Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Elation and Despair

As always, excellent read Mr. Meltzer. Those 80's teams were my favourite of all time.

As always, excellent read Mr. Bill....

Those 80's teams were my favorite of all time, even if they failed to win a championship

Beautiful column Bill, thank you

I think I could literally read an article you wrote about someone buttering a piece of toast and it would be enjoyable.

Thank you.

All I can say is thanks for sharing.

Who's the knothead who wrecked the page….change width to 460

Bill, your timing on this piece is remarkable. I'll just leave it at that.

31 years later......how fitting.

As a flyers fan who was too young to have tangible memories (I was only 2 in 1985) of this era of the team, thank you for this article. Chilling to read the highs and lows.

Thanks Bill.

Another great article, Bill... thank you.

I also "grew up" with those mid-80's Flyers teams. The only two times I cried relating to sporting events were (1) listening on the radio to the memorial ceremony for Pelle and (2) right after the Flyers lost game 7 of the Finals to the Oilers in 1987. This article definitely stirs those memories, as well as some of the good ones (like J.J. Daigneault scoring late in '87 Finals game 6).

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Elation and Despair
- bmeltzer

Thanks Bill

... And the tragic and untimely death of Kathy Kerr just 5 years later that also rocked the team and it's fanbase

The Eagles is 4 and 0 without Glenn Frey

I'll rewatch a game from those 1980's teams from time to time and just remember how much I loved that team as a kid. Obviously the Stanley Cup teams won and the subsequent teams of the late 70's & early 80's came close, but it was those mid 80's teams that really grabbed me.

Maybe because it was the first generation where none of the Broad Street Bullies were on the roster. Maybe it was just because they were all pretty much kids themselves. Maybe it was because I was becoming more aware as a fan & had started to play hockey myself. Maybe it was because the rest of the Philly sportscape at that time was sort of bleak: The Eagles were awful and in the midst of the Marion Campbell Era. The Phillies had pretty much dismantled the 1980 World Champs and even used the wrecking ball on the Wheeze Kids of 1983. The Sixers were only a year or two removed from a NBA crown, but were eliminated in round one of the 1984 playoffs.

It was that team where I was allowed to stay up late for west coast games. It was that team that was the first Flyers team of my life time that wasn't regarded as a potential Cup challenger, so there was an unknown element of being an underdog. Bob McCammon was gone, the guy who couldn't beat the Smurf Rangers. Youth was being served in goal.

I know Bill is around my age and sees the mid-80's teams in a somewhat similar light. It's hard to believe that it was 31 years ago that this young team battled it's way to the Stanley Cup Final. This excellent piece just refreshes those memories, like they were yestderday.

Beautiful column Bill, thank you
- BiggE

n e time SmallE

The Eagles is 4 and 0 without Glenn Frey
- Landsbergfan

badford is gone we'll be lucky to win 5 games this year

badford is gone we'll be lucky to win 5 games this year
- 2Real

cmon Wontz is good for 4 or 5

cmon Wontz is good for 4 or 5
- Just5

Wentz might not even be healthy for a bit and he has talent but he was supposed to be red shirted this year

badford is gone we'll be lucky to win 5 games this year
- 2Real

It's ok. Don Henley and Joe Walsh are still here

Wentz might not even be healthy for a bit and he has talent but he was supposed to be red shirted this year
- 2Real

Only a wussy like Goff gets red shirted

It's ok. Don Henley and Joe Walsh are still here
- Mononoke

i would have brought foles back for at least one season