Potential Third Jersey: Don't Waste Your Money

There's been an awful lot of buzz lately over the Islanders' potential new third jersey and what it will look like. While nothing has come from the Isles org specifically, we do have a bit of speculation- and it's not pretty.

I first heard about the third jerseys a few months ago, while I was still in school. A guy in my Broadcasting class who is a hockey buff (and whom I happened to harbor a crush on- just slightly) told me, and then shared a link on my Facebook wall earlier this summer. Now, other bloggers like Puck Daddy and Islesblogger have picked up on it.

I would include pics, but I don't want to get cited for infringement, so I won't. But at any rate, there are links and images in both spots, and all I have to say is that I am not amused, Isles. Not. Amused. I know it's still a trend to have three jerseys, but... black? Really? Black isn't even in our team colors. Plus, it looks like an awful knockoff of a college jersey- no familiar crest, no real logo other than "ISLANDERS" in blue and orange. No. Not buying it.

So, it's safe to say I'm hoping these designs either ARE just a rumor or will not be approved by the organization. The retro blues are just fine for me. Keep your third jerseys to yourselves.

Wearing Your Jersey in a Foreign Land: A Small Interlude.

Sunday, August 14, coming in to work off-hours. We can wear whatever we want, as opposed to solid black or white tops and dark denim or solid black pants during store hours. I come in wearing my Isles' Wisniewski shirt.

One of our sales leaders (an avid Sabres fan): Islanders?! Get out of here with that shirt. How dare you come in here wearing that.

Yes, Buffalo has a surefire love for the boys in blue and orange. ;)

"Beautiful Women Don't Wear [Hockey] Jerseys."

Apparently, this is what the hosts of TLC's show "What Not to Wear" believe. In making over one of my fellow hockey fans, Becky (@keribo1 on Twitter) in an episode first aired on August 16, they made this point and even went as far as to take away three of her jerseys (at least one of which was signed). They brought them back in frames for her to hang on her walls, which was great, but I just couldn't shake off the idea that they were trying to say a woman can't root for her favorite team and be feminine at the same time, or that only ugly women wear sports jerseys. NOT true. And it also isn't true that guys would rather see a woman dolled up to the nines than repping a team they themselves root for. I mean, come on- instant conversation starter. I was at a bus stop in downtown Buffalo one day wearing my Nik Hjalmarsson shersey and got chatted up by two different guys. Who were both Sabres fans, might I add.

So, while I appreciate the opinion, I've got news for them.




















Yes, we do.

No matter our size, shape, height, age, skin tone, team affiliation... no matter WHAT, we are ALL beautiful, awesome, wonderful women with a lot more going for us than just knowing "what not to wear." We are not shallow. We are passionate, die-hard, intelligent, even a little crazy. Above all, we are much more than our clothes. And we wear WHATEVER we want, WHENEVER we want. We don't abide by the stereotypes of a ridiculous TV show. And we will not be judged for that.

Wear your jerseys and shirts proudly, girls.

Thank you SO MUCHHHH to the girls who contributed to this post: (in order by picture)
(Twitter handle/Tumblr URL)

