Even four days ahead of training camp.  What a turnout for a really nice event put together by the Islanders.  For those of us who have been around a long time, you know that every time they try to do something nice for the fans OUTSIDE the Coliseum, Mother Nature rarely cooperates!  Saturday the 8^th was a different story.  It was beautiful blue skies and sunshine when I pulled up at 9:10 am.  What a surprise it was to find that there was already a very, VERY large crowd outside the coliseum doors.  I did let out an audible “Woo Hoo!” for some stupid reason.  I was alone, so it was okay.

 

Now, before I get into the very long entry I have an intention of writing, I’ll get to one point that is bothering me to no end this lovely Sunday morning.  With the largest crowd in five years of hockey fans standing outside in the sun for hours on end, where was the coverage this morning in any of the papers?  Was it because there were no bomb threats or fights?  Was it because it is the Islanders and not the Rangers?  Now, had there been that large a crowd outside the new Devils stadium, they would have classified it as a riot and it would have received national coverage.  But I digress….

 

It’s just that the season really did start yesterday, and before the lack of coverage gets out of hand, we really need to step up and make a stand about it.  What a great day yesterday was for the faithful.  Had anyone actually PUT that in the paper this morning, then maybe the media outlets would STOP saying that Hockey is a niche sport that has dwindling numbers.  It certainly didn’t look that way yesterday.  While IQ and I were walking the line that kept going as far as the eye could see and then some, we stopped and talked to so many of our acquaintances from the past few seasons.  They were all so happy.  You don’t usually see people that happy spending cash.  It was wonderful to see.  Too bad without any coverage from ANY of the supposedly NY papers, no one else will know about it but those who experienced it.

 

What a shame.  It’s not as if the Sports editors didn’t know that it was happening.  All the media venues are perfectly content to take the advertising dollars which promoted yesterday.  You’d think they might be interested in finding out how it turned out.

 

Ok.  That was my “Lack of Coverage” rant for this morning.  If you agree, contact your own local news provider and complain.

 

I, personally, had a really great day yesterday at the Islander Executive Offices.  Check back tomorrow and I should have that lengthy coverage of a very interesting and informative morning.  There’s just so much that IQ and I were involved in yesterday morning that it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around it all at once.    It was great to see Steve Mears and have a lenghtly conversation with him.  Garth was his usual charming self as he made his way down the line for over an hour.  His only complaint.. "This was not a day to wear Black." 

 

But alas… the laundry basket and vacuum are calling my name.

 

Alright!  I’ll be right there!  Damn it!  Where ARE my servants!  Crap!