Wednesday, October 31, 2012

October 24,2012, New York Islanders announce move to Brooklyn news story for Metro Newspaper in NYC




 

NHL's Islanders moving to Barclays Center

 

 
DENIS GORMAN
NEW YORK
 
Published: October 24, 2012 11:49 a.m.
Last modified: October 24, 2012 9:16 p.m.
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The New York Islanders finally have a home.

 
Owner Charles Wang announced the franchise has agreed to move to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center beginning with the 2015-16 season in a press conference yesterday.

 
“Today, we are announcing that the New York Islanders will remain in the local marketplace as we entered into a 25-year agreement beginning with the 2015-16 season to play in this state-of-the-art building,” Wang said. “I want to congratulate [Barclays Center majority owner and developer Bruce Ratner] on achieving his goal of bringing professional sports back to Brooklyn as the New York Islanders will join the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. This announcement reunites these two franchises.”

 
Along with Wang, Islanders general manager Garth Snow,  vice president of corporate sponsorships Mike Bossy, assistant coach and senior advisor to the general manager Doug Weight and head coach Jack Capuano also represented the Islanders. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was in attendance, as was Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Barclays Center and Brooklyn Nets CEO Brett Yormark and Ratner.

 
Wang said the negotiations with Barclays executives to move the franchise took “seven months.” He added that he will remain as owner of the Islanders, who will retain their name, and that the team will honor the remainder of their lease at Nassau Coliseum.

 
Wang had long been frustrated that plans to privately and publicly finance a new Nassau Coliseum had collapsed due to politics. 

 
“We tried very hard to keep the Islanders in their original home in Nassau County,” Wang said, before thanking Nassau County executive Ed Mangano “for trying to find a solution to keep us there.
“Our goal from the outset was to have the Islanders play in a local, world-class facility that possessed the amenities that our fans deserve.”

 
“I am disappointed to learn of the Islanders’ plan to relocate to Brooklyn,” Town of Hempstead supervisor Kate Murray said in a statement. “They’ve been a valued part of this region’s identity, and we wish the team great success in the future.”

 
The state of the Coliseum and the uncertainty surrounding the franchise’s future had made attracting free agents a near-impossibility for Snow. The Islanders have routinely been among the league’s lowest payroll teams.

 
Now, the possibility exists that the Islanders can compete for premier free agents.

 
“It’s beautiful. One walk through and you can see everything is first class all the way,” Snow said. “It’s hard to compete without first-class amenities. This is an outstanding building and facility.

 
“It’s huge. Facilities play a big part in recruitment.”

 
The relationship between Barclays and Islanders officials had led to an announcement last January that the Islanders and Devils were to play a preseason game at Barclays, but due to the ongoing lockout it was cancelled. That game would have been the first sporting event at the new building.

 
The arena will host two regular season Kontinental Hockey League games in January. When asked by Metro if he would attend the KHL games, Bettman said, “probably not.”

 
Barclays Center currently seats 14,500 for hockey, but Bettman professed that was not an issue for the league. The commissioner suggested that Barclays could add another 500 to 1,000 seats. He also pointed out that MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba is the smallest venue in the NHL, yet played to full capacity during the 2011-12 season.

 
Bettman talks lockout

 
Following the Islanders’ press conference, Bettman said it was up to “the Players’ Association to either negotiate with us over the proposal to save the 82-game season or to make an offer, and they’ve declined to do either.”

 
When asked by Metro if a shortened season was a possibility, Bettman said, “Sure, you can play an abbreviated season. I’d rather play a full season. And I’m sure our fans would rather [we] play a full season. That’s why we made the offer we did. We very much want to play and we’re very disappointed that we’re not.”

 
Bettman added that if a deal is not in place by November, the league would have to make the decision to cancel the Winter Classic. This year’s game is scheduled to be played at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1.


Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman for continuing updates on the NHL lockout.
 


http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1154894--nhl-s-islanders-moving-to-barclays-center

posted by Denis P. Gorman at 3:16 PM

Monday, October 08, 2012

October 6, 2012, Champagne Stakes horse race for USA Today



The Day in Pictures
 
Shanghai Bobby wins Champagne Stakes at Belmont
 
Shanghai Bobby, seen here Sept. 3, earned 10 points in the new
Adam Coglianese, NYRA via AP
Shanghai Bobby, seen here Sept. 3, earned 10 points in the new "Road to the Kentucky Derby" system.

by Denis Gorman, Special for USA TODAY Sports
Published: 10/06/2012 08:35pm

ELMONT, N.Y. — Shanghai Bobby earned a spot in the "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Challenge races by claiming the one-mile, Grade 1 $400,000 Foxwoods Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday.

In doing so, the horse also picked up 10 points in the newly-created "Road to the Kentucky Derby" system that will help determine the field for the Run for the Roses.

Shanghai Bobby, the 8-5 favorite, rated just off the early pace set by Goldencents, ran by him at the quarter pole and won by five lengths. Goldencents finished second to earn four points, and Fortify was third for two points. Archwarrior was fourth for one point. Shanghai Bobby paid $5.30.

"(We) got 10 points," Jack Wolf, managing partner of Starlight Stables, said. "This was such a great field. You could (have made) a case for any of the horses in here and I'm proud of how the horse performed against this bunch."

