Allow me to flex for a bit.
The other day I had the privilege (through my day job) to check out my New York Islanders as they took on the New York Rangers at the Garden. I say flex because while I’d been content with decent seats and a hot dog, I got to watch the game from a suite.
And you couldn’t come!
And while I scarfed down free food and took in the moment that this New York kid had the opportunity to watch a game from my ivory tower of sorts, I had the honor (I guess) of watching the 2026 New York Islanders up close. The Isles aren’t bad, but they aren’t great either. The Islanders aren’t struggling with offense, until they are. The Islanders are collecting draft picks like Infinity Stones but offer nothing to be excited about in the now. (Of course, 19-year-old defenseman outstanding). It’s not like the Mets, where people like to laugh at the team’s failures. When the Islanders fail, it’s of utter bewilderment. Like “Hello, you had a dynasty in the late 80s. Double you tee eff is going on?”
So yeah, you don’t want to laugh, and you don’t want to be pissed off like some of the more entitled hockey fans out there. We’re effectively in a “Happy to be here” space with this team, and I hate it. Because I can’t even get mad when they bring a guy back from shoulder surgery only to see him tear his ACL.
Youch.
You can’t even muster contempt or praise when there was a whole third jersey contest and the winning shirt was just throwing the alternate “lighthouse” logo on the front.
This contest went on for three weeks by the way.
And so I was in my seat, and I watched the Rangers beat the Islanders. (The Isles were down two, tied the game up, then the wheels fell off). I just started to wonder: “It’s the first week of the season. Is this team already done?” Vegas odds have “the Fisherman” at PLUS 15000 to win the Stanley Cup. I looked it up; you’re just as likely to have a kid born with an extra finger as the Cup coming home to the Island.
It’s like dang, Islanders supporters deserve better, but like, it could be worse…? It’s a squad that’s run in such a way that it just makes you apathetic to things.
It’s like, either just be WORSE so I can be mad, Or be BETTER so I can come up with ways to improve the team. I’m sitting watching these games going… “Well, I guess they’re trying. Sigh, when does baseball season start?”
So frustrating, lemme tell you.
And the worst of it is that I’m locked in. Not because I went to an Islanders game as a kid and fell in love, not because I dated someone who was a fan, got me in the fold. No, your boy is all about the (hockey) orange and blue because my favorite POG slammer was a NY Isles one made of brass. That’s it!
I won so many games with it though. I wonder if there was ever a world where POGs could make a comeback. Hmm