As the Spectrum prepares to crumble, share your memories
by Travis Hughes on Nov 23, 2010 10:49 AM EST
in Philadelphia Flyers Features
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Be sure to follow us on Twitter for live updates from the Spectrum's demolition this afternoon.
The Spectrum will begin to crumble to the Earth today with a ceremony a little bit after 12 p.m. We'll be on the ground at the site covering things, hopefully with an Internet connection and an interview or two, and definitely with a tear or two. For now, though, it's time to share some memories of the building the Flyers called home for 29 years from 1967 to 1996.
Personally, I don't remember much from the Flyers days on the corner at Broad and Pattison. I've watched plenty of video and I've read many a book to understand the history of the place and what it meant to the Flyers, and like just about every Flyers fan born before 1996, I also saw my first hockey game there, so it'll always hold a special place in my heart.
But I'm only 21 years old. I was seven when the Flyers moved across the parking lot to the Corestates Center, and I only remember watching a handful of live Flyers games at the Spectrum. I don't remember any Stanley Cup Finals games there or the Soviet game or any of those other indelible moments in Flyers history, so for others my age, their most prominent Spectrum memory might be the Phantoms winning the Calder Cup in 1998 or something like that.
I do have one simple little memory that'll always stick with me, though.
I don't know exactly what year it was, but I was young. Maybe three or four, no older than five. It might've even been my first Flyers game. I vaguely remember them playing the Bruins, but I can't be 100 percent certain about that, and in all of my searches of old box scores, I can't find any game with the Bruins that matches the description.
In any event, I was with my Dad (which is probably the most important part of the whole memory, really). We had seats right on the glass, which is ironic because these days I absolutely can't stand sitting on the glass. My favorite player was obviously Eric Lindros, since this was the early 90s and everything. I had the jersey and everything -- actually, to this day, I still have that jersey. An old orange number 88. It belongs to my little brother now, although it probably doesn't even fit him anymore.
So we're watching the game -- I can't tell you who was winning or who wound up on top at the final horn -- and I'm mesmerized by the whole thing. I was just a little kid but that's how I can remember all of it to this day. I was just so enamored by the entire thing. The smells, the sounds, my shoes sticking to the disgusting, hadn't-been-cleaned-since-1967 floor. Every time I stepped into the Spectrum from then until the last Phantoms game I ever attended, sticking to that floor would bring back those first memories.
Back to the game: There was a big crash into the boards right in front of me. Two bodies. One's wearing number 88. They said some words to each other which I probably didn't understand, if you catch my drift, and then they dropped the gloves. Lindros pummeled this dude into the ice right in front of me.
He gets up, skates away to the penalty box, and I think I knew right there that hockey was the greatest thing man has ever created. I'm sure there's a Montreal fan or something reading this right now saying, "yeah, typical... a Philly fan gets raised on fighting." Yeah, so what. It's part of who we are as Flyers fans. I'm not ashamed of it, just like I'm not ashamed that I'll likely shed a tear or two today when that wrecking ball hits the side of the building for the first time.
My Spectrum memory is a pretty simple little story when you think about it, but that's the thing about all this -- it's usually the littlest things that turn us into fans. For every fan that became one last year during the Flyers crazy playoff run, there's another who became a fan because their Mom or Dad took them to one of the many games the team lost last season.
They loved their hot dog and the way Carter Hutton's hair looked during warm-ups, and in 25 or 30 years when they're knocking down the Wells Fargo Center, they'll share their story as well. Share your Spectrum memories in the comments below.
Be sure to check out the BSH Store for our "Never Forget Where You Came From" t-shirts. Available in mens, ladies and children's sizes.
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Pearl Jam closing that place down in style.
1st game in 86.
Phish shows with LeClair sweater on stage.
Flyers Playoff games in the 90’s.
Dead Shows!!!!
Getting boxed out of an elevator by Dr. J.
The smell of schwaggy weed in the bathrooms.
"Call me dumb, call me stupid, whatever. I block shots."
My first hockey game was late 70’s at the spectrum. Exhibition game vs the Habs (yeah I know). And I sat right behind their bench. Guy Carboneau winked at me when a puck went flying over the glass and nailed both my mom and I. She picked up the puck and said “wow, here it yours, ………….ouch!” That puck sits on my shelf forever.
That was it. I went to Don Saleski’s hockey camp to learn how to play and ended up scoring a goal in the final camp scrimage…. on my own net. A bully made fun of me and said he would hurt me if I did that again. Then Saleski came over to me and whispered “your goalie should’ve had it.” hahahah!!!! But the next day I got the most improved trophy and a signed photo of Saleski and Tom Gorrence. They sit on my shelf forever.
