Customer Reviews

Walking Together Forever: The Broad Street Bullies, Then and Now

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During the 70s I was a rabid New York Ranger fan and hated the Broad Street bullies with a passion. My biggest thrill was seeing Dave Schultz get his clock cleaned (which unfortunately didn't happen too often). Consequently I approached this book with a little trepidation since I was expecting a Stan Fischler type of read promoting the Flyers as a flawless group of men who put everything together for a few years and then rode off into the glorious sunset. This book is anything but that. The players and their coach are exposed with all their warts. Divorce, death in the family, alcoholism, depression and getting screwed by the organization are shown to be every bit part and parcel of the NHL player as they are the man on the street. I came away with a new found respect for these players who for years represented for me everything that is evil in the National Hockey League. (The exception being Bobby Clarke who proves what a jerk he is by freely admitting that he intentionally broke the ankle of a star Russian player just to get him off the ice).

Highly recommended for hockey fans who fondly remember this era of slam-bang hockey without face shields and few helmets.

Being from Delaware County (Springfield) and having grown up with the repeated disappointments of our hometown teams throughout my youth, it was such a capivating experience to live through and always remember the Stanley Cup years of the mid seventy's. I played hockey because I loved the Flyers and I celebrated with everyone else hoisting my ceramic Flyers mug and toasted the historical event that helped to transform Philly sports. The book bought back many wonderful memories and it was as if I was standing there watching it all unfold again. I loved it and it bought many smiles and great memories back home again. Truly Fred Shero was right on (saying of the day in the 70's) when he said, "Win today and we walk together forever". What a team, what a coach and what a terrific memory.