“The Isles are the enemy!”
“Fuck the Isles!”
“Potvin Sucks!”
And honestly, I don’t disagree. The Islanders are a divisional rival, a thorn in the Rangers’ side, and Potvin SUCKS, but I can’t hate them. I want to, but I can’t bring myself to feel the deep, burning hatred that I feel toward the Devils, Penguins, Canadiens, or Kings. Even though I shout “Potvin Sucks” at my TV every time I hear that jeering whistle during a game. Even though we’ve only beaten them once over the last three seasons. Even though they are our historically biggest rival, I can’t bring myself to hate them.
I just. Can’t. Do it.
After pondering for a while about what was wrong with me, I ended up with 3 reasons:[/text_output][custom_headline type=”left” level=”h5″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true” id=”” class=”” style=””]They’re so damn BAD[/custom_headline][text_output]In 1993, the Islanders made the conference finals, but at two years old, They then suffered through the aggressive incompetence of Mike Milbury and Garth Snow, managing to next win a playoff series in 2016. 23 years of mediocrity, being knocked out in the first round of seven out of eight playoff appearances, and the only series win was against the Florida Panthers, probably the only team less successful than the Islanders in the modern era.
For 25 years, the Islanders front office has basically been playing a game of “What’s the worst move we can possibly make?” which is the only thing they manage to win, cause they sure aren’t winning hockey games. They still owe Rick DiPietro over $15 Million and he hasn’t played in the NHL since 2013. They traded two teenage future stars for 28 year old Alexei Yashin, gave him $87.5 Million over 10 years and he was playing in Russia only 5 seasons later. John Tavares, the best player they’ve had in decades insisted he wanted to be an Islander for life, then when free agency opened up he was like “lol jk I’m gonna go to a team with a chance.”[/text_output][image type=”thumbnail” float=”none” src=”2846″ alt=”” href=”” title=”” info_content=”” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”aligncenter” style=””][custom_headline type=”left” level=”h5″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true” id=”” class=”” style=””]I haven’t been given a reason to[/custom_headline][text_output]In 2012, the Devils ended a magical postseason run, reinforcing Rangers fans collective hatred for New Jersey. We all know about the Kings in 2014 and Lightning in 2015. Canadiens’ fans relentlessly boo Kreider over one play four years ago turning any game or series against them into a grudge match. On the other hand, Islanders fans like to chirp us about not winning since 1994, but considering they’ve been irrelevant since 1993, is that really an insult?
Sure, 2015-16 started the recent string of regular season losses to the Islanders, but that season was a mess of issues elsewhere on the team, and getting crushed by Pittsburgh in the playoffs fueled my hatred for Crosby, rather than any contempt for the Isles.
In fact, the most compelling argument I’ve heard for hating the Islanders has been “you’re supposed to” which just isn’t good enough for me. Regular season losses are annoying, but the playoffs are where hatred truly blossoms, and we’ve already covered the Fishsticks’ inability to make the postseason.
If the Islanders manage to be good enough to be a postseason fixture going forward, I could see myself hating them.All they have to do is rebuild the defense, find a goalie, and replace their franchise superstar center. So yeah. Good luck, you’ll need it.[/text_output][image type=”circle” float=”none” src=”2847″ alt=”” href=”” title=”” info_content=”” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”aligncenter” style=””][custom_headline type=”left” level=”h5″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true” id=”” class=”” style=””]Fanbase? What fanbase?[/custom_headline][text_output]First, let me admit that, as the island goes, I’ve never been east of the Barclays Center. But I lived nearly my entire life in a hockey-friendly area of upstate New York, and recently relocated just outside NYC.
In my lifetime, I have met exactly one Islanders fan, a good friend since 6th grade who bought me a (Chinese knockoff) Lundqvist jersey as a birthday gift. As a former goalie, he even cheers for the Rangers in the playoffs, once the Islanders are out of it (they always are). Other than that, I have never managed to meet another Islanders fan, and at this point I’m convinced he may be the only one.
In the entire NYC Metro Area, the Islanders are the third hockey team, behind a team from New Jersey, and by far the least relevant team in all the major sports. Soccer and golf are more popular than the Islanders are around here. Just think about that: A team in the biggest media market, in a major sport, is less popular than soccer. What country are we in?
On July 1, the biggest story in the NHL was John Tavares, and yet on the local sports radio that day, the person reading the headlines said something to the effect of: “Rangers sign defenseman Fredrick Claesson and Vlad Namestnikov, Devils’ Taylor Hall won the Hart Trophy as league MVP, and oh yeah, John Tavares wanted to go to a team other than the Islanders, OBVIOUSLY.” If the largest city in the country doesn’t care about a team that actually plays here, why should I?[/text_output][image type=”circle” float=”none” link=”true” target=”blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”bottom” info_trigger=”hover” src=”2850″ alt=”Photo Credit: Chris Young/Canadian Press” href=”https://www.blueshirtsbreakaway.com/” title=”Photo Credit: Chris Young/Canadian Press” info_content=”Photo Credit: Chris Young/Canadian Press” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”aligncenter” style=””][line id=”” class=”” style=””][text_output]The Islanders are a dumpster fire, yes. This much is true. But do you really ‘hate’ a dumpster fire? As long as it doesn’t do any collateral damage, no, probably not. So does not deeply hating the Islanders make me less of a Rangers fan? Maybe, maybe not. But consider that if you, the reader, do have a burning hatred for the Islanders, just ask yourself if you’ve ever written an entire, sarcastic, 1000 word article making fun of how terrible they are. And if you haven’t, maybe that makes YOU less of a Rangers fan.[/text_output]
Author: Lee Borden
Lee will never know true happiness until the Rangers win the Stanley Cup. He will never find peace until the Jets win the Super Bowl. And he will never sleep soundly until Jonathan Quick and Tom Brady stop haunting his dreams.