(at least one of these men would prefer a little less coverage from the blogosphere, thanks)
You’d think Former Islanders P.R. flack Chris Botta’s SNY-hosted NYI Point Blank would be something the team would fully embrace, given the paucity of traditional media coverage for one of the least popular professional sports franchises in the tri-state area (I’m leaving Hartford’s UFL squad out of this because I cannot remember their nickname). However, following what the Islanders apparently thought to be too much analysis of their dismissal of head coach Scott Gordon, Botta’s media credentials were revoked. That’s what you get for thinking outside of The Blog Box, folks. In the view of Hockey Independent’s BD Gallof, “ultimately, this will all backfire for the Isles (and perhaps the NHL.”
I certainly think despite my thoughts on how Botta runs PB, it is a crime against him to pull his credentials. I personally think this is dangerous ground for not only new media, but the hockey teams who seek to punish. All it takes is a lawsuit to dictate legally how they can act than the NHL’s inability to draw up guidelines. For the NHL still has a vast schism between draconian naysayers and blog supporters.
So now the Isles put forth an action with no previous attempt to solve the issue. Mind-boggling, yet par for course. Once again they look silly and idiotic to the rest of the hockey world who still consider them a circus. Accountability, communication, problem solving, and poise seem lost to the brass that now resemble a pile-in to a clown car. They open Pandora’s box, pissing off a fanbase and losing much public support in another bout of poor timing having piggybacked the firing on their coach. All it takes is legal action to swath through the confusion and have hands forced league wide.