Thanks to the Spectrum!
Too many
Too many memories to mention. I was lucky since my father had season tickets (Section 36, Row 5, Seats 1 and 2) and we went fairly often from the time I was young. We usually hit Saturday matinees against the Rangers, Islanders, Captials, or Jets.
Clarkie and Barber were still on the team. Darryl Sittler was there too. And the Flyers always won.
My most memorable games had to be…
- Game 6, 1987 Stanley Cup Finals vs. the Edmonton Oilers. This one needs no explanation. J.J. Daigneault, people.
- Game 6, 1989 Wales Conference Semifinals vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mario and the Pens had a 3-2 lead in the series, after the former scored 5 goals and added 3 assists as the Pens beat the Flyers 10-7 in Game 5 at Pittsburgh. The Flyers responded brilliantly, as my favorite all-time Flyer Dave Poulin set up Derrick Smith (the Darroll Powe of his day) for the first goal of the game. Smith added a second goal, Tim Kerr chipped in 2 on the power play and the Flyers went on to win 6-2. Hextall got hurt towards the end of the game but stayed in.
- Friday, October 9, 1992, home opener against the New Jersey Devils. A wild early-season game against the rival Devils would have been entertaining enough, but this was the first regular season home game in the career of this guy named Eric Lindros. Lindros didn’t disappoint, hitting everything that moved, and breaking a late 4-4 tie by scoring a breakaway goal against Chris Terreri. The Flyers added an empty-netter and won, 6-4.
- Game 1, 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. the New York Rangers. The Rangers were the defending champs and were coached by everyone’s favorite, Colin Campbell. They had upset the top-seeded Nordiques in the Quarterfinals, and were looking to keep their momentum going against the upstart Flyers, who had ended a five-year playoff drought. Both teams played a good game, and the Flyers were clinging to a 4-3 lead late. Pat Verbeek tied the game in the last minute to force OT. Then, roughly 8 minutes into the first o’ertime, Craig MacTavish won an offensive zone draw back to Eric Desjardins, who ripped a point blast past a screened Mike Richter. Desjardins did a combination of The Twist and a fist-pump. The Flyers would go on to sweep the series.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
Honorable mentions
- March 15, 1991 – 76ers topped the Miami Heat in overtime, 105-103. I met Manute Bol before the game. He was nice to me.
- July, 1991 – Saw YES live in-the-round when they had like 8 people in the band. The whole building smelled like marijuana. I may or may not have caught a contact, but whatever. It was a great show and I was happy to be there.
- June 10, 1998 – John Stevens, Mike Maneluk, Andy Delmore and the Philadelphia Phantoms topped the St. John Flames to win the Calder Cup. I was in the very last row of the building, right on the center ice red line, and I saw everything clearly. It was a great game and the outcome was never in doubt.
- Some point in the late 1990s, when my drug use had gotten out of control – I was at a Phish show at the Spectrum. During the set break, the crowd spontaneously broke into a “Let’s Go, Flyers!” chant. That’s the only thing I remember about that concert. Good thing to remember, though.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
From my time on BSH so far it makes me think we’ve probably walked by each other 100’s of times at shows or games.
Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving.
"Call me dumb, call me stupid, whatever. I block shots."
Sorry, it's a long one...
My uncle had season tickets that he split and when I was 8 he was dying to take me to a game. I didn’t really want to go at the time…I guess I was kind of scared. Of what you ask? Well my 8-year old brain thought that if I could hear Gene Hart and Dorny that loudly when they were on TV, they must be ridiculously loud in the arena. My uncle explained to me on the way there that you can’t hear play by play during the game and that put me at ease. The game was against the Islanders (Wouldn’t it be funny if it was the exact game that JP mentioned above) and I’m fairly certain they lost 0-2. I didn’t really enjoy it, as a kid I shyed away from all types of violence and loudness so a Flyers game wasn’t exactly for me. I think two years later my uncle got me to try it again and I loved every second of it.
More so than any of the games, because I was so young, I remember the people. My uncle sat next to to older gentlemen who were really cool and joked around with me a lot. At one game in particular I was really angry because the Flyers weren’t playing well. One of them, the one who always got a chocolate dipped ice cream cone after the second intermission and made it look like it was the best thing ever, though to this day I’ve never tried one, he says to my uncle. “Does he skate? Let’s throw him out there, he could do better than this. Hell, he’s no smaller than Robby DiMiao!” After the Flyers moved across the street we hardly ever saw those guys again. It’s a shame. I can still here the one guy yell “Way to hit, RECCH-IN BALL!”
