Save the New York Islanders

Everyone has teams he or she dislikes. Actually, it’s hockey, so really, everyone has teams that he or she DESPISES. I know I sure do, but I don’t necessarily want them to disappear!

I am a huge Rangers fan; this is the team I want to work for. Yet I can’t help but feel really sad over the state of things in the Island.

I can’t even imagine showing up to an Oilers game with most of the attendees being fans of the opposing team. That would no doubt put me in a terrible mood, and hinder my desires to return to the arena.

So what is really wrong here? Sure, the team’s not playing that well, but they are starting to win games now. I personally don’t see how people who call themselves “fans” can be such huge bandwagon jumpers.

The way I see it, either you cheer for your team no matter what, or you don’t have a team to cheer for at all.

Why aren’t fans showing up then? This is the time when the team really needs their support, but the fans just aren’t giving it to them.

Like I said, if my arena was overrun by screaming fans of the other team, I too would stop going to avoid the risk of being beaten up, since I would probably end up yelling at one of these hooligans.

There have been times when I have really wanted to attend a Flames game when they were playing the Oilers. Have I? Hell no! I am not one to just sit by and idly listen to people saying rude things about my team. I would get in their faces, and being a girl or not, I am positive they would get in mine. Who needs that?!

I have read and heard about far too many fans beating up other fans because of a heated argument of “my team this or your team that.”

Yet if Nassau Coliseum were to put some kind of a ban on fans of opposing teams from coming, one of two things would happen.

1. Now NO ONE would be attending games, or
2. More Islanders fans would start coming.

Well, regardless of this, something has to be done in order to save this team! I am really against moving the Islanders. This team has a rich history, and not many teams have an actual dynasty.

To think that the Panthers and Thrashers could still be around next season and the Islanders could not, is really disturbing to me! The Islanders really do have a glimmer of hope left in them. And I for one, really want to see them succeed.

Now I don’t live on the Island, so I am not sure what kind of marketing (if any) is going on there surrounding the team. But if there is any, it’s clearly not enough. I would really like to hear from someone who lives in New York on this matter. I am curious as to how the media there is portraying the problem.

The Islanders really do have a decent team, and if everyone really applied themselves and tried to make this the team to beat, I think the Isles could go a long way. But really, who wants to play in a crappy coliseum, with no one cheering for them? I’d want to get traded as soon as possible as well.

Let’s get this new coliseum going. Let’s get fans to stay true to their team and show up to games no matter who is going! Let’s get the players to care about their team.

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