After Rangers/Islanders game, cursing crowds, fights, drumming, and chanting; "aggressive illegal parking"

OK, I've previously reported on surprisingly low attendance for hockey games at the Barclays Center and accounts of brief loudness and rowdiness outside the arena after some games.

But last night's game against the crosstown rival New York Rangers was expected to be a sellout, which it was, and to trigger rowdier behavior.

Which it did, including a police response.

According to this post on Atlantic Yards Watch, Rowdy crowds after Islanders/Rangers game include profane chants and two fights, the rowdiness encompassed not merely the arena plaza, but also contiguous blocks, namely Fifth Avenue, where there are several bars:

As fans exited the arena after the Rangers/Islanders game, many stayed on the plaza to chant for the Islanders, including a group [see video below] by a man beating a drum. At :50 in the video they begin chanting "F- the Rangers" and giving the finger. This went on for some time and was more or less brought to an end by a fight involving several men. A group of police officers tamed the atmosphere moments afterward. 

Many fans filled a popular bar on 5th Avenue, drumming and chanting from the rooftop open space before the game and spilling out onto the sidewalk after the game. At one point, several men began throwing punches and yelling at each other, tumbling out into the traffic lane. A 911 call brought some patrol cars and peace.
Crowds at several other bars formed on the sidewalk before and after the game, many of which chanted team cheers intermittantly.

That surely won't happen after every game, but it suggests that arena managers and the New York Police Department should be better prepared.



Aggressive illegal parking

Another report on Atlantic Yards Watch cited Aggressive illegal limo parking on 5th Avenue for Rangers/Islanders game and noted that a Traffic Enforcement Agent (TEA) took no action:

Not one but three cars parked IN THE TRAFFIC LANE by the former Triangle Sports, which is clearly marked "No Parking" (duh- there is only a single traffic lane there; all northbound traffic had to travel in the southbound lane) as well as a hydrant. See photo below. One was a yellow cab, one a white stretch limo (NY 21758 BP), and one a big black SUV actually straddling the crosswalk, on the Dean St. corner. (See 2nd picture, below, showing how it blocked traffic coming up Dean as well as pedestrians). A TEA directing traffic on the corner essentially said he would not ask them to leave (his language was hard to understand).

Many other parking offenses were found, including 2 parked in the No Standing zone at 446C Dean and the Bergen Street bus stop just above 5th Avenue.