Now That's A Serious Looking Contract

We don't mean to imply that there's a possibly new New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow — shown here on a "scouting trip" — might not necessarily be ready for life in a board room, considering just last year he was the team's backup goalie.

But he might have pulled the biggest doozy today: He has signed Rick DiPietro — the guy he himself was backing up just last year — to a 15-year contract. That's right: 15 years. It's $4.5 million a year ... for 15 years.

It's the longest contract in NHL history, and the second-longest in American professional sports history, behind Magic Johnson's 25-year, $25 million with the Lakers in 1981, which, now that we look at it, doesn't seem all that great a deal at all. DiPietro is guaranteed the whole $65 million even if he gets hurt; at the end of the contract, he will be 40. Or three years older than Garth Snow, right now.

DiPietro An Isle For Life [SportsNet] Who Knew Strange Things Happened In Long Island? [Deadspin]

(By the way, with the Islanders, this very well could have been negotiated by insane owner Charles Wang himself, which wouldn't be that surprising.)

(UPDATE: It looks like the NHL is considering not approving the deal.)