Veterans Day

If you saw last night's Canadiens-Bruins game, odds are good that you're still in awe. I know I am. Imagine being in the crowd during the pre-game ceremonies and watching the greats in Canadiens history taking warm-ups. Imagine seeing three generations of hockey legends taking the ice together. Canadiens fans must have felt such pride seeing the likes of Guy Lafleur taking shots on Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden. It's a far cry from the contrived practice of current players wearing the jersey of a retired player during warm-ups, no?

It's no surprise that the Canadiens were the ones to bring this memorable moment to us; they have never been anything less than spectacular when it comes to honoring their storied tradition. The Islanders? Well... not so much. It's been a pretty all-or-nothing deal with the Islanders over the years, and for a team that probably would have folded or moved many years ago if not for their tradition, that's not acceptable.

Since Bryan Trottier's #19 was retired in 2001, the Islanders have not raised a number to the rafters. Yes, they had Al Arbour Night in 2007 to commemorate the coach's 1500th game with the team, but they never bothered to update his banner to reflect his 740 wins. Instead, we see 1500 under Arbour's name - a sad reminder that the Islanders organization had very little faith that Arbour would actually win his 1500th game.

Perhaps the most obvious example of the Islanders' mismanagement of their alumni can be found in the Islanders Hall of Fame, which was established in 2006. The Islanders made a big deal out of their Hall of Fame, drawing a large crowd to that night's game, and named Bob Bourne as the Hall of Fame's first member. Since then? Nothing. At the time, I saw the Islanders Hall of Fame as a blatant way to play on Islanders fans' affection for the glory years, and apparently I was right. Not that Bourne doesn't deserve the honor - he clearly does - but it seemed like a very convenient way to draw a sellout crowd. The prior year, the Islanders held a 25th anniversary celebration for their first Stanley Cup win; the year after, they had the Core of the Four ceremony. And history shows that the only significance the Islanders Hall of Fame has is that it fulfilled the Islanders' unwritten requirement to bring the alumni back for one night to appease the fans.

When the Rangers announced plans to retire Adam Graves' number, I criticized the team for acting like Rangers history began in 1994. The Islanders, quite frankly, have behaved in much the same way. The way it looks to me, if you weren't part of the Cup winning teams, you're pretty much irrelevant to the organization. There's no legitimate reason why Pat LaFontaine's #16 isn't hanging from the rafters right now. There's no reason why guys like John Tonelli, Ed Westfall, Pierre Turgeon and Ziggy Palffy aren't in the Islanders Hall of Fame. (Note: Turgeon was on the ice last night with the other Canadiens legends, despite not even playing in half as many games for the Habs as he did with the Islanders.) It's insulting to these players, as well as the teammates who helped make them great, that their contributions aren't recognized by the Islanders organization. Especially guys like Palffy and LaFontaine, who essentially sold tickets by themselves while they were part of some horrible Islanders teams.

I understand that some of the alumni feels like the Islanders have exploited them over the years. They absolutely have every right to feel that way, because they were. But the Islanders have a tremendous opportunity to honor some players who haven't had their asses constantly kissed by the Islanders. This is especially important to younger fans who were reared on the 1993 Islanders. While it might sound blasphemous, to us, Turgeon and his teammates were just as important as the legends who now reside in the Hall of Fame. It never hurts to throw a bone to your younger generation of fans, as these are the fans who are deciding now how much they want to incorporate the Islanders in their now-grownup lives - as in, whether or not they're willing to invest serious money in season tickets.

Lastly, and most obviously - the Islanders would do well to honor their former players now. Because with all the uncertainty about where the team's future resides, if the Islanders don't honor these guys today, there might not be a tomorrow.

All-Star Stuff...

Let's be honest, the All-Star Game is a joke. From the ballot - where Sergei Gonchar was on it without playing a single game - to the voting process, to the suspensions, to Nicklas Backstrom refusing to take part in an 18-minute game so he can rest, it's all a bunch of crap. (The way to fix it is to make the entire ballot a write-in and not have boxes to check next to pictures of "super stars".)

That said, I do normally look forward to the Skills Competition. Last night, however, was not a shining moment in NHL history as Doc Emerick would have you believe.

