders game at the Coliseum you get a full pat down and bags are searched thoroughly, which I always thought was comical when MSG pretty much lets you in without such a hassle. None the less, that did not happen last night… I ask where to enter and was told to go back outside and find GATE 1. Well we see people just filing in at any open door next to the box office and security was too busy escorting people out to notice. No ticket takers, or ushers. Utter chaos.

10:05AM: MyFoxNY has confirmed the helicopter report.

Original Story: To read more of this story, click here

Guest Post — Can The Brooklyn Move Bring Back Lost Fans?

The following is a guest post from Peter Flynn written exclusively for Point Blank on the Islanders’ move to Brooklyn. He has previously written on this blog about NHL suspension policy.

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“It’s morning again in America,” declared an ad campaign to re-elect Ronald Reagan in 1984. With Islander Country stuck in perpetual twilight for the past decade, does the deal to move the team to Brooklyn move the clock forward a few hours towards a new dawn? It sure couldn’t make things worse.

When I was 14, my father took me to my first Islanders game. Depending on your definition of “watched,” I had been watching Islanders games since the team won their first Stanley Cup in 1980. True, I was less than a year old, but I was present in the same room as the television, so I’m going to count it. Being a fan from such an early age made last year’s decision to give up on the team I had loved since a child all the more difficult. We’ll come back to that in a minute. To read more of this story, click here