By ALAN SNEL
Vegas Golden Knights season ticketholders came to City National Arena to pick up their jerseys and membership gift boxes today and LVSportsBiz.com caught up with a hockey-loving retired couple from Las Vegas who bought season tickets for the franchise’s first three seasons. LVSportsBiz.com goes five questions with Pete and Barbara Landes, New York Islander fans who have been in Las Vegas for about 30 years. Pete is a retired corporate accountant and Barbara is a retired clerical employee.
Q: As you know, the Islanders were also once an expansion team that went through some tough seasons before they won four Stanley Cups in a row. Will you be able to survive going through another expansion team’s growing pains in the standings?
A: Pete, I’ve been an Islanders fan and a Mets fan from Day One. If I can’t handle a commitment through the lean years by now, then I never will.
Q: What about the rest of Las Vegas? Will Las Vegas be patient for the Golden Knights to be a winner?
A: Pete, That’s different. Las Vegas is very fickle and likes only winners.
Q: How has owner Bill Foley done so far?
A: Pete, I am very impressed with his personal commitment to Las Vegas. Look at those two ice rinks. All types of people are using the rinks. Kids, the pros. He’s done an impressive job.
Q: Is there anything he can improve on?
A: Pete, The Cox deal. I sent an email to the executive offices saying that I will be very unhappy if I can only watch the 41 regular season games in person and not be able to see the Golden Knights on TV for the other away games. I told him that, ‘This community has been very supportive of you. Now it’s time you are supportive of the community and get this Cox deal done.’
(LVSportsBiz.com note: TV broadcast rights holder AT&T SportsNet and Cox are negotiating and Foley told LVSportsBiz earlier this week that he is confident that an agreement will be made before the regular season.)
Q: How excited are you for the Golden Knights to play their first official game?
A: Pete, I can’t wait for the season to start.
LVSportsBiz.com founder/writer Alan Snel can be reached at asnel@LVSportsBiz.com.