NYIFC Notables

I though this would be a good time for a boring NYIFC history story, given we just passed four years, with an update on a few items.

In truth, NYIFC is still here today only because of luck, coincidence, and some very fortunate timing.

Also many folks asking me to keep it going last summer.

A few mistakes turned into good breaks along the way.

When Islanders-Sound Tigers closed after seven years, there was no such thing as blogger, when I decided to close NYIFC, Twitter was only getting started. I knew nothing about twitter beyond putting the rss feed there so a few folks could read blog entries.

1999 to May 2006 Islanders-Sound Tigers:
HF writer 2004/board moderator 2002-06. (a few of you please stop sending me e-mails about how terrible the old board is now or about the ten plus individuals moderating, I don’t know them.)

July 2007-Feb 2009:
NYIFC Opens Full Blog entries daily. One of the first to use live chats and do updates during trade deadlines, UFA or NHL draft.

Feb 2009:
Announced NYIFC would close permanently after the season.

April 2009:
Closed NYIFC, kept page viewable.

May 2009:
Finally got Islanders to take NYIFC out of blog box after several e-mails requesting link be removed after season. My intention was to close, which is why I asked the Islanders to remove my link in first place.

A lot easier to get in the box, then it was to get out. At least my suggestion after 2008 to add another ten individuals for 2009 was used for a while.

May 2009:
Decided to keep NYIFC visible during WC for page updates which led to a few blog entries, page was still viewable at time and was updating it anyway for myself as kind of my own website.

June-July 2009:
Started looking at audio format and figured out how to embed blog entries here, which kept things going for draft/UFA so of course a few blog entries were done at that time.

Late July 2009:
Decided audio entries would stop, and blog would be closed in near future, but that was fun, and very rare for blogger community to do entries in that manner.

August 2009:
Closed NYIFC but needed page for other computer related items with blogger, so put in some hockey updates with what I was doing, some folks again asked me to keep page open so I did.

What’s ironic was in August 2009 when I was doing all these things and needed this page to try new colors, or pictures in backgrounds, I completely forgot because I claimed my domain and paid for it, blogger was free.

I could have started a new blog and deleted NYIFC at any time. I could have used prospect blog. Folks were asking me to keep the pages viewable, so I did until September, but it was simply dumb luck I forgot blogger was also free.

Sept 2009:
Camp opened, closed NYIFC for good at time and made page not viewable, I had no intention of reopening ever again.

Then came Twitter:
Sept 2009:
Started dabbling with twitter entries during camp/preseason which to that point only was hooked into rss for blog updates, it was very easy and did not require changes/re-edits.

I then discovered how to put a twitter box in blogger as an individual blog entry, so three weeks later, I reopened NYIFC and announced it would return for good using twitter box.

I had no intention of doing blog entries, but added some during select times, and currently at times during off-season which brings us to where we are now.

NYIFC never returned to it’s former interactive format, with no blog comments, polls or live chats we used to have. 09-10 was mostly twitter updates in the forum of a blog entry. Enough folks are kind enough to e-mail.

In the end, a lot of coincidence, some breaks, or dumb luck, but in the end it turned out for the best, NYIFC is still here.

No idea where things go from this point, all I can write is NYIFC will never return to the full daily format of only blogger entries.

I also again formally request no one e-mail me with advertising opportunities, NYIFC is a non-profit hockey blog.

I will of course listen to those with individual Islander sites I consider of quality for my readers, but that does not mean I want to do a link exchange. I do not accept blogs interested in breaking news or cartoon blogs. Serious individuals, not so much interested in making themselves popular, but telling our teams story for our fans.

In short, folks in it for the Islanders before themselves.

That’s why I started doing this in 1999. I hope there are one or two individuals who feel the same way, willing to put in the time.

I have no interest in writing for anyone, if I write at all, it will be here.

Media policy will not change with sources, or content used in entries or twitter updates. I do not care if NYIFC is the last place in North America to do an entry, it will be confirmed by professional outlets using their names, and it will be correct, just like we have done with trades from the beginning.

