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.