Standing side by side, there’s a big difference between legendary basketball star Shaquille O’Neal and Blue Line Deli owner Donald Rosner.
O’Neal stands 7-foot-1, has won four NBA World Championships and is a nationally beloved host and analyst on TNT’s “Inside The NBA”.
Rosner stands 6-foot-1 and is known for making blue and orange bagels as well as the many other culinary masterpieces at his deli in Huntington on Long Island.
They have been brought together by a hockey team and a new arena.
O’Neal and Rosner have joined forces to create a specialty sandwich that will be sold at UBS Arena at Belmont Park, the new home of the New York Islanders that is set to open a week from Saturday. Shaq is bringing his “Big Chicken” franchise to UBS Arena and there will be a sandwich available called “The Islander”. It will be Shaq’s chicken on a blue and orange bagel from Rosner’s Blue Line Deli.
“It means everything,” said Rosner at Thursday’s event at UBS Arena which also included a tour of the building. “It’s surreal. It’s unbelievable. It’s a dream. I’ve always been a Shaq fan. Who hasn’t been? The guy is a legend. Standing there with him…his company with mine…I’m definitely the lucky one. It’s just pretty cool.”
UBS Arena will be the second hockey arena that O’Neal is opening a “Big Chicken” location at having also opened one this season at Climate Pledge Arena, home of the expansion Seattle Kraken. Shaq was shown around UBS Arena on Thursday and then was part of the sandwich reveal in one of the lavish suites at the Islanders’ new home. Wearing a custom-made Islanders jacket with “O’NEAL 34” on the back, Shaq was impressed with the building even though there is still some work to do before the Islanders’ home opener on November 20th.
“It’s very impressive,” said O’Neal. “It’s one of the best arenas I’ve seen. Shout out to the men and women getting it done. Those guys deserve all of the credit. It’s not only a building…it’s a destination. Any place that’s a destination you’re going to have to have food. So, you want to give them something different. I’ve never seen a chicken sandwich at an arena. It was something that was definitely needed.”
And the sandwich?
“It’s really good,” said Shaq. “I’m kind of amazed how he can make them that pretty blue and (orange). It’s really good.”
“It’s amazing,” said Rosner who will have a Blue Line Deli location at UBS Arena. “It’s actually some of the best chicken I’ve ever had.”
During the tour, O’Neal also surprised some veterans who were invited by the Islanders on Veterans Day for a look at UBS Arena but also to unveil a “chair of honor”. Just before the unveiling, Shaq was introduced and he came over to meet the veterans and help them remove the covering to unveil the seat.
It was a big day for Shaq in terms of his company but also for the opportunity to thank some very special people for their service.
“Whenever I can see a veteran, I just like to tell them thank you,” said O’Neal. “Whether it’s out of respect for people who make it possible to live the way we live. They have a tough job. I’ve been to a lot of bases. I’ve been to the Walter Reed Hospital. Those guys…I just thank them. I do every time.”
Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, O’Neal does like hockey but he admittedly doesn’t know all of the rules of the game. While his TNT sidekick Charles Barkley is a huge and very knowledgeable hockey fan, Shaq does like to watch the sport, albeit specifically for one particular aspect.
“I like to see them fight,” said O’Neal. “I like watching, especially on TV. I like it during the playoffs. Charles is an avid hockey supporter. He knows a lot more.”
Shaq was born in Newark, New Jersey and the only NHL game he has ever seen in person was a New Jersey Devils game. They had a chance to reel him in, but they didn’t.
And that opened the door for Shaq to be a part of Islanders Country.
“(The Devils) made me a jacket that didn’t fit so I’m an Islander now,” said O’Neal. “I will definitely try to come back up for a game.”
And when he does make it back to Long Island for a game, he’ll be at a magnificent state-of-the art arena that the Islanders and their fans have been in search of for decades. It’s been a long and winding road for the franchise and the endless arena drama is finally coming to an end next week.
“I feel like we are the luckiest fan base,” said Rosner. “Islanders fans are very blessed and lucky right now. Worth the wait for sure.”
When 17,000 fans pack UBS Arena for the first time next Saturday, they’ll be cheering on the Islanders against the Calgary Flames but they’re also going to have some incredible amenities at the brand new building that they never even dreamed of having at Nassau Coliseum.
They certainly won’t go home hungry and a big part of that is because of Shaquille O’Neal and Donald Rosner.