As for NYIFC page itself:
I like the new template and looking at expanding it to cover the full page, even if in the end, blogging/twitter updates stop. I’m not changing the prospect blog at all. It’s perfect as an Islander prospect reference page in a stand-alone format.

An updated NYIFC header will be released when 2010-11 season begins after current team is set, the classic look will remain.

There will be no announcement regarding the future of NYIFC.

This will also be the final NYIFC update ever, this was the correct time to do an entry about it.

Wake up for this part…
My Thanks as always to everyone, it’s been a great four years.

I have no doubt if things break right this team can win the Stanley Cup in 2010-11. Three teams with less than ninety points went to the playoffs in this conference, the Isles competed well with all the top teams, they had third best record among Eastern teams against the Western Conference.

Some of these kids, up their scoring, some veterans produce. and the man games lost to injury finally drops to less than a hundred fifty, this will be a tough team to keep out of the NHL playoffs.

We’ll see. Sometimes correct, sometimes not.

I had sound off during Isles selection of Nino Niederreiter, thought the young man standing next to Garth Snow was his son after seeing Mr Wang and his child on stage? I only knew of the name Kevin Connolly until the draft.

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New York Islander Fan Central

A Statement on Coverage and a Deleted Blog

I’m going to be direct with my readers here, I kind of held back on Tuesday for one of the rare times since I started writing this blog and I regret doing so.

I would like to take a blog entry here and explain why.

I made a quick little note in the articles Tuesday about Newsday not even giving us an AP article for Monday’s game and had a few words on it because I had never seen that before in our clubs reporting.

I wrote up a big long blog unloading on Newsday that I deleted/before editing it down to what you read in the Tuesday articles.

In it I wrote how the Ct Post never did that to it’s Sound Tiger fans since the day Michael Fornabaio took that beat from the teams inception and always made sure we had articles or a reason we did not have coverage even after he was in a serious accident returning from a game. Chris Elsberry also provided coverage in the early days of the Sound Tigers.

In my deleted blog I wrote about how if Mr Rieber/Mr Baumbach can do the shock jock game at Newsday on the Islanders the last couple of days why don’t they go cover
the Florida game and give Mr Logan a break if he was off and give the shock jock game a rest?

I even suggested we make a media trade with Mr Rieber/Mr Baumbach for George Richards of the Miami Hearld and that by comparison would make the Bob Bourne for Bart Crashley look even by comparison. These folks snipe at the club and folks like Mark Herrmann (now Johnette Howard misreporting facts) will be the first to bring up attendance and the teams future viability meanwile despite the main page full of New York Islander advertising at this publication our team cannot even get a crummy AP article for the last regular season game?

That to me is a blatant double-standard that has gone on long before Cablevision and as quick as I can be to blame the Dolan’s for not having an AP article Tuesday this practice of slamming the club and not giving adquaate coverage has has gone on long before their tenure began.

In that deleted blog I also had a suggestion for New York Islander President Chris Dey to build a media pool of professional independant reports writing about the club as they have done with Mr Botta. I brought up folks who changed jobs in Craig Custance, Pierre LeBrun (among others) and felt websites and even newspapers would be knocking down the doors to have that kind of quality reporting about one club building the teams message.

I did not write it.

I decided instead to give Newsday a pass (beyond my note) because Mr Logan did set up the Florida game in the Islanders Newsday blog with his line projections and another blog from someone else reporting Bailey would play. We got some blogs and an AP article on the Boston game so I also looked at that and made a choice.

In this case I also had another reason. With the season beginning I wanted to keep the focus on the hockey information because that’s why New York Islander Fan Central is here first and foremost. I do not want to give folks who visit this blog infrequently or new readers for the first time any perception NYIFC is more about the media than the team because that will never be the case.

Anyway I wanted to do one blog and explain before getting back to the hockey. I promise I will not make the same mistake again.