There was so much down time during the broadcast that I felt like I was watching an NFL game (I'm pretty sure I could have cooked a steak in the time between the Young Stars game and the accuracy contest). The commercial breaks were so long I felt like I was watching an MTV show. The commercials themselves were so overplayed that I felt like I was watching a Rangers game, where I see the same Bud Light commercial 8 times in 150 minutes. Except last night, it was Chris Berman "going all the way!" and losing 41 pounds.

And if they show that unfunny chump who hosts "Sports Soup" one time during the All-Star Game, I'm going to turn it off. Okay, that's not true, mainly because I won't be watching the game fully (I'll be working so I will catch it in pieces).

They also dropped the ball terribly with the Young Stars game. There were 14 goals scored in it, but they might've shown 8 being scored. Every time a goal went in, they were showing some half-motion replay of a shot hitting the post or one of Carey Price's 4 saves in the game. They spoke in great length about Marc Staal - which I appreciate - but I would have rathered them show me the goal being scored while speaking instead of his babyface. They had Pat LaFontaine speaking throughout the whole third "period" at a low-volume so I couldn't hear half of what he said. The 2nd period started while I was still watching Chris Berman's diet, and when the broadcast returned, we were treated to the sight of a young girl enjoying some food with her little brothers instead of the game. By the time they showed the ice, we were 34 seconds in.

It was just a mess of a broadcast. If the NHL is going to such great lengths (as a one-game suspension!) to get all of it's stars there (look, it's Mike Modano and Stephane Robidas!), you think they wouldn't have hired a high school AV club to do the event and would've shelled out money for a real crew.

Remembering Former Greats

As you may have heard, Shea Stadium closed its vaunted doors for good today. Never again will professional baseball be played in the Mets' now-former home. Fittingly, the Mets summed up 45 years of mediocre baseball by getting four hits in a game that, had they won, would have forced a one-game playoff for the Wild Card. Collapsing in September? Surely, you jest.

Anyway, watching the Mets pay tribute to their former legends - and isn't it interesting how important people in Shea Stadium history like the Jets and the Beatles were barely mentioned - I couldn't help but think about my Islanders. As we all know, no local team honors tradition like the Islanders. The Yankees do a good job as well but it's different with the Islanders. So often the Islanders have had to rely on their past to sell the present. Obviously, the Yankees don't have that problem. Neither do the Mets. So theoretically, today should have been a nice day to remember the good times at a ballpark that, quite frankly, didn't have very many.

As a devoted Islander fan who has seen more than his fair share of celebrations, I have to say the Mets nailed this one, even down to the questionable decision to do the ceremony after the game ended. This ended up being a good thing; by the time it was all over, I'd almost forgotten that the Mets performed an egregious chokejob for the second straight year. And even though it only amounted to Howie Rose reading out a bunch of names and then those players walking out onto the field, it was nice to see.

It's always interesting to see who gets the biggest reactions. It tends to be some combination of the biggest stars and those people who don't come around very often. I barely remember Al Arbour Night - it was my birthday and I was extremely hammered - but the biggest pops came for the guys we don't see very often, like Pat LaFontaine and Benoit Hogue. The Dynasty guys are here all the time; hell, half of them work for the team. It doesn't diminish anything they've done or their value to the team today, but it's worth noting that when fans get one shot to show their appreciation, they make the most of it.

That's what happened today at Shea Stadium. If I had to venture a guess, the loudest cheers were for Dwight Gooden and Mike Piazza. Not coincidentally, neither of them had been back at Shea since they retired. Piazza was so beloved by Mets fans that he received a curtain call when he hit a home run at Shea in 2006... while playing for the Padres. And while the surprising retiring of #31 never happened, it was nice seeing him as part of one of these things. The same can be said for when LaFontaine showed up at Arbour Night. As great as it is to see our heroes, sometimes it's even better when they keep themselves a bit more scarce.

What's my point?

Maybe it'd be wise to keep these ceremonies to a minimum. I love seeing the Islanders honor their past, but sometimes they go a bit overboard with it. They said after Core Of The Four that they weren't going to be doing any more elaborate ceremonies, but only time will tell. Meanwhile, the Mets never do this sort of thing, and I think that's why today was so important. At the same time, though, you don't want to end up like the Rangers and have a forty-year gap of time where nobody has any idea who even played for the team or how they did. I'd rather try too hard like the Islanders do, and that's not because I'm an Islander fan.