Becky (@keribo1)
Ishara (lumivalo-rask.tumblr.com)
Andrea (hawkeytalk.tumblr.com)
Kate T. (@antheia/antheia.tumblr.com)
Melissa S. (@lipsticlullabye/shawn-ovary.tumblr.com)
Melissa G. (@starsnbolts1026)
Debbie (hockeyobsessed.tumblr.com)
Maggie (maggie-19.tumblr.com)
Lauren (lenofi.tumblr.com)
Lauren B. (Tumblr unknown :()
Jess (@jessharka/matt-moulson.tumblr.com)
Liz (ohmygerbe.tumblr.com)
Brandi (eternityxechoes.tumblr.com)
Samantha (marcandrefleurylvr29.tumblr.com)
Shelby (@shelbygriswold/vanekatthedisco.tumblr.com)
Amara (shannytaygans.tumblr.com)
Shannon (seabrin.tumblr.com)
Abigail (fiveminutemajor.tumblr.com)
Steph (nevergiveup--.tumblr.com)
Nicole (Tumblr unknown :()
Kaitlin (silentshadow36.tumblr.com)
Mary (brooks-laich.tumblr.com)
Mel (@mjolmew/wingardiumlevihossa.tumblr.com)
Elizabeth (getyourtoewsfaceon.tumblr.com)
Sabrina (@SabrinaSinBin/sabrinasinbin.tumblr.com)
Kenisha (@heyitskenisha/bruinsofboston.tumblr.com)
Kate (joe-flacco.tumblr.com)
Jill (jillyskille.tumblr.com)
Jenny (wingschick.tumblr.com)
Hanna (hannabeee.tumblr.com)
Erika (@rinkrebel/capsfreak.tumblr.com)
Emma (thebergeronprocess.tumblr.com, who also has an AWESOME article on this subject)
Jessy (ryan-johansen19.tumblr.com)
Alex (@QueenCrash/queencrash.tumblr.com)

And yes, the last picture is me. :)

RIP Rick Rypien

James Mirtle was the first I saw who reported, on Twitter, that former Canuck Rick Rypien was found dead in his home tonight. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but there is suspicion that the death was a suicide. He was only 27 years old.

I'm not going to speculate. I'm just going to offer up my most heartfelt apologies to Rypien's family, as well as the Canucks organization and the Winnipeg Jets (whom he had signed with earlier in the offseason). Whatever the circumstances may be, this is a terrible loss for the hockey world, and one of someone far too young to go.

Rest in peace, Rick.

Edit, Edit.

I'm going to backtrack for just a second here.

I'm not blaming the Islanders entirely in my post from yesterday; at least, I'm not trying to. I've just gotten into a huge discussion on NHL Arena regarding this, so I've decided to cut and paste one of my posts here, just to clarify where I stand. Because I think we should all remember that two teams were involved. So here goes.

This is a game that left a horrible taste in my mouth for a few reasons. I was proud of the Isles for standing up for themselves and I was happy that they won; however, I was more upset that they had veered so far from the game plan. I was angry at what Trevor Gillies had done, and as a fan who doesn't particularly like fighting, I was just embarrassed that it broke out on such a huge scale. Not to mention that the game happened on my birthday, and I spent my 20th fighting with Penguins fans who were calling the team I love more than any other in the league "classless" while wishing death on players like Michael Grabner and John Tavares. Not exactly a great way to celebrate.

I'm well aware of the hypocrisy regarding this situation. The Penguins were definitely not blameless in any regard. I agree with [someone I was debating with] when she says there should not be two sets of rules in the league- one for the Isles, and one for everyone else. I think everyone should be punished and disciplined accordingly when something like this goes down, and I absolutely hate that no one takes notice of the Isles unless something this bad happens. But that's also a huge part of the reason I don't want this game to be celebrated as the pinnacle of our success.

Let's face it, that game was a huge turning point for us. And yet not many people care about the score. They focus on one moment out of an entire three-hour game- Gillies's hit on Eric Tangradi that resulted in a concussion. They don't even realize that Hillen got hurt, too. And when it comes to this viewing party, I know the idiots over at Pensblog and all of the people tsk-tsking over the choice our org has made are going to be reminded of that moment. It's a HUGE negative moment, one that has made me want Gillies off the team since, and I would rather forget this entire game just because that's the only thing people focus on ANYWAY about it.

Is it fair? NO. It is reality? Yes, of course.

I'm not saying the Isles should shy away out of fear- all I'm saying is that they could have been a bit smarter. Don't give anyone a reason to call us "classless" again. Shut 'em up with the wins to come this season. That's all I'm saying. As far as MSG+ goes- like I said, they can re-broadcast it. I just don't think it's smart of the Isles to call this much attention to it again.

Just.. No.

So a Twitter buddy of mine, Joe Yerdon, came up with this story earlier today and posted it up on Pro Hockey Talk. And all I have to say is...

What are the Isles THINKING?

