Philadelphia Flyers: Behind Enemy Lines with the Islanders, Part 2
The Philadelphia Flyers lost to the New York Islanders in Brooklyn. But a good time was had by everyone!
I have returned home from New York with a head cold, an astounding amount of dirty laundry, and a Philadelphia Flyers loss. One would think I would be in a bad mood, but I am not. Despite the Flyers loss, the trip to New York to see the Broad Street Bullies play the New York Islanders was a great complete success.
However, there is a note for the Flyers. You can not take off the second period and expect to win any game.
A New Perspective
The trip was a complete success for so many reasons. Our seats, for example, were the best seats my son has ever had. For me, they were second only to the corner glass seats I had a very long time ago when I was not much older than my son is now.
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We were three rows behind the Flyers bench, on the blue line. We could hear the team’s reaction to just about everything. And believe me, the Flyers care. They were not happy with their performance in the second period, no one more so than Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. Both players are deeply vested in this team. Being so close to them during a game makes that quite evident.
Seeing the players as human, not as a superhero of any sort is important. It’s a lesson I feel the youth of this age needs to learn. After this game during the long drive home to Delaware, my son commented that he knew now that there was no way that he could play hockey.
He understands it’s a very high-level sport that requires far more skill than he possesses. Understanding that hard work and dedication are admirable qualities is another life lesson that my son needed to acquire.
Barclays Center Specifics
I have been to a good deal of Flyers away games. Barclays Center is the temporary home for the New York Islanders, and it is easy to see why the team wants to find another stadium to call home. The stadium was not designed as a hockey arena, and it shows.
There are numerous “obstructed view” areas. It is impossible to see the play in the corners from center ice seats. To see corner play, the JumboTron needs to be watched. That piece of equipment is not at center ice. It is also a projection that seems reversed and there is a time lag that makes following live action difficult.
Traffic to and from the stadium is a nightmare, far beyond the bottleneck of the Wells Fargo Center. Our hotel was located five city blocks from Barclays, a drive that took 40 minutes. Parking for the event was $45, nearly double the cost of parking at the Wells Fargo Center.
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The food was, price wise, on par with both the Well and Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Three pretzels and drinks set me back $34.00. Do not; however; be fooled into thinking you are getting a Philly Cheesesteak in New York. The signs might say “Philly Cheesesteak”, but what we got was some form of meat, cheese sauce (not even whiz), and onions on an oversized hot dog roll.
The Fans
As for the fans, most were quite nice. The Islanders have been giving free seats to students who make the honor roll. We met several families attending with their children who were recipients of those tickets. Younger fans were friendlier and more willing to talk to “the enemy”.
Older fans were more resentful, and fast to remind us that the Islanders were a dynasty. I honestly thought only Superman was that delusional, but it seems most Islanders fans over the age of 30 cling to what I have dubbed “The Dynasty Defense.”.
Even these fans were respectful, with one exception. When Wayne Simmonds scored at the end of the first period, an Islanders fan two rows behind us used that word. The one I refuse to sit by quietly and allow my son to hear. I used the text a problem number to report his seat location to security. I do not recall hearing his voice again.
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What struck me most about the Islanders fans at this game was the lack of them. There were far more Flyers fans in the seats at Barclays for Islanders fan appreciation night. “Let’s Go Flyers” cheers drowned out the cheers of the Isles fans at all times. I have been through some rough seasons with the Flyers, but have never seen a home game where opposition fans outnumbered those in Orange and Black.
We were surrounded by other Flyers fans. Some were transplanted Philly folks and many like us who had driven in for the game. We had a blast talking to these Flyers fans. We reminisced about past seasons, looked forward to the playoffs this year and cheered what was almost a damn fine Flyers comeback.
In My Opinion
As I left the game, I caught sight of two Islanders fans standing and cheering their team. They were standing amidst a sea of orange and black.I was overwhelmed with sadness. Not sadness that my team had lost, but for fans that have been abandoned by their franchise. The move, the financial problems, the ownership changes….all these things impact the fans.
I can’t imagine the Flyers moving from Broad Street. When Ed Snider owned the team it was a family, not a business. Now that Mr. Snider is gone, so is the sense of security. Perhaps my sadness for the Islander fans is a bit of concern over the uncertain future of my own franchise.
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Whatever the reason, it is very saddening to see such a once proud team now being treated like a joke by their own management. The Islanders and their fans deserve some respect. They are, after all, a dynasty.