Once again --- Charles Wang is a lunatic

When I read this article about Rick DiPietro's new ludicrous 15-year contract, I thought I had stepped into a time warp. Exactly one year and one week ago, the New York Islanders offered goaltender Rick DiPietro a 15-year deal valued at over $67.5M. On September 6, 2005, I referred to that offer as "insanity" and "just plain loopy" DiPietro rejected the offer then, partly because of insurance complications. He would later sign a one year deal for $2.5 M. Today, they conned him into signing that exact same 15-year deal.

The Islanders, as I pointed out in that post last summer, didn't learn from the Alexi Yashin 10-year contract that is an albatross around their neck. Yashin is playing nowhere near the level of a 7.6 million dollar man, but they're stuck paying him that. They can't trade him, and they can't renegotiate the contract, and they'll have him until 2011.

Now they will be stuck paying DiPietro $4.5M for the next 15 years regardless of how (or even if he plays. 15 YEARS!!!

The league responded to the monstrosity by essentially throwing up their hands and saying "whatever"

''Clubs are free to make their own decisions within the confines laid out in the collective bargaining agreement and other applicable league rules,'' NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Canadian Press. ''Some decisions turn out well, others not so well. Time will tell whether this will be a good decision or a bad one for the Islanders.''

DiPietro will be the eighth highest paid goaltender in the league. His GAA of 3.02 last season placed him at 32nd in the league. His SV% of .900 placed him at 26th in the league. His 30 wins put him at 15th in the league.

Since he is guaranteed the money, there might be an issue with motivation. One GM, commenting anonymously to the Canadian Press suggested that the unproven youngster might sit there, knowing that he'll never need to prove himself, never need to "earn" a contract renewal. He may, as the GM suggests, simply bask in his windfall:

''How's he going to react to all this?,'' wondered one GM. ''He's never going to have another negotiation in his career, how motivated will he be? If this Rick DiPietro isn't a completely passionate athlete, he's going to sleep. He has to, that's just human nature."

Some others look at it more optimistically, saying that if he eventually becomes the second coming of Ken Dryden, the Islanders will have struck a good deal.

That, however, is a big if.

I don't get this at all. Last summer, when it didn't happen, I pleaded for an explanation of the offer. I never got an explanation. Again, I'll beg.

Somebody please explain this to me. I understand wanting to make him "an Islander for life" but there are other less risky, less idiotic ways to do that. We all know that Charles Wang wears the pants around there, and the GM position on Long Island is strictly figurehead. Therefore, I don't blame Garth Snow for this nonsense, just as I didn't blame Mike Milbury last summer. Is this a product of legally documented insanity, or is this something else? I sure as heck don't get it.