Review - Boss: The Mike Bossy Story

Our sporadic summer reading series continues with a look at Mike Bossy's autobiography.

(cover image unavailable)

Boss: The Mike Bossy Story

Author: Mike Bossy with Barry Maisel

Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Release Date: Late 1988

Availability: Out of print; available through Amazon Personal Sellers

"Each time you knock me down, I will get back up and score more goals." -Mike Bossy

Mike Bossy, along with Wayne Gretzky and Pat LaFontaine, was one of my three heroes growing up. I never really got the chance to see Bossy in his prime; in fact, by the time I went to my first game at Nassau Coliseum, Bossy had already retired. Still, as a diehard Islander fan and someone who was very willing to latch onto a star player (and really, what five-year-old isn't?), I developed a very soft spot for Mike Bossy.

I'd heard about his autobiography from a variety of other sources, which was the main inspiration behind my purchase. I'd heard hockey players praise it for the helpful advice it gave them. I'd heard fans say it was a great read. But I'd be lying if I didn't say a major reason I sought this book out is the not-so-glowing review Bossy gets from Wayne Gretzky in his own autobiography (a.k.a. the greatest book ever written). Gretzky goes out of his way to slam Bossy on quite a few occasions, with one of his criticisms being that Bossy names himself to his own all-time team. Naturally, upon receiving this book, the first thing I did was look for that passage.

I didn't find it right away, but when I did, it turns out all Bossy really did was say he was a better player than Jari Kurri. It was a series of comparisons between the Islanders dynasty and the Oilers dynasty, and Bossy certainly didn't seem too intent on sparking any controversy. Looks like he did in the eyes of The Great One. However, the long-rumored part where Bossy claims he always aimed five-hole in order to avoid missing the net was nowhere to be found.

What is in Boss, though, is a comprehensive summary of Bossy's stellar career. A lot of autobiographies contain surprises about their subjects. This one's no different. I always assumed Bossy was this quiet guy who just scored goals. Nope. Turns out he was very outspoken, not only within the clubhouse, but with the media as well. But none of that compares with the pressure he put on himself. We hear all about the goals he set for himself each and every year; some might mistake this for Bossy putting his stats before the team, but he had these lofty expectations in mind so that he could help his team out. Would he ever have broken the rookie scoring record or achieved so much without holding himself to the highest possible standard? Bossy himself doesn't seem to think so.

Bossy devotes an entire chapter to his pursuit of the fifty goals in fifty games mark, something that seems a bit silly after Gretzky himself massacred the record just one year later. But it's synonymous with Bossy's career (Gretzky himself, on the Ultimate Gretzky DVD, praises Bossy for giving the mark so much notoriety), and it deserves considerable mention. After all, before Bossy, only Rocket Richard had pulled it off. So Bossy takes us along for the ride, starting back when it was just a pipe dream and going through all the stress that comes with letting the media know about such a lofty goal. When he finally achieves it, even if you know how it happens, it's hard not to smile.

You get the impression that goals such as fifty in fifty were the only things that could possibly raise Bossy's game. He'd just won his first Cup the year prior; as the Islanders approached the 1981 finals, they openly admited to being mostly concerned with how many games it'd take them to win. You can also see how much it bothered Bossy that he was never considered the game's best player. As Guy Lafleur slowed down, Gretzky took the mantle, leaving Bossy wishing for the recognition he deserved. Bossy describes how hurt he was when Butch Goring won the 1981 Conn Smythe, one of the many awards Bossy was passed over for. So it's no surprise that Bossy devotes an entire chapter, aptly titled "MVP", to the twelve-month span in which he won the MVP award of the Canadian team at the 1981 Canada Cup, the 1982 All-Star Game MVP award, and the 1982 Conn Smythe. Despite having the best goals-per-game average in NHL history, it's astonishing how much hardware Bossy didn't win.

