Buys and Sells: Is a Winter Classic Right for Yankee Stadium?

This week in Buys and Sells, we're going to take a look at one of the big issues of the week -- playing hockey at Yankee Stadium. It's a special one topic edition! Remember, if you collect four Buys and Sells UPC codes and mail them in, you'll receive your choice of either a Eric McErlain or Greg Wyshynski signed bobblehead figurine.* Jes Golbez and other NHL FanHousers sold separately.

Strong sell: Baseball traditionalists trashing on a hockey game at Yankee stadium. Get over it. This is a sport so heaped in "tradition" and the "how we've always done things" kind of attitude that it's sickening. I love the sport. I like baseball games, baseball writers, baseball players and fans. They're a great bunch. But when it comes to tradition and baseball, that's where I draw the line because most of them are completely ridiculous. Did you know one of the most brilliant marketing/ticket selling ideas of our time -- I'm talking of course about interleague play -- took nearly 90 years to implement because it was seen as too radical. Brought up first by Bill Veeck Sr. in 1909, it wasn't until 1997 that it was put into action. And for those worried about the sanctity of Yankee Stadium, you know, that it might be a mockery to play another sport there, let's not forget that it used to host soccer and football games back in the day. And after so many renovations -- enough so it that the Yankees played two seasons in Shea -- it's about as close to the real Yankee Stadium as Michael Jackson is to the kid who sang "ABC". /end rant

Hold: And that brings me to my next point -- the game might not be such a great idea anyway. As we're talking about the Rangers playing at Yankee Stadium, let's discuss if it's actually a good idea. In general, it seems like it would probably work out as well as the last winter classic. My concerns are more logistical than anything else. It New York City which isn't always cold even in January. If you thought there were problems with the ice in Buffalo, wait till you get to NYC and one of those 45 degree days in the middle of winter. "Slush" would be the operative term. All in all I would imagine it would work out well, but the sightlines could also be an issue. In an oval such as a football stadium it works easily, but I'm just not sure how it would work out in a baseball park, being oddly shaped and all. But that could leave for seating to be added at ice level. Either way, I'll just wait and see on this one.

Buy: Keeping the Islanders out of it. Now there are a lot of people out there upset at the idea that the Islanders, who apparently came up with the idea, will be kept out of any game at Yankee Stadium. As an Islander fan myself, of course I would love to see it. From the business standpoint of the league does it make sense? Not really. First off, you don't want to sell the game to only one market, even if it is the biggest in North America. TV ratings would go through the floor. Secondly, New York is a successful hockey market with a catch ... Only when teams are winning. If the Rangers and Islanders both stink, no one is going to want to see them play outdoors in the the middle of February except for the die-hards. Let's also not forget that the Islanders have the worst attendance in the league this season, averaging 13,501 fans per game. I'll be the first to say it, even thought the team stinks, we still don't deserve it. Yes, the arena is small so we'll never be in the top half in attendance, but that doesn't mean we still shouldn't be able to fill the place especially with how well they played early on.

* - Offer not valid in the Milky Way Galaxy.