In addition to the people I remember our routine. We’d walk in from the Vet parking lot. My uncle never liked to park close to the arena he was going to, we park at the Linc now. As soon as we got through the door the first thing we would do is check the program to see who the line-up card was that night. I have a huge collection of line-up cards (Hmm, I wonder where that is now that I think about it) of varying degrees of conditions from pristine (Phantoms All-Stars and Young Guns of 2001(2?)) to was-on-my-wall-for-years (Any of my LeClairs or Brindys) to somebody-spilled-a-beer-on-this-one (Shjell Samulesson) After that it was off to the subteranian bathrooms, a quick walk past the merchandise that I wanted everything of but wouldn’t get anything from. Then, we get a pretzel for me and a drink, my uncle would get food and we’d head to our seats. We’d yell “FALL!” when the two guys that sat next to us came up the stairs and they’d pretend to lose their balance for a bit. Then everyone would yell “LOOOUUUU” as he crossed the ice into his “office.”
Soon after they opened up the Center, they had a charity Alumni 3-on-3 tournament at the Spectrum. That was an amazing day. I got too meet and get autographs from some great names in hockey including Brian Propp who I talked to for a little while. Gordie Howe was there, but he was only signing his book and only if you paid for it there to boot. But that day will stick out because Phlex through a t-shirt directly to me because I was wearing a Phantoms jersey.
Lastly, the Phantoms winning the cup in ‘98. I was old enough that my one uncle, Scott could now drink around me and not worry about it. I remember he was yelling constantly during that game and at one point I turned to him and said "Wow, Scott, you’re loud when you drink!" Ha! He had had maybe 2 beers all night. But I’ll never forget that feeling of your team winning the ultimate prize right in front of you and 17,000 other fans. It was truly an amazing sight and someday I hope to god I can share it with the Flyers as well.
Flyers Fans: We've survived Lock-outs, Lindros and Cooperalls. If you want to get rid of us, you'll have to split an atom or two.
by KreiderDesigns on Nov 23, 2010 10:57 AM EST reply actions
My first game was for my 8th birthday, but I was 7. (That year gives me cred, obviously). I remember a lot about it because it was my first time in Philadelphia. So I remember the drive down 76, the lights, the buildings, and the people. I remember the sticky flood, our seats in the first row of the upper deck – which was a fantastic footrest/cup holder – and (what I believe was) a 3-1 loss. But Mikael Renberg scored, which means he was my favorite Flyer.
Ever since, I’ve been a Flyers fan.
Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor
by Geoff Detweiler on Nov 23, 2010 10:59 AM EST reply actions
The drive to the Spectrum my first couple times was great. Inevitably I would pass out right after the Turnpike toll booth on the NE Extension and wake up on the bridge. Good times.
Flyers Fans: We've survived Lock-outs, Lindros and Cooperalls. If you want to get rid of us, you'll have to split an atom or two.
by KreiderDesigns on Nov 23, 2010 11:05 AM EST up reply actions
Farewell America's Showplace
I don’t know how to even go into this without getting into a part of my life that I might not be real comfortable making public. But let’s just say I kind of grew up in that building. I spent a great deal of time from the 1976 season through 1981 season in that building. My memories are predominantly Flyers because we also had season tix from about 85 until 2002. I went to a ton of concerts in the Spectrum and still feel it was the greatest place to see a concert of all time. As I have since the move to the new building, I will always hold dear the Spectrum and the memories I had there. I have sort of let it go since the move but my dad and I have re-shared some great memories recently and the building will be deeply missed.
Just Call Me "M"!
Eric Lindros beat the ever living shit out of some poor jabroni on the Sens, the Flyers won and I have been obsessed with them ever since. I think I might have been 7 or 8. It wasn’t my first Flyers game, that was a win against the Islanders that I don’t really remember except my parents wouldn’t let me get an ice cream cone. Plus in the Isles game we were in a box from my dad’s work so it wasn’t the real atmosphere. The Sens game was my first real detailed memory of Flyers hockey.
Formerly... "You don't have to be sweet, to be good"
As the ball gets ready to smash into the side of the Spectrum...
I remember my first experience in the Spectrum… I was a very young boy, as I am only 24 right now, and the game was the Flyers vs Nordiques. You can tell it was a while ago, as the Nordiques have been gone for quite some time.