The Islanders and Penguins faced off on Feb. 11 in more ways than one. While the Isles had their most lopsided win of the season, 9-3, they also received fines and suspensions of three players for their actions. There's no need to recap any of it; we all know what happened. And if you don't, Joe provides a pretty good explanation in his article.

Now, I'm not going to make excuses regarding this game. I know the motive behind this re-airing: it is a point where we decided we were not going to be skated all over anymore, and of course, there's power in that. But for all of the positives, there are a couple of glaring negatives- and unfortunately, society tends to dwell on the bad, not the good. That is true even in the hockey world- especially in the hockey world, come to think of it.

This isn't about the score. It's not about Pens fans vs. Isles fans or hypocrisy or who's the worse player, Cooke or Gillies, blah blah blah. And while I really don't care about what the people at PensBlog or anywhere else think in general, I can't argue that they have a point in being upset. It looks like a total "nyah nyah", gloating moment, and over what? A concussion and a sucker punch, not to mention the six-goal difference? Yeah, that's really something to gloat over. Whether or not the Isles mean to do that with this watch party is a moot point; the fact is, we all know someone's going to say something, and while I'm sure my fellow fans can defend themselves, I would really rather not go through the headache I'm sure to develop. The point is, personally speaking, this game was embarrassing, and I can't understand why the Isles would go to trouble to bring back the bad taste in the mouth I and others have already experienced.

I've already been asked, "What does that make those of us who enjoyed the f**k out of that game, in your eyes?" and to that, I have only this to say: We are all different. I'm not judging you for enjoying that game. If you want to think it's the pinnacle of our success, so be it. But I don't, and I can only ever speak for myself. I'm sure I'm not alone out there, though I could be in an acute minority with my opinion; but whatever the case, I'm one of the Isles fans that is not proud of the way this game was played. There were other ways for the team to assert itself, and this was not the best one. That's where I stand, and I'm not changing my position.

That being said, all I can do is prepare for the worst, right?

Hockey This Week Puts Out Isles' Top 20 Prospects

Holy crap, there are 20??

There, I got the dumb joke out of the way for you.

Anyway, the Isles' top 20 prospects in the eyes of this magazine were listed, and I pretty much agree with the assessment. Do I think projecting Ryan Strome as an All-Star forward is a bit much? Yeah, maybe. The kid is still a kid. Anything can happen between now and 2012 (his NHL ETA) for that projection to be compromised- plus, as we all know, the OHL, AHL and NHL are all three different leagues. Players are affected accordingly.

I am excited to death about Nino Niederreiter, however. He has size, offensive prowess, and I love his attitude. Many people are projecting him to crack the lineup come this season, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised- he's coming off a great WHL season, and while the Isles are loaded with centers, I don't think they'll have a problem fitting him in as a RW.

Kevin Poulin is a #7, and while I get that the Isles have a few goalies in Al Montoya, Rick DiPietro and that Russian guy, I'll be surprised if KP doesn't see a couple of games at the very least. The Isles have just signed Anders Nilsson to an entry-level as well, but he'll likely spend most of his time in Bridgeport if Rick is healthy or if His Highness decides to report to training camp and join the team as planned. At any rate, I agree that Poulin is at the very least their top goalie prospect for the time being.

Poor Mikko Koskinen falls to #18. The guy had it hard last season, being thrown into the mix after Ricky went down and then Poulin ended up with his knee injury. The guy is likely a dream for some- HE'S HUGE. 6'8" of goalie? Sign me up any day. He faltered at first, but got a bit better with every game, yet something tells me that with all of the guys we have in net right now, he's not really fitting into the mix anymore. Who knows, though? With our luck in goalies, we may just do better by holding on to him.

Those are just the guys that jumped out at me the most; the entire list is linked at the beginning, so feel free to take a look and make your own conclusions. All I know is that the Isles' future doesn't look quite that dim to me.

It's August, and That Means....

...hockey? Well, not quite yet.