Thank You for reading this.

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New York Islander Fan Central

So what’s next at NYI Fan Central?

Greg Logan in Newsday’s Islander blog here tells us the pre-season schedule will be released later this week and that Scott Gordon will be interviewing today.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Funny, I did not read Steve Zipay’s print article titled no Islander appetizers? To quote Bill Guerin earlier last season give it a rest with the Rangers, write about the Isles. Mr Logan starts by telling us were are not playing the Rangers and then does a paragraph about last year’s brawl?

So what’s next?
More updates depending on what’s happening and more of the same as we go through a ton of negative preseason expectation articles presented by the usual suspects in the media along with team USA camp updates on the prospects as we get closer to training camp.

I will be taking vacation and a few days off here and there from blogging.

Of course full coverage when a coach is finally hired which is when I will finally schedule a live blog and chat so look for one scheduled next week or the week after when Garth Snow makes his decision.

Quick Hits:
I read in Newsday today they will shortly decide whether to make the on-line paper a pay subscription site like their TV News site.

If that happens my work load will decrease because I am not paying Cablevision for the margial coverage we receive to post their mediocre at best content whether it be Greg Logan or another writer.

Anyone who thinks Islander coverage will increase I’m afraid would be kidding themselves or wishful thinking at best. This is company that got Islander televsion rights years ago almost immediately took their games off television while during the summer we see virtually nothing in terms of Islander content while the house team is practically spammed all over Msg. Our team could not even get it’s full share of the Hummer Metro Ice challenge without a fight and even then got only half. The writers will do as they are told or go find another job.

Regarding this blog I already do my own summary of games, the Isles can provide the quotes along with the AP and out of town coverage with ITV. It’s up to the Islanders to bring the coverage to us and to work something out with Newsday and the other papers or provide their own writers for summaries and quotes. The Long Island theme to practically everything they release sure has made it very easy for editors in other papers to decrease coverage.

This blog will not be paying anyone to post full copyrighted material. The format changed during last season to provide a link with a summary of an article and will stay with that format.

Funny thing is Cablevision promises they will have a disclaimer next to coverage of their sports teams in the paper which is a joke because the Rangers should not be covered at all in Newsday for the same reasons city editors are finding excuses not to provide full time coverage of the New York Islanders.

Of course we know that is not going to be the case, I’m afraid anyone who sees a Cablevision owned Newsday as an increase in Islander coverage only need to turn on Msg Network to see how much more one team will receive than the others.

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New York Islander Fan Central

New York Islander Fan Central Notables

Islanders website: Reports the second installment of Islanders Illustrated will debut Thursday at 7:30pm on Msg plus.

Boston Herald: Steve Conroy reports the Boston Bruins have placed forward Glen Murray on waivers. If Murray clears waivers today, starting tomorrow the Bruins will have 48 hours to complete the buyout.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Can the Isles claim Murray given how NHL waivers work? Sure.

Having written that where do you want to play a career right wing on a team with Guerin, Okposo and Hunter in your top three unless you want to keep Okposo in Bridgeport next season or give Murray your fourth line right wing slot and say goodbye to Richard Park?

Thenewpl.com: Reports former Islander Mariusz Czerkawski has announced his retirement.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio in his Sound Tigers blog notes Matthew Spiller is now listed as being with the Devils.

Finally Happy One Year Anniversary to New York Islander Fan Central and my thanks to all the readers of this blog on a fantastic first year.

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New York Islander Fan Central

So what’s ahead at NYI Fan Central?

I will be taking a few days off here and there but between the pre-written blogs and the old updates from Islanders-Sound Tigers mailing list there will not be too many summer gaps in terms of updates here.

New York Islander Fan Central is a year-round blog. I work under the premise there is always something going on with this team on some level and of course I’m always looking to add things to the blog itself so you will see some changes as I find things that I think will improve this blog.

As for what’s upcoming:
Prospect camp is next week, the Canadian Junior camp is coming up in late July with team USA camp in early August and about eight or more Islander prosects should be participating, no doubt there will be plenty of other things to write about.

