No. 119: New York Islanders
Ultimate Standings 2012
Last year's rank: 114
Title track: 98
Ownership: 119
Coaching: 119
Players: 101
Fan relations: 104
Affordability: 96
Stadium experience: 122
Bang for the buck: 81
The certainties of life are death, taxes and, in the case of our ultimate standings, the Islanders finishing dead last in stadium experience. Nassau Coliseum, which looks a lot older than its 40 years, ranks 122nd for the fourth straight season, a main reason the Islanders have had a triple-digit overall ranking every year since 2009. The old barn -- 16,234-seat capacity, second-smallest in the NHL -- does offer some great vantage points, but forget about modern amenities. "It's a cool place when it's crowded, but if you have to take a leak, you'll miss the first 10 minutes of the next period," says longtime Isles fan Jim Loesch, who attends about 20 games a season. A referendum to build a new arena was soundly defeated last summer, and owner Charles Wang says the team will not stay in the current facility past 2015, when his lease expires. Wang's threats of relocation no doubt contribute to another dismal ownership ranking this year, though it doesn't help that the team hasn't sniffed the playoffs in five years. The Isles are currently promoting a preseason game in Brooklyn, leading to talk that Barclays Center could be a future home for the franchise. "That just wouldn't be the same," Loesch says. "They would need a new uniform. They would have a whole new identity." And the problem is?
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2012 ULTIMATE STANDINGS
- 1. Oklahoma City Thunder
- 2. Green Bay Packers
- 3. San Antonio Spurs
- 4. Indiana Pacers
- 5. Memphis Grizzlies
- 6. Phoenix Coyotes
- 7. Tampa Bay Lightning
- 8. New Orleans Saints
- 9. Texas Rangers
- 10. Arizona Diamondbacks
- 11. Baltimore Ravens
- 12. Pittsburgh Steelers
- 13. New Jersey Devils
- 14. Nashville Predators
- 15. Los Angeles Angels
- 16. Tampa Bay Rays
- 17. St. Louis Blues
- 18. Houston Texans
- 19. Pittsburgh Penguins
- 20. Boston Celtics
- 21. Philadelphia 76ers
- 22. New England Patriots
- 23. Cincinnati Reds
- 24. Chicago Bulls
- 25. St. Louis Cardinals
- 26. Dallas Mavericks
- 27. Atlanta Braves
- 28. Carolina Hurricanes
- 29. Milwaukee Brewers
- 30. Detroit Red Wings
- 31. Miami Heat
- 32. Los Angeles Kings
- 33. Florida Panthers
- 34. Washington Nationals
- 35. Utah Jazz
- 36. San Francisco 49ers
- 37. Anaheim Ducks
- 38. Denver Broncos
- 39. Denver Nuggets
- 40. Carolina Panthers
- 41. Atlanta Falcons
- 42. Ottawa Senators
- 43. Arizona Cardinals
- 44. Seattle Seahawks
- 45. New Orleans Hornets
- 46. San Francisco Giants
- 47. Dallas Stars
- 48. New York Giants
- 49. Philadelphia Phillies
- 50. Cleveland Cavaliers
- 51. Houston Rockets
- 52. Detroit Tigers
- 53. Los Angeles Clippers
- 54. Pittsburgh Pirates
- 55. Philadelphia Flyers
- 56. Detroit Lions
- 57. Indianapolis Colts
- 58. Boston Bruins
- 59. Buffalo Bills
- 60. Buffalo Sabres
- 61. Los Angeles Dodgers
- 62. Kansas City Chiefs
- 63. New York Rangers
- 64. Baltimore Orioles
- 65. Jacksonville Jaguars
- 66. Cleveland Indians
- 67. Miami Marlins
- 68. Washington Capitals
- 69. Chicago White Sox
- 70. San Jose Sharks
- 71. Minnesota Timberwolves
- 72. Tennessee Titans
- 73. Philadelphia Eagles
- 74. Chicago Blackhawks
- 75. Kansas City Royals
- 76. Chicago Bears
- 77. Orlando Magic
- 78. Colorado Avalanche
- 79. Toronto Blue Jays
- 80. Detroit Pistons
- 81. Portland Trail Blazers
- 82. New York Yankees
- 83. Minnesota Twins
- 84. Phoenix Suns
- 85. Colorado Rockies
- 86. Dallas Cowboys
- 87. Minnesota Wild
- 88. Brooklyn Nets
- 89. Los Angeles Lakers
- 90. Houston Astros
- 91. Winnipeg Jets
- 92. Vancouver Canucks
- 93. New York Mets
- 94. Atlanta Hawks
- 95. San Diego Chargers
- 96. Oakland Raiders
- 97. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 98. Oakland Athletics
- 99. Seattle Mariners
- 100. Minnesota Vikings
- 101. Golden State Warriors
- 102. Cincinnati Bengals
- 103. Toronto Raptors
- 104. Milwaukee Bucks
- 105. New York Jets
- 106. Calgary Flames
- 107. Cleveland Browns
- 108. Washington Redskins
- 109. San Diego Padres
- 110. Miami Dolphins
- 111. Montreal Canadiens
- 112. Chicago Cubs
- 113. New York Knicks
- 114. Edmonton Oilers
- 115. St. Louis Rams
- 116. Columbus Blue Jackets
- 117. Boston Red Sox
- 118. Washington Wizards
- 119. New York Islanders
- 120. Charlotte Bobcats
- 121. Sacramento Kings
- 122. Toronto Maple Leafs
