NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Islanders owner Charles Wang had every right to publicly claim last weekend that he regrets buying the financially ailing club eight years ago.
“He regrets buying the team because he never thought it would take this long to get a new arena,” an emotional Bettman said after a Wall Street Journal symposium featuring the four major-sports commissioners. “And his stamina, both emotionally and financially, is to be admired. I don’t blame him. There’s no dispute the Islanders need a new arena and it is something that has to be addressed. It’s frustrating to everybody involved in the process. They’re not going to stay in the Nassau Coliseum a minute longer than they have to.”
Bettman said the NHL has not checked out Kansas City, not yet. The Isles have scheduled a preseason game in Kansas City, which is dying for a team.
“He’s not looking to get out of town,” Bettman said. “He’s looking to get a new arena and he’s at some point going to have to explore his options.”
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Overheard at the symposium was one prominent sports executive begging Jets owner Woody Johnson to go after embattled quarterback Michael Vick. Johnson laughed.
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NBA commish David Stern, coming off the Tim Donaghy scandal, spoke most forcefully on his concerns about the growth of sports betting. “It’s an issue over the next decade we have to deal with as a country and as a sports league,” Stern said.
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell scoffed at the notion that adding games to the regular-season schedule in exchange for a shortened preseason promotes injuries. “We’re trying to improve the quality of what we do by taking those preseason games away. The fans do not find them interesting.” . . . Goodell was quiet on the report that Brett Favre will talk to the Vikings about un-retiring: “It’s a decision Brett will have to make along with whatever team decides to sign him.”