In terms of the club’s schedule which should be released by the end of this week I will change the schedule links and put back in the widget when it’s released.

I will not be adding another message board for next season unless a lot of folks tell me they want one here which leaves it in my readers hands, if the response is as strong as the chat response it may become necessary.

I’m not sure how/if I can replace Mr Prospects updates without a board but if
possible or if he is interested maybe I can just find a way to give him limited access to posting in some manner otherwise I will have to come up with something so we have updates on our prospects statistics.

As I have written several times no one does this as well as he does.

Perhaps a link to each prospects team website under their primary profile, a lot of work but I can do that?

Of course folks are always welcome to contract me if you would like to add your blog or Islander-related website here. I have some basic criteria for adding a site nor will I do personal seperate blog entries to advertise anyone’s work or talk about their content aside from crediting some folks efforts on rare occasion.

I do not comment on news articles unless it’s from members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association or from the NHL itself for the same reasons no one should take my commentary here and treat it as professional insiders content because it’s not.

Of course as always, comments, suggestions are always welcome as the e-mail is always open for you to contact New York Islander Fan Central.

My thanks to everyone.

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New York Islander Fan Central

Happy July 4th/Quick Hits/Boyle to SJ

Tsn.ca reports Dan Boyle was traded to San Jose and it included former Islander defenseman Brad Lukowich from the Lightning in exchange for Matt Carle, a first-round draft pick, an unnamed prospect and an additional pick.

Thank You Garth Snow if Boyle did waive his NTC to come here, no first round picks go anywhere.

Point Blank: Mr Botta had some Islander centric speculation on the trade for Dan Boyle to San Jose.

Updated 5:45pm:
Newsday: Mr Logan in the Islanders Newsday blog had a few words on the Dan Boyle trade regarding New York with speculation general manager Garth Snow could still look to make some trades as other clubs look to clear cap space.
******************************************************************
New York signs Doug Weight and all the club could do was get us highlights of him miked up for a game in St Louis? I’m not blaming the club here but how about Doug Weight give the fans a few words about him signing or at least get a few words from his agent about coming here? Even Bill Guerin should have had a few words.

Mark Streit is in another country and gave the Islander website comments the night he signed as well as a long interview in Newsday. We have players all over the world coming or going and virtually all of them have a few words when they sign or depart so where is Doug Weight?

Updated:
Islanders website: Jason Lockhart as I wrote this blog has a few words from Bill Guerin who spoke with Doug Weight.
*******************************************************
Hopefully Sean Bergenheim files for arbitration, it guarantees he will have a contract for next season when all is said and done, that has to happen by Saturday because it’s the deadline.

If he does not file that negotiation could go right up to training camp, I do not see Garth Snow risking another signing in Russia this time if Mark Gandler or Garth Snow is that unreasonable in negotiations.
*******************************************************
So the other goalie drafted first overall who just took his team to a Stanley Cup Final got a contract for seven years at only 500k more a season than Rick DiPietro?

I guess Fleury or Pittsburgh left their options open but it does raise a good debate about DiPietro’s contract and if the right call was made?

Of course when you see what Jose Theodore is getting with some of these other goaltenders DiPietro’s contract looks fantastic even if someone will be paying off the later years or it will be bought out.
******************************************************************
I found the XM radio show on NHL network disappointing the few days I listened, too much Rangers on a New York located show and not nearly enough NHL but that’s the deal when WFAN employees are part of it. E.J Hradek did not impress me at all and came off more like a shock jock with his commentary.

At least Don LeGreca correctly pointed out no one in New York is following the hockey outside the studio in this town.
******************************************************************
Winners/Losers so far by my count?
Most of the clubs that stayed out of the mix seem winners.

Detroit is the biggest winner of all getting Hossa for a year where he is under the gun to prove himself and with everything to lose long-term. I admire what he did but it’s a huge long-term risk if he is injured.