Oh, and here comes Lauren Hart to sing God Bless America…
Really, since I was so young, there wasn’t much in terms of memories left, but I do distinctly remember hearing someone behind me screaming “GET BRIND’AMOR OFF THE ICE.” I think the Flyers went on the lose the game, but it is a great memory for me, as I was with my Father and younger brother at this game. I will never forget many other great times, including other Flyers games and Concerts that I have been to at the Spectrum. When I was pre-gaming at the Linc on Sunday, I made sure to snap a photo of the Spectrum, knowing that when I was back for the game vs Flames on Friday, the Spectrum would be gone. We’ll miss you, old friend.
A FRIGGIN YANKEES HAT!?!? In the crowd. How the hell does that ever sound like a good idea?
Flyers Fans: We've survived Lock-outs, Lindros and Cooperalls. If you want to get rid of us, you'll have to split an atom or two.
by KreiderDesigns on Nov 23, 2010 12:25 PM EST reply actions
For those of you outside of Philly area: http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream4&hpt=T2
"Call me dumb, call me stupid, whatever. I block shots."
Yea swing that thing dude
by Sept.28.Oct.27.Dec.28.2008 on Nov 23, 2010 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t have any specific “I was there when the Flyers/Sixers played Team X” memories, but my uncles took me to many Flyers and Sixers games. It was on these excursions that they taught me how to check out girls without being obvious (I was their “spotter”, so to speak), which also taught me that even ugly guys can get some nice-looking girls. I’m sure I also had a few drinks underage at these events (not my first, oh no: my uncles, who are 16 and 17 years older than me began that debauchery years before I went to my first games-and I have the pictures to prove it!). I definitely remember the bathrooms, as others have mentioned, and the Spectrum is where I saw my first “stadium” concert and got my first contact high :) My uncles may or may not have been involved with that last one.
I remember my first NHL game there. I grew up going to Hershey watching the Bears play and finally got to go to an NHL level game with my dad and grandpa probably 15-20 yrs ago. They lost, 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets and didn’t even have one fight. All I remember about that game was that I decided the NHL was boring compared to the 3-5 fights/night in the minors and the occaisional team-brawl. (We usually went to the Hershey-Binghamton games, so they were quite bloody) I really didn’t follow pro hockey after that, but did go to plenty of concerts there. Saw Ozzy in January 96, the Eagles Hell froze over tour, and a few others that I’ll never remember. Living in Pittsburgh has re-ignited my taste for hockey and I follow the Penguins now, and my brother is a rabid Flyers fan (is there any other kind really?) so we have fun with that. I’ve even been to a game and a few events in the ‘new’ barn, but I missed the stink of the old Spectrum every time I was there.
I remember a few things and here is the time line that is rough.
Numerous Sixers and Flyers games. Nothing stands out from the Sixers game particularly, but Welcome to the Jungle quickly became my favorite song. I don’t know when they debuted that song for their warm ups, but I know I was there the year that happened. I was young, I know that.
Next was sometime in May I believe and my dad took me over to what was a day game for the Phils. I have no idea what happened in the Phils that day, but I specifically remember standing on the stoop outside the Spectrum as they played the Oilers in the SC Final. The reason we stood outside was because they used to play the radio broadcast over the speakers. We listened to a period and a half. I honestly do not remember if they won the game or not, but I remember that when the Flyers scored, the building was literally shaking and we put our hands on the wall to feel. That place had a fucking insane amount of energy in it.
Then I remember going to a Bruce concert there. I really don’t like Bruce at all, I just took the ticket and I was at the time 13 or so.
Atlantic 10 tournaments for basketball. Went to quite a few great games and it was always so cheap. Not a huge basketball fan at all anymore, but there were some really great teams and got to see some great Owls.
Then, Pearl Jam to close the place down. Two nights and I could not believe how antiquated the building looked inside. When I say that, I remembered the Spectrum vividly, but I just did not recall all the little nuances that it had. For instance, the fact that if there was a fire, at least 10000 people would die. The bathrooms of course. But it also had some intimacy for being so spacious.
Good times, great place and dont think that place could have passed an inspection in the last 25 years. It was Philly, gave gay pride a symbol, and formed in the shape of a puck. Loved that place.
One more
Second or third NHL game I ever went to. I will never forget this even though I just wrote a short story and forgot to include it. I think the Flyers were playing the Caps. Regardless, I was able to head to one of the games in which the there was a pre game fight. It was none of that Boogar Carcillo kissing shit we saw a few weeks ago. It was multiple guys beating the snot out of each other and then multiple guys picking up sticks and gloves on the ice. Great times and in no other sport will you ever get that.
