Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Bernie, Bunny, Bundy, Monday Quick Hits

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Bernie, Bunny, Bundy, Monday Quick Hits
- bmeltzer

outstanding as usual

outstanding as usual
- watsonnostaw

x2

I agree with your assessment of Bernie Parent. I did not get to see him play during his career. I did get to see him play in the Alumni game. Bernie absolutely stole the show. From the respect he received from the Rangers players to the love he received from the Flyers fans young and old.

I like Chase Utley but he is not nearly as approachable or charismatic as Bernie.

Hell, that entire Dos Equis "Most Interesting Man in the World" ad campaign very easily could have substituted the real-life Bernie Parent for the actor in the ads. There's a Parent story for just about all occasions and it's usually something hilarious or a bit off-color in a non-offensive sort of way. When the subject turns back to hockey and goaltending, he still has a lot of wisdom and insight to offer.

Agreed, Bill.

Stay horny, my friends. --The Most Interesting Man in Philadelphia
Bernie Parent
http://www.philly.com/phi...al_on_Valentines_Day.html

I agree with your assessment of Bernie Parent. I did not get to see him play during his career. I did get to see him play in the Alumni game. Bernie absolutely stole the show. From the respect he received from the Rangers players to the love he received from the Flyers fans young and old.

I like Chase Utley but he is not nearly as approachable or charismatic as Bernie.
- mickel25

Bernie 2 championships > Utley 1 championship

Marcus Hayes has no business cashing paychecks as a working sports writer.

I don't care what his academic credentials are, with respect to journalism.

who is bernie madoff?
maybe he played goalie for the saskatoon blades?

Bundy is a pretty funny guy on twitter.

who is bernie madoff?
maybe he played goalie for the saskatoon blades?
- Marc D

Other than Jimmy Rollins' 2007 season, Bernie Madoff is the other man responsible for the downfall of the NY Mets.

bundy is reportedly suiting up for the flyers this year, four games against the devils only

he'll be on jagr like glue

I think the loss of Matt Carle is felt both in his ability to move the puck, his outlet passes and his ability to fill the resident position of whipping boy. As of now that position is to be held by either Coburn or Meszaros... I don't think there is currently a clear favorite yet.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Bernie, Bunny, Bundy, Monday Quick Hits
- bmeltzer

great blob, bill. hayes is a dolt. i've had my own run-ins with him before. not surprised by his latest display of genius.

Bill, I think you're over thinking things on Bundy.

People I know got on him for one reason; he wasn't as mean or as physical as people like to see out of defense men his size.

When you play a sport with size and you don't use it, that tends to draw negative attention.

It's the same negative attention that pure power hitters in baseball deal with when they strike out too much.

(frank) Marcus Hayes, have a good day.

Bill, I think you're over thinking things on Bundy.

People I know got on him for one reason; he wasn't as mean or as physical as people like to see out of defense men his size.

When you play a sport with size and you don't use it, that tends to draw negative attention.

It's the same negative attention that pure power hitters in baseball deal with when they strike out too much.
- johndewar

He was physical when he needed to be, IMO. He wasn't Luke Richardson by any means, but he also had a lot more mobility going for him. Bundy could have some brain cramps on the ice at times, but all in all, I usually felt pretty confident he'd hold his own.

I agree with your assessment of Bernie Parent. I did not get to see him play during his career. I did get to see him play in the Alumni game. Bernie absolutely stole the show. From the respect he received from the Rangers players to the love he received from the Flyers fans young and old.

I like Chase Utley but he is not nearly as approachable or charismatic as Bernie.
- mickel25

This.

You can see Bernie just about anywhere in the Delaware Valley.

Chase Utley moves out to the West coast in the off season and will probably live there when he retires.

Not a knock on Chase Utley (easily, my favorite Philly) but Bernie has been part of the Philly sports landscape for decades and made this area his home.