"(Shanghai Bobby's) shown the adaptability to stalk and yet he has the tactical speed to keep the pressure on someone (to keep) them from getting loose," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "He's tenacious. He has all of the tools. The one thing we felt Shanghai Bobby had going for him coming into the race was seasoning."

The new points system is based on accumulation spanning 185 races worldwide. There are 14 races remaining in the Kentucky Derby Prep Season. The next race in the Derby Prep Season is the Grey Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.

The Kentucky Derby Championship Series will take place after the Prep Season concludes in February. The Championship Series is 17 races spanning 10 weeks. The horses that accumulate the most points over those races will make up the field of the 139th Kentucky Derby.

"The fact that we (didn't) have points (prior to the Champagne), I don't (care)," Wolf said. "We'll talk to Todd (about the Breeders' Cup) and see how (Shanghai Bobby) comes out.

"We'll take our time and decide."


http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/1617281?preferredArticleViewMode=single

posted by Denis P. Gorman at 3:55 PM

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

October 3, 2012, NHL-NHLPA CBA negotiations news story for the Associated Press


 

NHL defines preseason losses as lockout continues

 

The Associated Press – 20 hours ago


NEW YORK (AP) -- The financial losses are starting to pile up as a result of the NHL lockout.
And on Tuesday, the league made that public.

In speaking to reporters after talks finished up for the day between the NHL and the NHLPA, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly estimated that the league has lost $100 million in revenues from the canceled preseason.

''Today,'' he said, ''was not overly encouraging.''

And though they can pick up at any time, for the moment, there are no further talks scheduled. That only further increases speculation that regular-season games could be lost, with an announcement sometime this week. The season was slated to begin Oct. 11.

''We are closer by definition (to canceling regular season games),'' Daly said. ''We are focused on minimizing the damage.''

Tuesday's bargaining session focused on the definition of hockey-related revenue, and featured NHLPA head Donald Fehr, his brother, Steve, the special counsel to the players' association, and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Ron Hainsey.

''They have made some incremental moves,'' said Donald Fehr, who expects to informally talk with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman by Wednesday. ''It's clear that the players have made substantial moves towards the owners and the owners have made substantial moves away from the players.''

As there has been throughout the process, there is still a glaring difference in opinion.

''We're looking for a long-term deal that's fair to the players, league and fans,'' Daly said. ''Certainly, we're trying to be as creative as (we can be).''

Donald Fehr did not dispute Daly's figure of $100 million, saying ''it might be a revenue number.'' He did note, though, that it could be a loss without factoring in arena operating costs. Meanwhile, Steve Fehr disputed the notion that no progress had been made.

''I don't know (that) I would agree with (that) phrase,'' he said. ''Talks can resume anytime they're ready.''

Daly, in an email to the Associated Press, said the league has not projected potential damage caused by the cancellation of any regular-season games. Clearly, the hope is that it won't have to address that matter, but the clock is ticking.

''What we have repeatedly tried to communicate is that we need to hear from them to move this process along,'' Daly wrote in the email. ''And we do think that's the only thing that is going to allow us to gain traction. But that doesn't mean we stop everything we're doing and simply wait around for a proposal.

''If there is something we feel we can do to move the process forward, I'm sure we won't hesitate to do it.''

According to Daly, the sides met for close to two hours Tuesday. One aspect that could expedite the negotiations moving forward - perhaps next week - is mediation. And both sides acknowledged that possibility has been broached.

''I've had that discussion with Gary, briefly,'' Donald Fehr said. ''There hasn't been further discussion. We're not averse to help.''

In the meantime, media outlets are making plans to keep fans happy during yet another stoppage. On Tuesday, Russia's Kontinental Hockey League announced it will broadcast games in the United States on ESPN3. It plans to air five games this month on ESPN3, the online streaming service. Wednesday's game between Dynamo Moscow and Ak Bars Kazan will be the first game televised.

Now in its third week, the lockout has forced many players to head overseas to play on month-to-month contracts. Others who are eligible to play at the lower levels opened training camp last week with American Hockey League affiliates. Still, there are several players who remain in North America, and continue to work out among themselves. On Tuesday in Minnesota, several members of the Wild got together for a skate.

''It is disappointing. The NHLPA is trying pretty hard to get something done. Every offer we make, we're trying to make it better and better every time and it just seems like they're getting stubborn and they want to stick to their offer,'' Wild forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard said. ''So, we'll see what happens next.''

Bouchard was joined by defenseman Ryan Suter, one of two prized free-agent signees for Minnesota this summer. Suter and forward Zach Parise, who led the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, both agreed to join the Wild on the same day in July.

''Obviously the players, we want to get out there and play, but we also know that something has to be fixed,'' Suter said. ''We can't keep going through this every few years to try to come up with something. As players, we want it to be solved right. We want it to be the correct thing for years to come.''

Suter, the top defenseman on the market this year, signed a 13-year deal for $98 million with Minnesota.

''I think people have to think big picture. That's what the players are doing. We're thinking future. We don't want to have to deal with this every four or five years,'' he said. ''We want this to be fixed for good. I think people have to think big picture when they start to talk about it.

''It's not just a quick fix.''


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nhl-nhlpa-resume-secondary-talks-155050715--nhl.html

posted by Denis P. Gorman at 1:58 PM