#FiveBoroughBucketList #1: Go to an Islanders Game

New York is home to about 43 professional sports teams. Ever since the New York Islanders left Long Island, they've called the Barclays Center home.

If you're a sports fan like I am, having so many teams in your backyard is a delight. The bigger delight is that none of these teams are named after jaguars.

Yes, this is not current now that the Jags are good but let me be.

When I started making this list, I knew I wanted to include some sporting events on it. However, there was one thing that I was completely unwilling to do - go to a Rangers game. Why?

I grew up in a house of Islanders fans. My dad and brother went to their games at the Coliseum all the time, and they always taught me to hate the Rangers. Therefore, the boys in blue will not be on this list. Yes, I know they're a better team. Shut up.

The cool thing about this game was that it coincided with my college's radio alumni night, so we got to see in the Honda Club. This was my first time going to the Barclays Center, and my first time seeing the Islanders since I was little. According to my parents, I went to the Nassau Coliseum, and I was so bored that I cried and made my family go home. Surely, this couldn't be true, right?

No, it's probably a true story. Hockey and I don't really mesh well, which is probably due in part to the fact that every arena is freezing cold because of the ice. This game was fun because I got to hang out with my friends, drink, and eat. We also got to do the YES! chant a bunch of times, since the Islanders scored 4 goals. My former boss even did an amazing thing and got my name up on the board during the 2nd period - SO COOL!

If I really tried to, I could probably give you some in-depth analysis about why the team lost (spoiler alert: they played badly), and why the Barclays is really lame (The Barclays Center is an interesting building that's probably amazing for concerts and basketball, but for hockey it doesn't work), but I'll spare you. This was one of those list items that I wanted to do, but seeing how hockey once (and still) bored me to tears, I guess it wasn't completely essential.

I do recommend catching a game if you're a fan of the sport - it's always fun to see a team play in person, especially since games look so much different in person than they do on TV, and you simply can't beat the energy of a live crowd.

Just don't go see the Rangers.