The Nassau Coliseum Is Closing It's Doors Indefinitely, Pray For Me.
Hahaha what the fuck is this? You're telling me the Nassau Coliseum is done? Today I got completely blindsided by this article saying the Nassau Coliseum is being shut down indefinitely until the owner of the building, Mikhail Prokhorov, can find another investor to take over the property and the remaining $100 Million in debt. Holy fuck. So that's it?
[via NEWSDAY] NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum will shutter its doors indefinitely as the arena’s billionaire operator seeks investors to take over the lease of the 13,000-seat venue and assume the remaining $100 million in debt, a spokeswoman for Mikhail Prokhorov said Tuesday.
"Accordingly, NEC has engaged with Nassau County, other important stakeholders, and potential investors to find the right party or parties to take over operations of the Coliseum. We cannot predict or control the actions of other interested stakeholders. However, we remain confident that the Coliseum and the proposed development project represent valuable investment opportunities, committed to the effort to find the right solution to the problems confronting the Coliseum, and hopeful that these efforts will bear fruit."
It's hard not to laugh at how insane this whole arena saga has been. Why can't we just be normal? Be a normal franchise that has an arena, ONE arena... and just play hockey. The team is good too which makes it even more infuriating! It really can't be that hard, every other team in every sport seems to be able to figure it out. Anyway, so what does this news mean for the Islanders? More misery, of course. Now obviously the pandemic has hit in ways people never expected. Businesses all around the world are going off script to figure out how to survive. I understand that Mikhail Prokhorov owns an old building that's been completely shut down for 3 months and there is no end in sight. Even if/when fans are allowed back into the building, the Islanders new arena in Belmont will be ready by fall of 2021. So for the Coliseum, this next year and half was already the last dance. The bottom line is I kind of understand why it's happening, it's just hard to accept the fact that we may have already watched our final game in the Nassau Coliseum and didn't even know it. That is so so sad. The Coliseum, with all it's been through, deserves a grand final send off. I could go on and on about what it means to me like I have on here many times but the fact is Fort Neverlose was home to the greatest run in hockey, and arguably all of sports, with 4 straight cups and 19 straight playoff series victories and now it's just...done. This pandemic sure is a piece of shit.
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To make things even worse...until this situation gets settled, it looks like the only option the team has, for the next year and a half, is to go back to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Questions also remain about the immediate home of the Islanders.The team, which made its home in Uniondale for decades and won four Stanley Cups in the ‘Old Barn,’ was expected to play all of its home games at Coliseum next year as work continues on the team’s new home at state-run Belmont Park.
If the Coliseum is closed, the Islanders would be expected to play their home games in Brooklyn, as per the terms of their 2018 unusual agreement that initially split games between the Coliseum and Barclays.
What a joke. My whole life with this team has been a goddamn circus. The fact we're even in this situation and they couldn't build a new coliseum for the last 20 years because of bullshit politics (FUCK YOU KATE MURRAY) blows my mind. All we can hope for at this point is for someone to swoop in and purchase the property, let the Islanders finish out their next year and half there and then do what they please with it once their gone. Does anyone know somebody with $100 Million to throw around to save the coliseum? Huh? Anyone know of anyone like that around here? (Barstool Barn has a nice ring to it)
Now if you excuse me I'm going to drink my sorrows away at our brand new outdoor patio at Borrelli's! All miserable Islanders fans welcome.