Yesterday I stumbled upon Sports Illustrated worst owners list in which our old friend Charles Wang happened to appear as the third worst owner in the NHL. SI game this as their reasoning:
"If I had the chance, I wouldn't do it again," Wang recently told Newsday about buying the team -- just what Isles fans wanted to hear. He may have opened up his sizable checkbook multiple times, but the software entrepreneur doesn't know much about running a hockey franchise. His impulsive, management-by-committee style has the team in a perpetual rebuilding mode. It often seems like he makes contrarian decisions for the sake of being contrary: Witness his hiring and firing of GM Neil Smith after just 40 days. This past season, the Isles limped to their worst finish since Wang's first year in the owner's box and he's threatening to move the team to Kansas City if he doesn't get a new arena to replace decrepit Nassau Coliseum.
What I feel SI fails to address is his passion for the team and his commitment he has made to do everything possible to keep the on Long Island and in Uniondale. Oh and by the way following that terrible season the Islanders had during Wang’s first season as owner, they made it to the Playoffs the following year for the first time since the 1993-94 season, I guess SI forgot to mention that. Also the rebuild has paid off in the final months of the season as Okposo and bailey among others developed into everyday Islanders even earning Kyle Okposo a spot on the US team at the Worlds. The piece also makes Wang seem like he only wants his project, the truth is he has waited patiently for the past seven years and for some reason has just now started to push the town and county to quickly move on this project, but he bought the team to save the Islanders so Long Island could continue to have a sports franchise. Of course Wang has come under criticism for playing to much of a role in making hockey decisions, but honestly every owner including Jets owner Woody Johnson. But overall SI makes him sound like he doesn’t care at all about the team(a notion in which some fans have bought into over the years) which I feel is an untrue sentiment. If he didn’t care why would he invest his money, time and heart into a team he didn’t care about. He wouldn’t, he would have sold the team or moved them by now if he didn’t care, but he has stuck around in a run down arena and trying to better the Island as whole with his Lighthouse Project. So for the owner SI ranked as the third worst in the NHL I say this to them and any other fan who questions his motives, If it wasn’t for him the Islanders would have been gone by now or in a similar situation as the Coyotes.
"If I had the chance, I wouldn't do it again," Wang recently told Newsday about buying the team -- just what Isles fans wanted to hear. He may have opened up his sizable checkbook multiple times, but the software entrepreneur doesn't know much about running a hockey franchise. His impulsive, management-by-committee style has the team in a perpetual rebuilding mode. It often seems like he makes contrarian decisions for the sake of being contrary: Witness his hiring and firing of GM Neil Smith after just 40 days. This past season, the Isles limped to their worst finish since Wang's first year in the owner's box and he's threatening to move the team to Kansas City if he doesn't get a new arena to replace decrepit Nassau Coliseum.
What I feel SI fails to address is his passion for the team and his commitment he has made to do everything possible to keep the on Long Island and in Uniondale. Oh and by the way following that terrible season the Islanders had during Wang’s first season as owner, they made it to the Playoffs the following year for the first time since the 1993-94 season, I guess SI forgot to mention that. Also the rebuild has paid off in the final months of the season as Okposo and bailey among others developed into everyday Islanders even earning Kyle Okposo a spot on the US team at the Worlds. The piece also makes Wang seem like he only wants his project, the truth is he has waited patiently for the past seven years and for some reason has just now started to push the town and county to quickly move on this project, but he bought the team to save the Islanders so Long Island could continue to have a sports franchise. Of course Wang has come under criticism for playing to much of a role in making hockey decisions, but honestly every owner including Jets owner Woody Johnson. But overall SI makes him sound like he doesn’t care at all about the team(a notion in which some fans have bought into over the years) which I feel is an untrue sentiment. If he didn’t care why would he invest his money, time and heart into a team he didn’t care about. He wouldn’t, he would have sold the team or moved them by now if he didn’t care, but he has stuck around in a run down arena and trying to better the Island as whole with his Lighthouse Project. So for the owner SI ranked as the third worst in the NHL I say this to them and any other fan who questions his motives, If it wasn’t for him the Islanders would have been gone by now or in a similar situation as the Coyotes.
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yes, I agree, dont believe all you read
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