The New York Islanders don't seem to be settling in all that comfortably to Brooklyn and the Barclays Center. Sightlines are an issue for fans, and some players have reportedly made a stink about being forced to take the LIRR from Long Island in to games and practices. But what happened Tuesday night during an Islanders home game between Islanders fans and Barclays Center security seems to highlight another, potentially worsening, issue with the current team-stadium marriage.
As Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo's Puck Daddy notes, a pair of Isles fans allegedly attempted to move to a restricted access area closer to the ice in order to take photos of a message - a message the fans apparently paid for, honoring their late father - displayed on the Jumbotron. Stadium security reacted swiftly and, some may say, with excess force. Here is a video of the incident as shot by a fan. Via Gotham Sports Network...
In the wake of this latest incident, Justin Weiss of ESNY put forth an argument that has been parroted all too often already this young NHL season - that the Barclays Center security needs to be revamped, and promptly. Weiss found further evidence of the issues at Barclays, in the form of a Facebook missive from one of the fans involved in the altercation on Tuesday...
"(Insert name) and I pitched in and paid $75 to get a message for the (Insert name) dad on the screen during second intermission, when we realized the 16 members of their family who were in attendance couldn't see the screen from their seats we suggested they goto the handicap area to just get a better view and come back up. We didn't think this would be an issue because when I sprained my ankle they allowed me to sit in the section without an ada ticket on multiple occasions for the entire game. Instead of understanding the situation security used this request as an excuse to abuse their power.
"Honestly I've never seen such mindless unwarranted violence from security at any other event, a woman security guard called (Insert name) sister a cunt and while her and I were standing together trying to get to her mom the she screamed "bitch I will cut you" right into (Insert name) face, she then proceeded to jump on top of (Insert name) throwing us both to the floor- she pulled (Insert name)'s hair, messed up her face pretty bad and also caused me to hit my head on the wall and floor of the hallway. She then proceeded to tell others around us that (Insert name) "deserved it". The security team then let the visibly injured (Insert name) lay on the floor as we propped her head up with peoples jackets waiting for emts. Thankfully the emts are not Barclays center employees and were very nice and documented everything- they are also willing to let us pick up a copy of the report at their office which is not at the arena. After being treated this way and seeing what they did to others including (Insert name) I don't think I can bring myself to go to a game any time soon. As a non season ticket holder the only way I can show them they can't act this way is by not giving them money, I'll be emailing the promotions department looking for a refund of the message board seeing as last night all I got was an offer for them to pick a different night for us to come back- what a joke."
This, of course, isn't the first time the Barclays Center security or the arena's policies - fans aren't allowed to attend warm-up skates, as is the custom in the league's 29 other venues - has come under scrutiny this season. Here's a CBS 2 piece detailing the issues that have cropped up this year...
As many have noted, there's a significant difference between Brooklyn Nets fans and Islanders fans. Islanders fans are predominantly white Long Islanders. Barclays Center employess are, by and large, black Brooklynites. The discrepancy seems to have caught the Barclays Center staff off guard and, along with frustrations over hours and pay for security, is likely adding to the mounting tensions.
"We're loud, we love our team, we love the Islanders, we're passionate about it. I feel they don't understand that. If they want to make it our home they have to make it more welcoming," Scott Wrba, an Islanders fan, told Tony Aiello of CBS.
Wrba went on to suggest that security seemed "uncomfortable" with the fans, some of whom claim that the employees simply "don't understand hockey culture."
As Aiello notes, last season at Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders played in front of a crowd that averaged 95 percent capacity. This season, at the smaller Barclays, that number is closer to 80.
"There was an altercation at the arena during Tuesday night's Islanders game when security guards tried to restrict access to unauthorized guests. We are investigating the incident and reviewing all videos and meeting with staff," Barclays Center spokesperson Barry Baum said in a statement, per CBS. "We have also notified the authorities. We are committed to the safety of our employees and guests. Any parties found to have acted inappropriately or in violation of our policies and of course the law will be dealt with accordingly."
