Hey Blockhead - A Microcosm of NVMC

I'm going to start off by saying that this is my first season with "full season tickets" and I'm really enjoying this investment. I have a seat and to my right, my friend John has a seat. We often sit in each other's seats, but not on each other's laps. We picked these seats out based upon the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (hereafter known as NVMC) seating chart, not by visiting the seats.


Home Game #3 versus the Dallas Stars. John and I came back to our seats after our ritual cigarette, bathroom stop, and beverage run. I end up in John's seat and he sits in my seat. After a minute or two, John turns to me and says something to the effect of 'this seat sucks, it feels like a spring is going up my a**'



Fast forward to Home Game # 6 (11/1/08) versus Les Canadien de Montréal. John has been nice enough to give me his ticket for my cousin Sean, who is flying in from Montréal for the game and the weekend. The Habs fans were out in force on this Saturday night. My estimate would be approximately 3500. In a good natured attempt to irritate my cousin Sean, whenever the Habs fans would start their chants, I would shout "you people are French and nobody cares". Sean tells me at one point that he likes the view from my seats, but that it feels like he has a spring going up his a**. I told Sean that my friend John said the same thing, but that I had not noticed it myself. I made a mental note to contact my ticket rep about this.

I sent my ticket representative an email on Sunday night 11/2/08 about the seat issue. The next morning I received an email response from an Islanders employee who informed me that my old ticket rep was no longer with the organization and that he was the assistant to my new ticket rep. He went on to tell me that "I will forward the seat issue along to the Game Operations department so they can get the building to correct the problem." I did not attend the home game that night.

Home Game #8 was on Saturday 11/8/08 versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. As me and John were entering our row, I immediately noticed a change. My seat is number "13". Instead there was a brand spanking new looking seat cushion with a number plate that read "4". I was amused about the number plate issue, but to this day I am enjoying my new seat cushion immensely. (Notice the color differential in fabrics and the dripping stain on John's seat.) As the number plate still reads "4", I'm waiting for the game when someone insists that their ticket is for section 3**, Row F, Seat 4 and that this is their seat. I'll have some fun with that I'm sure.

Fast forward to Home Game # 19 (1/13/09) versus the First Galactic Empire (hhmm... I mean the New York Rangers). For this game, I have purchased two extra tickets. John went to the game and he sat with the Kaiser in our regular seats. The extra two tickets were for myself and my Dad. We sat directly behind the Kaiser and John (Section 3**, Row G, Seats 12 +13). As soon as I sat down, I commented to my Dad and Hilbert Girl, that my seat felt like it was collapsing and that it was leaning down to the left (Hilbert Girl sits in Row G, Seat 14. John and I nicknamed her this for the vitriol that used to issue from her mouth towards Andy Hilbert at the beginning of the season. She has since come around about Andy and now comments about how good Jeff Tambelini looks in a suit as opposed to an Islanders sweater. I really should know her name at this point, but I don't and would not use it here anyway.)

We move four days later to Home Game #21 versus the New Jersey Devils. There were numerous Devils fans in our section and you could hear them making comments about NVMC. During the second period, John and I are trading quips with Hilbert Girl and her friend about the condition of our "old barn". Hilbert Girl's friend makes a comment about how their seats are being propped up by wood blocks. I think that he is joking and laugh at what seems to be an amusing anecdote about the condition of NVMC. A few seconds later, I turn my head and see that their seats are indeed being propped up by wood blocks.

To this day, Hilbert Girl's seats are still being propped up by wooden blocks. As noted above, when I contacted the organization about the issue with my seat, it was corrected very quickly. I will suggest to her that she contact her ticket rep and ask them to "permanently" fix whatever the issue with her seats.

I hope you've enjoyed my little story and my own experience with the "old barn".