Whenever I’m wearing my Islanders colors, I get funny looks. I get a lot of, ‘boo Islanders’ or ‘go Devils/Rangers’ (they’re interchangeable around here). Sometimes someone will actually stop and rather than hassle me, ask me if I’m from Long Island. When I say no, I get the strange looks and then the question: why the New York Islanders?
Why my love for this team started has a simple answer. My dad is an Islanders fan and I used to watch games with him. How it grew in me is an entirely different answer.
I didn’t see the Islanders win any of their Cups.