In his endless quest to make good radio in New York, WFAN personality Mike “Sports Pope” Francesa unloaded on the Islanders for not selling out Game 3 at Barclays Center against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Francesa called out the behind the scenes players in Brooklyn, and didn’t hold back:
“They don’t know how to market, their PR people are lost, they don’t know how to market, and the rink is run by a bunch of clowns,” Francesa said after asking his producer what the atmosphere at Barclays Center would be like for Game 3. “So other than that I think otherwise they’re OK. So really, the hockey team is no problem, the rest of the structure, that’s why they have tickets for sale. Because you got a hot property there, you got a great player there, and you can’t get the building sold out because they don’t know how to market the team, they don’t know how to promote the team, and the people running the building are lost.
“So you add that up, and you got a good hockey team with a great player [John Tavares] . . . one of the five best players in the NHL at worst, a good, exciting team coming off a big series win for the first time since 1993, and they can’t sell the building out in their first playoff game at home. Embarrassing. But, look what you’re working with.”
(…)
“The Islanders have tickets for sale behind their bench tonight. What a disgrace in New York City for a playoff game. I mean, give me a break. Now we’re giving them away — these are for tonight . . . Way to create demand. And this has nothing to do with the players — the players are doing great. It’s the organization.”
Islanders CEO Brett Yormark shot back that Francesa is a Rangers fan who “gets great treatment at the Garden.” But more than that to me is that Francesa is a guy who refuses to talk hockey for 10 months out of the year on his show. Will waive off hockey questions during the regular season with the dismissive “who cares” attitude. Which seems to be code for “I’m not paying attention until the playoffs so I can’t answer your question.”
When you only pay attention two months out of the year and then make a declarative statement as if you pay attention all year, then it’s hard for those comments to hold any weight with hockey fans, even if they may have merit. So while there have been problems with the Islanders’ first season in Brooklyn, I’m not sure Francesa’s is the voice for them.