If Utley is responsible for anything, it's the preponderance of people naming their sons "Chase" from 2006 till the present.

who is bernie madoff?
maybe he played goalie for the saskatoon blades?
- Marc D

He plays defense in the state penitentiary. He's losing.

There are millions of people in the region who wouldn’t know Marcus Hayes from Marcus Welby, M.D.

Who would get your vote as the most unfairly maligned Flyers player of all-time?
- bmeltzer

Roman Cechmanek

I'd love to hear that discussion

Roman Cechmanek
- Flyskippy

i think he was kind of like Bryz in that he brought a lot of it on himself.

Great piece on Bernie, Bill. I have known "Ben" personally for more than 40 years now (we are both the same age) and couldn't agree more. He is a truly magical personality. Mr. Hayes is entitled to his own opinion, of course, but the key to being the most popular living Philadelphia figure is does that popularity endure after retirement which in Bernie's case is certainly true. I think it is fair to say that the late Richie Ashburn held that title for many years after he stopped playing for the Phillies and became a broadcaster. (I remember him as both.)

Mr. Utley may be popular now and should be, but when he retires will he stay here and be an integral part of this community for the rest of his life? The fact that he does not to stay here in baseball's off season probably means that he will not. Many of the Flyers of the Stanley Cup years (Bernie, Clarkie, the Wastons, Hound, Bird, Hammer, Little "O", Otto, Arnie, Rifle, Hawk, et al) still live here (Philly/New Jersey) and have become life long Philadelphians. How many retired Phillies, Eagles, or 76'ers can you say that about. Not many to be sure.

When Bernie stepped on the ice at Citizens Bank Park on New Years Eve 2012 for the Winter Classic Alumni Game as he appeared in a Flyers uniform for the first time 31 years after his career ending eye injury he received a standing ovation from some 46,000 people in the stands the majority of whom had probably never seen him play. That's what it means to be the most beloved living Philadelphia sports figure.



As for the most unfairly maligned Flyers player of all-time, I agree that "Sparky" Bladon is high up on that list. Ironically a number of others who were unfairly maligned at one time or another during their Flyer careers also wore #3. Among those were Joe Watson (who wore it from 1967 to 1969 before switching to #14), Behn Wilson, and Doug Crossman.

There are millions of people in the region who wouldn’t know Marcus Hayes from Marcus Welby, M.D.
- Flyskippy

Just a quick Bernie story...

I was 11 years old, rather plump, a bit of rosacea on my cheeks, and a burning, yet still developing passion for hockey. Every single day my younger brother, and our neighbors all got our rollerblades on and set off to the local abandoned tennis courts. Those courts were our First Union Center. We all selected our favorite players: Me- Forsberg, My brother- John LeClair, my buddy next door and our goalie- Bernie Parent... We are talking about 98-99. Ten to twelve year old boys playing roller hockey, selecting their favorite players, and Bernie Parent is in net.

None of us ever had the chance to watch Bernie play in a real game. We saw snippets or old videos and what not, but never got to witness the man in action. So why does this matter? Because my buddy Chris was more in love with the idea of being Bernie Parent the icon, then Bernie Parent the player.

So when in June of '98 we found out that some of the Flyers were going to be coming to our town... OUR First Union Center... for a town celebration, we were excited.

We all took bets on who would be doing the signings. I (ever the optimist) guess Lindros and LeClair. My brother thought it would be Zelepukin.

Well when the day came, we were all wrong. It was Bob Kelly and Bernie Parent.

It is still one of the more vivid hockey related (hell non hockey related as well) days of my life. There we are four young boys, all standing in front of Bernie Parent. Nobody said anything.. we kinda just stood there staring at him. He said to us "You boys look like hockey players!" We all nodded and muttered some sorta yes. "Well, no matter what, make sure you have fun". The best advice I ever got from anyone, hockey related, came from Bernie Parent. Next, he let us all try on his Cup Rings. I remember thinking I'd never seen a ring so big in my life.

From that day on, Bernie Parent has been one of my favorite sports related people in the world. I have one autograph in my house. Bernie Parents.