Barclays Center CEO: Obstructed seats? Watch Islanders on phone
The New York Islanders’ move to Brooklyn has produced some extraordinarily tone deaf public relations moments, and the hits just keep on coming.
Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark spoke with Sports Illustrated about the team’s transition to Brooklyn, and as expected the topic of obstructed view seats came up. Here’s the exchange with writer Jeremy Fuchs:
JF: I have to ask about the obstructed view seats. There’s been a lot of criticism. How much have you heard from fans and is there any movement to change it?
BY: Our seating capacity is over 15,700. Within that capacity there’s a lot of great seats. Do we have some obstructed seats? Yes we do. Are fans aware of those obstructed seats before they purchase them? Yes they are. There’s really nothing we’re going to do from a capital improvement standpoint. You can watch the game on your mobile device. The game is on the scoreboard. There are many ways to view the game if you’re in one of those obstructed seats. We aren’t going to be able to change the seats in the building. That is what it is. But there are certainly other ways we can enhance the experience.
Let’s start with the obvious: Yes, it’s a gorgeous arena. Yes, there is plenty Barclays Center has going for it beyond a few hundred of the worst seats in the NHL. But this doesn’t change the fact that they are the worst seats in the NHL.
There are seats at Barclays in which the entire zone is obstructed, where skaters just disappear after crossing the blue line. And people pay money to sit there, rather than the Islanders paying them to do so.
But again, this is the CEO of the arena saying to Islanders fans: ‘Yes, we are aware that we have seats that aren’t being sold at two-thirds the price despite you only being able to see two-thirds of the ice. But suck it up, and stream the game on your phone. We have Wi-Fi! It’s great!’
Dan Saraceni of Lighthouse Hockey, meanwhile, is bummed that the seating issue probably means the Islanders aren’t getting an NHL All-Star Game anytime soon:
My personal feelings about Barclays Center haven't changed during the course of this season. I'm happy the team is out of the political Sarlaac Pit of Nassau, and in an arena that has mass transportation and a plan to actually pay the Islanders for playing there instead of the other way around. In my handful of games this season, I've been smart when buying tickets and used Barclays Center's website to get a view from my seats before buying them (as it was intended). I assume more people are getting used to it as the games go on.
But if you were hoping a new building would mean an opportunity for the Islanders to host their first All Star Game since 1983 (and New York's first since the game was at Madison Square Garden in 1994), it's probably not gonna happen.
But hey, Islanders fans: At least you’ll be able to watch that eventual All-Star Game in Newark on your phones!
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
