No thanks at Thanksgiving.

• Author: Barrett, Wayne M.

Cynicism is supposed to take a holiday at Thanksgiving, and last year it did, as this space was devoted to the priceless memories that are a wonderful perk of making a living in the press box. The past 12 months, however, have been a particularly sour time.

Ticket prices go up, up, up. Talk about nerve. Coming off a season in which they were swept by their arch rivals, the New York Rangers, in one of the most one-sided four-game playoff series in NHL history, the New York Islanders were even worse in 1994-95, failing to make the playoffs. Nevertheless, the Isles raised ticket prices this year. Well, that's one way to pay for their new (ugly) uniforms. The Rangers, however, are no better. With the cost of their season tickets already requiring a second mortgage, the Broadway Blueshirts again have upped prices. Keep in mind that the Rangers qualified for the last playoff spot with a losing record, and easily were swept aside by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the post-season. It's one thing for championship clubs to exact their pound of flesh, but when losing teams up the ante, something is seriously amiss.

The lease is up (well, at least we say it is). For years, one word and one word alone has been the ultimate anathema to sports franchise owners: "renegotiate." Athletes would sign lucrative, long-term guaranteed contracts and, before the ink was dry, would demand they be ripped up and replaced by an even sweeter deal. Everyone but the spoiled brat stars wanting more money was outraged. Well, the owners now are playing their own outrageous game, called "ignore the lease."

No sooner had the New Jersey Devils won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history last spring then team owner John McMullen was threatening to move the team to Memphis, Tenn., even though his lease runs into the 21 st century. And no sooner had McMullen secured more favorable terms from East Rutherford, N.J.'s Byrne Arena then the Islanders were screaming not for a new lease, but a new building, claiming the taxpayer-built Nassau Coliseum, which is a mere 23 years old, only held 16,000-plus fans and didn't have enough luxury boxes. This from a team that barely averages 10,000 fans a game and only sells out when the hated Rangers come to town.

Of course, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is an old story when it comes to demanding: first, a new lease and expanded parking for a ballpark that taxpayer dollars bought for him in 1976, and now, a brand...