Edmonton is a winner for now with Cole and Brule but if they do not resign Cole it’s a poor move.

I like Atlanta signing Hainsey to go with Enstrom.

Washington to me completely botched the goaltending situation as did Chicago and Colorado, it could work out but Washington made that run with Huet and as good as it looked at the deadline that’s how poor it looks now.

I think Pittsburgh lost huge when they went all-in on Hossa and he not only did his Ryan Smyth impersonation but did it for only a one year deal after going to a final.
Imagine if Smyth helped the Isles get to the finals and he left for a one year deal with the club that beat them?

I guess Rob Rossi or Dave Molinary forgot to blame the arena in Pittsburgh.

Do the Pens really think Fedotenko and Satan’s struggles were more about the Islanders. They will be more productive with Malkin and Crosby but so was Andy Hilbert. A year ago Fedotenko was dumped by a highly skilled Tampa club with only thirteen goals, Satan may have been injured but the season before that struggled.

Speaking of Tampa did they solve anything yet or just spun their wheels with some very risky contracts on some very average players? Olaf Kolzig does not impress me as a starter, Ryan Malone is hardly a superstar, Prospal? They drafted Stamkos but aside from that I did not like their free agency decisions.

I wonder what Chicago’s gm plans to do with all those expensive goaltenders?

The Devils are having a reunion tour up front, did they help their defense in front of Brodeur?

Camp Cablevision’s Glen Sather I guess felt was not as close to a cup as the spin doctors felt, the exodus was early and often and in the end it did come down to the money because no one took a discount to return or sign. I think Naslund is going to be in for a shock when he discovers how much the Rangers trap and that his former/current coach would perfer to keep a strategy that allowed the least shots per game in the Eastern Conference last season.

You can bet Mr Dellapina and Mr Brooks will do some serious selling for Shanahan to return so they have more quotable players.

Carolina to me had a terrible start to free agency, have they seen Pitkanen struggle the last couple of years for two other clubs and then they sign two players out of the NHL to contracts who were marginal before they left?

I think Carolina is the biggest loser so far with Toronto and Vancouver but did improve a bit with Steve Bernier. Either Scott Howson in Columbus is very smart or very foolish but Huseluis numbers will replace the player who left.

I guess having Roberto Luongo did not convince Mats Sundin to take twenty million to come play with him so far. I guess that would not have worked if Roberto was still here either but of course Chara, McCabe, Bertuzzi, Jokinen, Spezza/Weiss, and Heatley all would have multiple cups here by now and never would have accepted big money to leave so they could all stay together?

Okey-Dokey.

Don’t worry folks. Forsberg, Sakic and Smyth will all be on the telephone to Sundin.

The rest of the moves for now equate to a degeee so we’ll see what happens. I guess for some clubs getting older players in decline is improving. That has to include the Isles signing Weight but we’ll see with Demitra, Shanahan and a lot of similar forwards still needing to be signed.

For now I will speculate and tell you I think our division on paper is a lot weaker and that’s good for our club.

Espn.com: Scott Burnside continued to work on his Ranger resume with an article on what Jagr meant to the Rangers and the league.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
I wonder if Alexei Yashin had 90m dollars with of talent important for him, he could not play with them and he refused to take penalty shots and admittedly did not play his hardest at times last season after being essentially dumped from Pittsburgh and Washington if Mr Burnside would be telling us it was not about ego or problems?

Once again, it seems all about the laundry for Mr Burnside.

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New York Islander Fan Central

Garth Snow & Ted Nolan vs prospect development

It’s fair to write general mangers & coaches are not paid to develop prospects and perhaps take growing pains, they are paid to win hockey games which means some tough choices have to be made where veterans are used first and foremost.

After a while if your not winning with these players, that general manager or coach is going to find himself out of a job. Doug McLean found that out in Columbus and Alan Cohen in Florida is not shy about making changes either as his youth movement has not seen a playoff game in close to a decade.

Prospect movements fail too.

