More Comic Hijinks from the Funniest Franchise in Sport

Those madcap New York Islanders have done it again!

Barely a month into the job, Neil Smith has been fired as general manager and - get this - replaced by the back-up goalie! Too good!

Just a few weeks ago, it looked like hockey's longest running farce might be winding down. The Worst General Manager in the World was supplanted by a new management team, and there was much talk of a "new and different way" of doing business. Some even feared that the Islanders might want to be taken seriously.

Fear not. The zany troupe that brought us the Funniest Contract Ever can still bring the house down. Today, owner Charles "Wacky" Wang delivered a series of zingers, getting the biggest laughs when he described goaltending mediocrity Garth Snow as a guy who "knows the league as well as anyone."

(To be fair, Snow probably knows the NHL as well as anyone with an .886 save percentage and no management experience.)

It's a great day for comedy. The skeptics are silenced and the side-splitting yucks just keep on coming. The Islanders we know and love are back. How foolish we were to doubt them.

Quote of the Day: One Isles' fan says Snow is off to a great start as general manager: "His first move was to get rid of the aging back up who couldnt win a game last year." See more comments from Islander fans here. Thanks to Off Wing Opinion for the link.

Postscript: One more Wang-ism from today's press conference: "Despite Neil's commitment to me that he could work in this environment, he later expressed to me on a number of occasions his philosophical opposition to our business model. In light of our differences, I felt that I had no choice but to make this decision in the best interests of the Islanders and our fans."
How can you not love this guy?

Postscript II: It seems the Islander "business model" doesn't suit Pat LaFontaine either. LaFontaine has resigned. So coach Ted Nolan is the last man standing from the big press conference 40 days ago.