But Boss is about more than Bossy's NHL career. We get a down-and-dirty look at the state of junior hockey in the 1970s, something that many people have heard about, but never really experienced. After reading Bossy's take on the situation, it's clear that the junior game at that time was absolutely revolting. It's sort of easy to see why the juniors are so dirty, with so many players trying to get noticed any way they can, but it can be downright dangerous. Bench-clearing brawls were the norm back then, as were coaches who would demand their players to intentionally injure opponents. Gretzky tells a story in his book where an opposing coach offered his players $2 for each hit laid on The Great One, but that's nothing compared to Bossy's tales. In one particularly disgusting instance, Bossy's coach gave his players amphetamines before a game to enhance their abilities. Sadly, this was just one sign of the times.

After reading about Bossy's struggles in juniors, you can see why he was so adamant about getting rid of fighting in the NHL. But what's really surprising is that he wasn't the only Islander who felt that way. Both Bossy and Bryan Trottier, his close friend and roommate, were heavily against fighting, but Trottier felt Bossy would be a better ambassador for the cause, so Bossy got all the credit (and criticism). Even more shocking than that is that Clark Gillies, considered by some to be one of the best fighters ever, had grown to hate fighting by the time Bossy reached his prime. In fact, Bossy opines that it was Gillies' burgeoning nice-guy nature that caused his skills to erode so quickly; since Gillies refused to play a physical game late in his career, he was unable to be of worth to the Islanders.

Boss also does a good job of showing the human side of Bossy. There are stories about his drunken exploits on the Islanders, his long-term relationship with his wife, who didn't drive or speak English when Bossy was drafted, and his distant relationship from his brothers and sisters. Bossy doesn't shy away from talking about his personal life, but doesn't boast about it as many athletes tend to do while penning their memoirs.

Although Bossy and Gretzky were rivals on and off the ice, their books are remarkably similar. Both are written in a rather informal style and cover the same sort of material - the dirty nature of juniors, learning how to win, and their devotion to their respective teammates. It's almost strange to know that Gretzky would so willingly trash someone so similar to him. And it's remarkable how it almost worked out with those two.

The book closes in 1988, as Bossy concludes his year off from hockey not sure if he'll ever play again. We know that he was forced to retire from his back injuries, which is detailed in the book. However, what not everyone knows - and what might not even be true - is that Kings owner Bruce McNall supposedly tried to recruit Bossy to come to Los Angeles that summer to play with Gretzky, who had just been acquired by the Kings. Imagine Gretzky, Bossy, and Robitaille on the same line! It's a shame it never happened.

If you can find a copy, Boss is highly recommended. There are better books out there, but this one's a bit different than you might expect. If you've ever wanted to know about the behind-the-scenes stuff, like negotiating contracts, self-doubt, and the importance of staying happy in spite of greener pastures, this is an interesting read. If you just like Mike Bossy, you'll enjoy it just the same. And if you'd like to take a look back at the NHL in its so-called Golden Era, Boss is a good place to start.

What To Expect At The Coliseum This Year

We here at The Rivalry have been fortunate enough to receive a tour of the Nassau Coliseum in advance of the start of the 2008-09 NHL season. While we only received this tour because we attended the WWE Great American Bash tonight, it still called to mind the many trips we made to the Coliseum last season. It was nice to see the old barn in a different setting. And, as is always the case after a long layoff, it was interesting to see what's changed since last season.

- More Ads: One thing they did a lot of this off-season was sell ad space. There are more ads in the hallways of each gate than ever before; in fact, the sheer amount of advertisement one is greeted with on their way back to the concourse is a bit smothering. In addition, there are more of the 200-level ads we saw last year. There was also a banner in front of the 300-level section directly in line with the goals called "Northville". Since the stage took up the opposite goal area, it's unclear if there's a "Southville". On the subject of "Villes", we were unable to verify if Loudville will be back, as our seats were in Section 307. Either way, be prepared to be inundated with more ads than ever before.

- More Menu Selections: I think. I could have sworn I saw someone carrying around an iced coffee, but I can't say for certain. In any event, there are non-souvenir cups. The rest of the goodies remained pretty much the same. The exotic beers are still located in the "Beers Of The World" stand and in the outside area. We were unable to verify if they jacked up the price of the 24-ounce Labatt Blue can; we can only hope they didn't. Also, everyone's favorite Coliseum snack, the pretzel twist, is still as juicy and succulent as ever. Tonight's twists might have been even better than last year's. The twists are still only $4.50 - the best bargain anywhere. One last thing - we didn't see the guy selling pretzels outside of the Coliseum, but maybe that's on game days only.