However, there have been some interesting developments on the Island during the offseason, as we are (hopefully) all aware of. Most recently, one week ago the lovely County of Nassau voted No on the prospect of a new arena for the Islanders and other entertainment ventures; only one voting district voted overwhelmingly Yes, which of course is disheartening news for those of you who believe the Isles will be moved tomorrow; however, the organization's lease on Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum does extend through 2015. Which means that Charles Wang has plenty of time to figure out what is to be done to get a new arena- or to sell.

Why do I mention the s-word? Well, to be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Charles Wang. I get that Long Island is no Toronto, and I get that the organization is nowhere near its heyday anymore. That has been more than obvious in the six years (going on seven) that I have followed this team. However, as this whole arena situation slowly becomes more dire, I can't shake off the feeling that Wang is more in it for the real estate, not for the team. After all, aren't they a clear pawn in the orchestration of a new arena? And when the Lighthouse proposal first came to light, the Isles were far from front and center; instead, they were just a tiny part of a monstrous "entertainment/luxury housing/hotels/business/etc." venture that made my head spin.

When it comes to this team, there's too much history and (in my eyes) too much promise to screw up a chance to stay on the arena. I mean, sure, we have a chance at moving to Brooklyn, perhaps, or Suffolk County, but where in Brooklyn? The Atlantic Yards, where Bruce Ratner has been trying for years to do the same thing Charles Wang failed at? And Suffolk County is even further out than Nassau, which would be a bit of a hassle.

I don't propose to be a problem-solver or even an in-depth exposer of anything regarding this project. There are just a lot of questions surrounding this entire idea, and while the Islanders still have time, it is running out. Four years will go by quickly; 2011 is already almost two-thirds of the way to history. While I don't know everything and I write this only so that I can put my questions out into cyberspace... I can't help but wonder if perhaps Charles Wang is not the man for this job. There has to be reason for his many attempts at reasoning with the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County to have failed, one after the next. It's very easy to blame short-sightedness by residents (I mean, really- property taxes going up by $13? I have that in my pocket right now- or at least in my bank account), but it's not JUST that, at any rate.

But not all is lost. Not yet, anyway. On the hockey side of things, prospects are looking up. The Isles are set to have a full and healthy team come training camp, and Kevin Allen of USA Today is even suggesting that they might sneak up on other teams this season. The end of last season has many people, myself included, thinking there's light at the end of this very long proverbial tunnel. If all goes well, who knows? The Isles might just make their case to stay on the Island after all.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still have some time until October. Until then, this is mere speculation.

Welcome.

Or is it a welcome for me? I don't know.

At any rate, I'm hardly new to the blogging scene. I just thought I should warn you now. For about three seasons, I worked with a friend of mine on an Islanders blog called NYIslesScene- I don't know if you've read it, but it's fine if you haven't. We seriously haven't updated in an eon, due to circumstances both in and beyond our own control.

See, everything was fine up until I moved with my family from New York City to the Buffalo area, clear across the state. I went from watching every game on MSG+ to being completely isolated from my team, the same one I'd followed for the past six years. And before discovering the gem that is NHL Gamecenter Live, I'd resigned myself to watching NHL Network highlights and checking out the Isles' website, digging for day-old news when I wasn't taking two-hour bus rides to school or working my part-time job.

This doesn't sound like a tragedy, of course, but when you're a hockey addict, it's akin to having your binky forced from you as a child.

Now, though, things will be different. The Islanders may well be four years away from a new home, possibly not in Nassau County anymore, and if they DO end up under a new name (not likely........), I intend on catching every bit of the action that I can. Hence, this blog was born. It will chronicle my progress through the upcoming season and beyond, and it'll include a bit of personal stuff, my opinions on things throughout the league and of course, any and every live game I end up going to (and hopefully there will be a couple of them). Of course, work and school may throw a wrench into things, but if I intend to pay the $20 a month to get Gamecenter Live, I'm fully prepared to deal with that. ;)

So, whether you've tripped upon my blog by accident or you've decided to join me for the ride, I hope you enjoy Bad Angles. :)