Very sobering thoughts for a franchise that has not won a playoff series since 1993.

Mike Milbury had a choice to make, he decided he was not going to be around to see his prospects unless he started winning so he cashed them in which saved his job and got the fans coming out to the games. He made the same choice when the Milstein ownership bought the club immediately trading for Trevor Linden as he did for Michael Peca.

Sooner or later Garth Snow and Ted Nolan have the same choice, we have already seen Garth Snow make a choice with Ryan Smyth along those lines.

There is no set formula for guaranteed success. One look at Florida and Colmubus should tell Islander fans that Blake Comeau, Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, Kyle Okposo or whoever else from the draft picks could still be waiting to participate in a playoff game six years.

The Islanders are doing a lot of talking about the plan on paper and the prospects, one the general manager did not follow when he took a good gamble on the Ryan Smyth trade but seems to be willing to go all the way with it now. How much pressure will be on him to improve if his club does not win next season and the fans do not support a prospect movement?

Ted Nolan is a man without a contract beyond next season and no one is sure of Garth Snow’s tenure beyond next season. Do they want to put their future job status in the hands of prospects, which the coach did not seem willing to do this season?

It’s going to be very interesting when push comes to shove what philosophy will win out here and how it will effect how the general manager and coach make their decisions with limited tenure.

New York Islander Fan Central

We’ve only just begun

Nine pre-season Islander games.
Three Islander prospect scrimmage games.
Four Sound Tiger pre-seaon games.
Eighty two Islander games.
Eighty Sound Tigers games.

From Moncton to the final game in Bridgeport NYI Fan Central had updates for a hundred and seventy five total hockey games with pregame/postgame/daily articles and a boatload of commentary for the 2007-08 season while Mr Prospects did a great job updating the keeping us all up to date on the Islander prospects.

A great ride for the first season here and my pleasure, wish our teams had won more games but it’s been amazing.

The games are over but New York Islander Fan Central is a year-round Islander blog so the hockey never ends around here.

In fact, we’ve only just begun……
Thanks again.

New York Islander Fan Central

NYI Fan Central Update

For those reading this blog on a regular basis you may have noticed a few subtle changes. We sure do seem a million years removed from the days of X-Ice which some may recall was the first New York Islanders official website version launched over a decade ago.

* Many items now have pictures linked to the sites. I’m not going to go overboard in that department.

* The new draft in blogger feature allows me to schedule updates as to when I want blogs released and seems to work well. A few things written have been spread out so folks have new content each day even when I am not available.

* The new NHL Network player has been added to the NHL section in the media section at the bottom of the blog, just click on the picture to launch it. Excellent free feature by the league I think everyone will enjoy.

* The Sound Tigers live radio link and live game scoreboard have been moved to the side bar. I cannot guarantee if B2 networks will provide an auto feed to each game but it’s the same link on the Sound Tigers website to listen live.

* Sound Tiger game highlights will be placed on the sidebar when available.

* Islander TV features will still be posted on the sidebar.

* I created a new widget for Islanders, Sound Tigers, Newsday, feeds along with blogs carried. Islander/Sound Tiger TV is also included so you can get the latest in one place with the last ten updates.

* Islander widget for the blog box was updated and enhanced a little, for those who copied the first version, just cut and paste the new HTML. Seems this one blog called New York Islander Fan Central changed feeds.

* Isles schedule, standings, fantasy news, NHL scoreboard has been put in mothballs for the summer but will return unless I can find an upgrade to them. I took them down so the page would load faster for those with older computers and just to streamline things a little.

* The NHL.com widget for the Isles I did not like, some may remember it was here for a while but the website feeder is quicker and better.

* The Islanders all-time roster link was added to the page for anyone wishing to check on someone who was an Islander at some point in the teams history.

* No set date on a new message board release but I’m considering June 1st before the draft when it’s still a little quiet and at a point after the World Championships.

* I’m looking at some fun new things for the blog moving forward, always a work in progress.