- The Dragons Stuff: It's still there... for now. Since Charles Wang has just sold the team, it's unclear what will happen to the Dragons after the current AFL campaign ends. We don't even know if they'll be playing at the Coliseum. Either way, it's almost a given that we'll see a decrease in the promotion of the Dragons now that Wang isn't liable to shove both teams down our throats. Could this mean the end of Sparky The Dragon?

- Soda Guys: They had a guy roaming around selling sodas in the 300 levels, something we never saw before. In the past, this was strictly a delicacy for the lower levels. We pity the poor guy who has to climb the extremely steep Coliseum steps to deliver a Pepsi to someone up in Row T. However, the guy in our section dropped a bunch of his soda bottles, so it's possible that this experiment could be ended before the season starts. It's also something that could be started at games with lower attendance figures and phased in over the season. Who knows? It's worth a shot.

- Parking: As of tonight, it's still $7 to park. Still an extremely spacious lot (something to appreciate if you've been to either Shea or Yankee Stadium this year), and it's still a good idea to park right by the fence alongside Charles Lindbergh Boulevard. If you ever see some people playing hockey and drinking heavily along that fence, you'll know you saw The Rivalry.

- Bootleg Merchandise: If the Coliseum hired extra security to thwart the bootleggers, they called in sick tonight. We were able to not only score bootleg WWE merchandise, but also managed to take our time in negotiating a better rate, verifying that nothing was spelled wrong, and getting change without fear of getting busted. There were people all over; there was even a guy weaving in and out of traffic on Hempstead Turnpike selling stuff. His rates were even better than the guy we talked to. Oops.

- Arbour Banner: It still says "1500". We thought they were putting an updated one up there at Core Of The Four. Maybe they forgot. Or maybe they're waiting for this year's alumni reunion to do it. Or maybe, just maybe, they're talking to Arbour about coaching again. (Note: They aren't.) Either way, it'd be nice if they did something about it. It'd also be nice if they'd get around to taking #16 out of circulation and putting it where it belongs - with the numbers of the other Islander greats.

So that's what we discovered tonight - the Coliseum is pretty much as we remember it, with all of the good things intact and a few surprises. We're sure they have more in store for us this season. However, let's hope the first surprise is a quality coach.

As for the Bash itself? Good card with lots of quality, no-frills wrestling, though a lot of guys we wanted to see weren't there. The highlight of the night, however, was seeing Mets GM Omar Minaya walking in with his kids and then exiting the arena as we were pulling out. We can only hope his evening was enhanced by enjoying a delicious pretzel twist.

Retired Numbers, Part 2

In this blog by former Isles PR man Chris Botta, it's revealed that the Islanders' unofficial policy is to only retire the numbers of Hall Of Famers. The Islanders Hall Of Fame, unveiled two years ago and never touched again, is for everyone else. As of now, the only player in the Isles Hall without a retired number is Bob Bourne; surely, players such as John Tonelli and Ed Westfall will eventually be inducted as well.

Still, my question about Pat LaFontaine remains unanswered. He's a Hall Of Famer who not only is remembered by most as an Islander, but had his best years as an Islander. Why does he continually get passed over? It's almost as though the only history the Islanders want their fans to remember is the dynasty. Nothing else seems to matter. As a fan who missed the dynasty years but has never wavered as fan, that sort of hurts. It's nice to know that my entire life of rooting for the Islanders is essentially considered worthless.

New Poll

We're keeping the original poll up because it's still relevant. But Mike Piazza's retirement today got me thinking about all the other New York athletes who are deserving of the ultimate honor - having their number retired.

It seems as though teams go about retiring numbers in phases. For example, the Rangers have begun to honor the 1994 team in recent years. They retired Mike Richter's #35 in 2004, Mark Messier's #11 in 2006, and Brian Leetch's #2 in 2008; they will add Adam Graves' #9 in 2009. Of course, there's another side to this - if you were never part of a big title win or dynasty, it's all but impossible to get your number retired. Off the top of my head, the only New York athletes who had their numbers retired in recent years without any rings are Patrick Ewing and Joe Klecko.

