“Always Believe.”
This quote has seemingly become part of the New York Islanders’ identity over time. That is due in large part to Patrick Dowd, better known amongst Islanders fans as “Sign Guy.” Normally positioned right behind the glass, Dowd can be seen at nearly every Islanders home game holding up custom-made signs of various sayings meant to help cheer and motivate his favorite team forward.
“I was at the first game ever at the [Nassau] Coliseum in 1972 with my dad,” Dowd said. “I went into the Coliseum to watch my team play. That night, they ended up losing, but I became a fan, and I never looked back.”
While Dowd was a fan for over 30 years before he made his first sign, it was a very rare occurrence that sparked him to even make a sign to begin with. The 2004-05 NHL season never occurred due to a lockout. Since AHL games were still happening at the time of the lockout, Dowd’s then eight-year-old daughter gave him an idea that would turn into his passion.
“My daughter Mackenzie asked, ‘Dad how come we’re not going to games?’” Dowd said. “I said it was because they had a strike and explained to her what that meant. So she asked me one day, ‘Dad, why don’t you bring a sign saying you’ll play for free? You want to show the ownership that you’d play for free since you love the game. So we started making signs, but that was the first time I started making them.”
It didn’t take long for Dowd’s signs to pick up steam. It was that night at Nassau Coliseum that people began taking notice of what Dowd had to say.
“It was that night where people began to come up to me and say, ‘Hey man, you’re speaking the truth.’” Dowd said. “You’re speaking what you feel, and you’re speaking what people want to hear. The team was really lousy back then, so I didn’t always bring the most inspiring signs. But once I had the feeling that this team was going to be ok, I brought the always believe sign.”
For every “Smoked Canadian Bacon, ” “Capital Punishment,” and “Philly Cream Cheesed” sign that Dowd makes, he makes another of his signature “Always Believe” signs. For the Islanders, that message speaks to the team they are cheering on. But for Dowd, the message he has created transcends hockey and goes far beyond the ice.
“It’s more than just hockey,” Dowd said. “It’s about life. It’s about having belief in any situation that you go through, good or bad, thick or thin. In the Islanders’ case, it’s about having faith that you can win a game no matter what happens. It’s an impactful sign because it has so many different meanings to so many different people.”
Despite having no real artistic background, Dowd saw the signs as an opportunity to send a message to both fans and the rest of the NHL using an avenue that not many people take. NHL arenas tend to be loud. However, Dowd’s signs speak louder than UBS Arena after a goal.
“It’s about writing something out as short as I can with a quick message,” Dowd said. “Of course, when you try to shout it out in front of 16,000 fans, it’s never going to happen. But, if you write it out, a lot of people can see it.”
For Dowd, one of the best parts of the Islanders is the tight-knit community of the fanbase, and to him, it was no surprise that they embraced the Islanders with open arms.
“Long Island is a tight-knit community to begin with,” Dowd said. “The Islanders are the only professional sports franchise on the island. They are a team that brings people together. There’s just this passion on Long Island with this team and something about this team: people come to root for this team, win or lose.
Dowd can be found at nearly every Islander game, alongside his daughter Logan, motivating the Islanders and their fans to always believe in their team.