* Too many feeders or search engines had updates with Welcome to New York Islander Fan Central on it, so I edited down the welcome part to the correct name intended for the blog wherever I could.

Thanks as always and of course welcome.

New York Islander Fan Central

A few NYI Fan Central Notables

I have read and responded to most of your e-mails and would like to address a few things here today with everyone.

The e-mail response to this blog has been incredible as has all the folks visiting, as always I would like to thank everyone.

* The amount of first time and returning visitors only keeps growing but it would be great if some of you not only visited and read the blog but took some time and gave your hockey thoughts on the blog itself or message board and let us get to know you beyond the e-mails or polling votes.

I absolutely guarantee not a single person ever will be flamed or insulted here.

All I ask is your discussions are hockey-related and respectful where we all get something out of it and have fun talking Islanders whether we agree or disagree. I have long experience between my own mailing list and moderating the Islander board at HF and can promise if you invest your time talking Islander Hockey here it will be a positive experience without some of the garbage as one person today wrote and told me you see on message boards and forums.

* To answer one person I’m not big on advertising nor do I feel it appropriate to go onto some one’s established site or board and talk about this blog or invite folks to join in that manner because I do not consider that respectful at all. I would not want anyone to come here for that singular purpose. To be honest it’s not a big deal for me how many page views, mail or responses this blog receives but for all the visitors who keep coming/returning I would like to talk with you beyond your mail.

* Why am I doing an Islander blog?
I do this for my own enjoyment and because I love talking Islander Hockey. That’s been the reason since day one back in 1999 when I started Islanders-Sound Tigers at Yahoo. It was why I became a writer at HF and why I agreed to moderate their message board back when it opened. If things become too busy for me or I cannot do the blog to my standard, that is when I will decide to stop.

* My time?
Almost all the of the time I have for hockey I put strictly into posting here and when I’m not doing that everyone can see how many features I keep adding to the blog and yes, it’s been a blast finding things to add here and building a blog from scratch. I gotta admit it’s amazing I have done this much considering I’m not a computer person and a year ago had no idea what blogger was.

* Message Board?
I have decided to incorporate a better message board to connect with this site which will be released in the near future even though I picked it out last November.

The bravenet forum is ok but not up to my standards but was a nice add-on when I first started the blog. I decided to ride out the season with it because we had a few folks posting there and did not feel it fair to them to make an in-season change. I know from some e-mails the cheesy format at Bravenet was not what you wanted in an Islander message board.

All I could do for my own content was add game threads and major events.

Having written that building a big message board community is not what I’m looking for. I guess I’m trying to do is get all the folks sending e-mails to have a place to talk beyond just what I post on my blog. In other words your own hockey forum to talk about the Islanders and what interests you and just a small die-hard respectful community.

* Content?
I started with quotes from articles or websites updated but do not like printing copyrighted material so I made a change this season. I now give my own summary of an article and credit the writer whenever possible. I have a very high standard for media sources and will not use bloggers without media credentials as sources of information. That’s a tough process because at times it’s tough to tell the difference. NYI Fan Central commentary is not a media source nor should be reprinted as such.

* The Isles?
Have been fantastic, first class and have never responded to any negative criticism of the club or the media here. I did follow through on asking if they wanted to keep the link to this blog. I felt if they wanted to make room for new blogs and message boards which I think they should do I want to be fair to them or simply if they wanted bloggers who go and physically sit in the box who are interested in a journalism which is not for me.

Mr Botta told me his intention is to keep the link to this blog on the teams website
and thanked me for the work here. If they decide to change their minds I have nothing but respect for their efforts and thank them. I will keep doing my blog exactly the same regardless because it started before there was a blog box and just an extension of Islanders-Sound Tigers or what I did at HF.

Thank You for taking the time the time to read this and hope to talk with more of you here and not just your e-mails and your suggestions.

http://newyorkislanderfancentral.blogspot.com/
nyifancentral@yahoo.com

New York Islander Fan Central