So that culminated with me going to school the next day and telling my 3rd grade teacher I was at the Flyers game the night before and I was all excited to tell her. So then I told her about the fight before the game and her response was, “Isn’t that horrible!” I hated that bitch the rest of the year.
Sports Centre Top 10 Spectrum moments
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5842274
I just saw this on TV, shocked they weren’t too busy talking about Farve or LeBron. I will miss seeing Phantoms games there. Still have yet to make the trip to Glen Falls…
From Parts Unknown...
Currently behind enemy lines, plotting to blow up an Igloo.
-They just can’t do hockey. Hextall wasn’t the first goalie to score, he was the first goalie to shoot and score. They lead off the 1974 Stanley Cup Game 6 with a shot of Bernie saving a shot from…a Buffalo Sabre. One year later, and about 400 miles northwest, guys.
-The top two moments: one is a feat done against the Sixers; the other doesn’t involve Philly spots at all. Shameful. No one remembers the Spectrum as nothing more than a footnote for those events.
Huh? How is Hextall not the 1st goalie to score a goal?
Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!
Ah, I see. I had never heard about that, thanks. Well Hexy is definitely the first that wasn’t a technicality. :-p
Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!
I am, however, DISGUSTED that a Dook highlight was put at the top of the list.
Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!
Whether you are a fan of the sport or not, that game is arguably the greatest college basketball game ever played. The ending showed there only served to give it legendary status. Rank it wherever, but that has to be on any Top 10 list of Spectrum moments. And FWIW, I can’t stand Duke.
Formerly known as JFein
Duke deserves it but the Russian Red Army Game should be up right behind not down at 6. That game was so huge nationally and internationally and contributed so much to the Legend of the Spectrum.
Their writers didn’t even research it well. ESPN anchor said “The Red Army Team was Scary” no the Flyers and the Bullies were scary get it right. It was “Hard Hitting Game” one sided pounding the Russians didn’t hit anyone.
I’m far too young for many of the memories, but I did see my very fist hockey game there (that I can remember) It was the Phantoms, and my first experiance with the greatest sport on earth. I’m really really sad this huge peice of history is dying today.
We tried to get to as many Phantoms games as possible before they moved, when the tickets were like $5. We went to at least 13, and my baby (who was not so baby, but I call him that any way) brother had his 7th birthday party there. There was another time my sister brought her freind, and my dad almost drove away without her. She was halfway into the car and my dad starts driving away, and all she does is scream “MR. F I’M NOT IN THE CAR” she learned to run fast that day, her foot almost got run over.
DCCGDP 13,28,36
I might post memories later, but this just makes me sad right now.
I’m happy that Yes’ ‘Union Tour’ shows got a mention – I was in the 2nd row for the 2nd show (yes, I slept out for tickets – remember when people actually did that?). Trevor Rabin (one of the two guitarists on stage that night) had just become a US citizen (he was originally a South African citizen)- he was reaching out over the stage for someone to give him a small American flag that was being handed out by a Veterans group in the parking lot before the show. Anyway, he did eventually get it and he put it on the head of his guitar for a few songs. A cool memory (and a fantastic show)…
…sigh…
I’ll think of the Flyers games I went to and come back later…
#1 Flyers fan in England (originally from Southeastern PA)
by Orange and Black Forever on Nov 23, 2010 3:55 PM EST reply actions
I walked over and took some pictures
http://i56.tinypic.com/27xfnl4.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/246ltw7.jpg
Full sized pics are underneath, they are way too big to post here at 1600×1200.
These were the best two out o the ones I took, I’m no professional photographer.
Aikotoba wa Afuro to Gunso
Those are pretty good pictures.
Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor
by Geoff Detweiler on Nov 23, 2010 11:18 PM EST up reply actions
memories
My dad used to take me to afternoon Flyers Games all the time we lived less than a mile from the Spectrum. I don’t remember many of them because I was far too young. My dad told he didn’t even have to buy me a ticket I would just sit on his lap. I can’t imagine that flying in today’s day an age. We used to go to many Pens games and seeing Super Mario in person on those dominate early 90’s teams. The Pens were always my second favorite team until Crosby and boy now things have changed.
The one game that I remember the most was a Flyers Pens game that included a bench clearing brawl. I think it was the last full out bench clearer in Flyers history as I don’t remember it ever happening again after that. I have distinct images of Rick Tocchet without his jersey just in shoulder pads getting pulled off a scrum by two linesman. I don’t remember the score but I do remember the fights.
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