Email from reader Matt:
Kyle,
Season ticket holders got this email yesterday. I am not going to get into if I agree or disagree with what was said over the weekend by you, other bloggers or sports casters about the Ray Emery fight or continued culture of the 70’s bullies, but I think everyone in their 20’s and 30’s can agree on is we are pretty tired of that being our only rallying point. I am proud to say my family has been ticket holders since the days of the Spectrum, but now that the younger generation is starting to buy more tickets and has more influence, something has to change. I still remember being at so many deflating playoff games and at Stanley cup games (including the game loss to the Blackhawks) and nothing sucks more than us continuing down that path and hanging onto those 70’s bullies. Maybe having Ron Hextall here, who did help rebuild the Kings into a Cup team is a step in the right direction. Yet until those big changes happen, the younger generation is just going to get more and more restless and frustrated at this continued belief in a past we do not remember and can hardly embrace.
Could not agree more with Matt.* To me, as a 30-year-old, Eric Lindros, John LeClair, Eric Desjardins, Keith Primeau, Mark Recchi, hell, even Brent Fedyk, mean more than a bunch of guys I’ve seen in documentaries and read about in books. Don’t get me wrong, the history of any team should be celebrated. I thought the Alumni Game was every bit as good as the Winter Classic, because it was surreal seeing Parent and Clarke on the same ice as Lindros and LeClair. I had never seen those other guys suit up in person. But the Flyers have to realize that the people who care and salivate over the Bullies are disappearing every day. No other local team does this sort of thing to the degree the Flyers do. The Phillies have replaced 1980 with 1993 and, now, 2008. The Eagles have replaced 1980 with Donovan McNabb, Brian Dawkins and Brian Westbrook. The Sixers have replaced Dr. J with Allen Iverson. But the Flyers just keep trotting out the Bullies. And never mind the fact that they’re doing so with the Red Sox personal house band. Yuck.
*It’s for charity, yeah. But it’s not just about this one event. It’s a culture thing.
30 Responses
Fuck this team.
FACE
I think I just threw up in my mouth
Nothing wrong with celebrating the Bullies. They had some awesome teams and have been the only ones to hoist the Cup in this City. One can be both a fan of the original Broad Street Bullies teams and still think the team should change its philosophy now in modern times. The two aren’t contradictory.
I grew up watching those teams from the 70s and I appreciate them greatly. Problem is, the franchise beats you over the head with this day in and day out. They put up a statue to the Cup teams just last season. Now this. Couldn’t they have waited and made it an all-encompassing event?
Why do they have a banjo in that band? I understand that it is a traditional Irish four string banjo but it acts as more of a prop for their “autenticity” since they keep it so far back in the mix. Basically, it simply adds to the aura of the band but really adds nothing to the sonic output. They just trot it out to say, “Hey, look at how Irish we really are!”
(Yes, I am using this as a metaphor for the Bullies relationship to the current squad)
Kyle. You should have another byob tailgate this Saturday on the bright side their having it a bullies not Victory hall were all that fat slobs work
The Murphy’s are a great punk/irish folksy type band….that being said, they are Boston to a T….the fuck?
Why would they have them celebrate the Bullies? Philly? I don’t get it
They open their set with “For Boston” for fucks sake
Get Hall and Oates to play…or the Bacon Brothers haha
also, Kyle, aside from the hipster trash you probably listen to…check out these bands….The Menzingers, Red City Radio, The Flatliners, A Wilhelm Scream, Boysetsfire….The Menzingers are from Scranton and Boysetsfire are from Delaware, you’ll thank me…or just disregard like the golf tourney that will never happen
why the hell aren’t they doing anything for the turn of the century players? fuck if it was with them and not with a band that only sings about Boston i may be there. as mentioned, no other team rolls out their 60-80 year old alumni to rip every last penny out of willing fans.
#idiots
When someone in their early 40s qualifies as “the younger generation” who can’t properly appreciate the constant celebrations and number-retirings you put on to keep your fans’ morale up, it’s a sign that you’re a wrinkled old fuck who needs to be thrown into open sunlight to burn away.