So, then, why can't anybody else join their ranks? Is it really so imperative that someone wins a championship to receive this honor? I hope not, because if that's the case, none of us will be seeing any retired numbers until the Yankees start honoring their late 90's dynasty. Did you know that after they retire Derek Jeter's #2 and Joe Torre's #6, the Yankees will have no single-digit numbers available? They'll have all been retired. Crazy, no?

But let's not talk about the Yankees right now. I'd rather talk about the other teams who haven't won anything, but have legends deserving of praise nonetheless. Here are the main guys who deserve to have their numbers retired, but haven't yet (and possibly never will).

- John Starks, #3. New York Knicks (1990-1998). People love to trash the Pat Riley Knicks for being boring to watch and overly physical, but if you were a Knicks fan back then, you loved John Starks. He was a player with average talent, but became a star because he never backed down. And, let's be honest, Starks deserves to be remembered for something more than his 2-for-18 shooting performance in Game 7 of the 1994 Finals. Put his number up there and exorcise the demons that Stephon Marbury has brought us.

- Gary Carter, #8. New York Mets (1985-1989). His tenure with the Mets was very short, but he was with the Mets as long as Reggie Jackson was with the Yankees. Each had some playoff heroics and brought home a World Series. Yet, when the Hall Of Fame came calling, they gave Mr. October a Yankee hat and stuck Carter with the horrid insignia of the Montreal Expos. Part of me thinks that was done just to get the Expos into the Hall somehow, but still. The fact remains that Carter wanted to go in as a Met, works for the Mets organization, wants to manage the club, and remains very popular with the fans. Why not retire his number?

- Pat LaFontaine, #16. New York Islanders (1984-1991). Perhaps the most egregious oversight on this list. You've got a guy who came up just as the dynasty was crumbling, scored one of the most famous goals in team history, carried a ton of bad Islander teams into the playoffs, did a ton of work in the community, came back to be part of Charles Wang's ill-fated "committee"... and the franchise can't get around to retiring his number? What, is it a rule that you had to have won a Cup to get up there? I mean, come on! Sure, LaFontaine left the organization on bad terms, but so did Clark Gillies and that didn't stop the Islanders from honoring him. Us 20-somethings who are too young to remember the dynasty years grew up idolizing LaFontaine, and it's about time the Islanders acknowledge part of their history that doesn't include four Stanley Cups.

- Keith Hernandez, #17. New York Mets (1983-1989). Hernandez, aside from being an incredible commentator, was the first piece of the Mets' championship puzzle. Aside from being perhaps the greatest fielding first baseman of all-time, he gave the Mets the swagger that brought them the 1986 World Series. He's sort of overlooked (given the other talent on that team, it's understandable), but Mets fans have always had a special place in their heart for the man they call "Mex". Seeing marginal players such as Dae-Sung Koo and Kevin Appier wearing #17 for the Mets hurt... but the organization can make up for it by honoring the man who was the face of the Mets for many years.

- Curtis Martin, #28. New York Jets (1998-2005). Had Curtis Martin been your typical, bragadocious, trash-talking running back, his number would already be hanging in Giants Stadium. Of course, he doesn't get the nod, even though he's the best running back this team has ever seen. He's the kind of player whose accomplishments grow in stature over time; to think about him winning the rushing title in his final full season, at age 31, is just remarkable. You just can't say enough about Curtis Martin. He deserves to be considered one of the all-time greats, just like he deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest Jets.

- Mike Piazza, #31. New York Mets (1998-2005). The inspiration behind this list after his retirement yesterday. It didn't take long for Mets fans to clamor for his number to be retired and for him to go into the Hall Of Fame as a Met. And both should be happening. He might have had better numbers as a Dodger, but he will always be remembered for his home-run after 9/11 (I had tickets to that game and didn't go) and taking the Mets to the World Series. Personally, my favorite memory of Piazza was when he came back as a Padre and hit two home runs (and nearly a third) off Pedro Martinez, drawing the extremely rare curtain call on the road. At least you know Piazza will get his number retired someday, bringing the number of Mets' players with retired numbers to a whopping two.

Honorable Mentions: Carl Banks, Harry Carson, Tiki Barber (New York Giants), Wayne Chrebet (New York Jets), Charles Oakley (New York Knicks).

Check the poll on the right side of this page, and vote for your choice.