First, the Drop Kick Murphys would be enough to keep me away! Second, even though I remember this exciting two year period and the euphoria the city was in over that beloved team, it was 40 years ago and there has been nothing to celebrate since. The fact that they keep rolling out “The Cup Years” (2) is pretty pathetic. In the not too distant future it will mean less and less. Snider is an out of touch old fart.
Is this being held at an assisted living facility?
My neighbor has a 1975 flyers Stanley cup tat on his calf. lol
Add another decade in there. I’m 40, and I don’t remember a damn thing from the Stanley Cup teams. I was like 3. My memories are that of Brian Propp, Tim Kerr, Dave Poulin, and Mark Howe. Those were some awesome teams consistently good and in the playoffs and finals (Daigneault??) Why aren’t THOSE teams ever celebrated much less the Lindros/LeClair teams? There are entire ERAS of Flyers history that are ignored. Can you even imagine the percentage of current Flyers fans under 40 compared to those over 40, especially considering the ones spending the money on merch and purchasing online?
This is a great idea Flyers mgmt!
But don’t stop with the Fossil-brigade (seriously if you’re a STH how many times have you seen these dudes trotted out while waving gently into space?). Bring back The Hulk, who jumped on the bandwagon after a few-game winning streak a decade ago….and don’t forget our Good Luck Charm Sly Stallone. BONUS: This will mark the first-ever Broad&Pat appearance for ‘Rocky’ where our team didn’t promptly shit the bed within 3 hours.
Yea, count me in.
Talk about living in the past(LOL).
Time to move on Mr. Snyder. The Steel Curtain, Bash Brothers, The Bad Boys are all things of the past, but the Flyers keep shoving the Bullies down the city’s throat.
It’s that time of the month again! The 70’s era flyers are like this organizations PMS. It seems once a month they have to bleed out all over the fucking place with the “bullies”, we get it, no really, WE FUCKING GET IT.
History ?
Clarke broke the ankle of the Russian captain Kharmalov.
I saw Shultz break Keith Magnusons jaw.
I watched Bernie stop shots like a ninja game 7 vs the Rangers.
Hextall taking Gretsky and the Oilers to a game 7 Stanley Cup.
You honor the men who have worn the jersey before you.
Right there with ya Mr. Tru, I and many others recall all that as well.
But seriously, how many times since have you seen the team “honor the jersey” via appearances by those same 5 guys? I’m counting at least 30 times each, and I miss a lot of team shit. Christ, during the Hextall game 7 you mentioned, I remember live cut-aways to all the other guys you mentioned watching the game (on WGBS-57, the only station showing the game in Philly).
It’s not their fault nobody ’round here’s closed the deal since then. But the constant parading of these guys out for every last orchestrated self-promo has served to cheapen the “honoring” aspect, at least in IMHO. (yea a guy who remembers ’74 just wrote IMHO, mutherfuckers)
Anyone know if this Richie Incognito guy can skate?
This was awesome. Great comment +1
YEAH BABY!!!! The Broad street BULLIES BABY!!!!!
This is what I’m talking about… FLYER HOCKEY!!!
Lets do it baby.
For his encore to this blast from the past Ed Snyder is going to relaunch Prism
just like the ’72 Dolphins….
Prism with the soft porn.
Couldn’t agree more regarding the “Red Sox personal house band”. Seeing the Dropkick Murphy’s on the bill was the first thing that jumped out at me. Way to bring in a Boston band for the event.
I hate ed snider with a passion
If only we had a basketball team with good ownership, a sharp gm, a great new coach, and an exciting style of play centered around a player enjoying one of the best debuts in history.
Grantland is doing a better job covering the Sixers than you guys.
What I’m tired of is the national media treating the Flyers like they always have been, and always will be, the Broad Street Bullies. In reality, they haven’t been that team for a couple decades. Why do they keep treating them like that? BECAUSE THE FLYERS THEMSELVES KEEP PERPETUATING THE IMAGE (thru marketing, not on the ice) AND WON’T LET IT F—ING GO!!!!
I’m a big Flyers fan, and a partial season ticket holder, and I’m going to say something I’ve never said before – I’m starting to resent that team (’73-’75).
I don’t agree. Look at:
http://www.mumbrella.asia/2017/01/problem-spoilt-demanding-millennials-youre-just-becoming-grumpy-old-fart/
Sincerely, Mariam
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