European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday apr ill 8, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary liquored hockey mobs hit new Low is it my imagination or arc hockey crowd getting uglier and uglier the mob in Mathion Square Garden Lasi sunday right seemed la hit anew Low Tor profanity and the mobs in Han Ford and Philadelphia added vile touches in the past fans were wadding up paper and gathering obscenities for the crucial sixth game against the Ryers on thursday night. The flyers have a few louts in uniform who could almost pass for fans bul nothing quite matches the liquored up false courage of some stalwarts behind the Glass sunday in the Garden we had the treat at watching two regulars baiting the flyers. One fan is Holdover from last season who delighted in remind ing the flyers of the automobile death of their goalie pc Lac Lindbergh. Right alongside him a Man in a business suit was taunting de Hospodar a spare flyer player who had not dressed for the game and was standing calmly Ina runway. Finally Hospodar smiled his Bruiser s up toothed smile and crooked his Index Finger. Theran somehow could not find the passage to Hospodar j stuff goes on everywhere. I la never forget the racial language a Long Island redneck used on Gran Fuhr three years ago. The justification i m just trying to help my cretins Are not limited to new York. When the whalers lost at Home on tuesday night a Drunken mob spilled into downtown four of them lurching into an office building where they annoyed a couple of women working the Pate shift. Others broke win Dows and threatened driven. Losing a Home game will do that to sportsmen. In Philadelphia the majority of tans in the spec Trum teemed relatively pleasant hardly of the same pugnacious level of Madison Square Garden but there is a sour Strain running through Philly random that comes out at opportune was the immortal to Mclinsky who once said thai Phillies fans would boo the easter Bunny. Theother night. Flyer fans went one belter. They booed a happened when the flyers Scott Melian by checked curl Giles into the boards and then Eicr Czel blasted Giles up High a move that was Bor Derline Legal but mainline Giles was helped to the Bench some flyers fans worked themselves into a rage Over the delay since they were apparently in a hurry to go Home and pull he wings off he medical Crew Slid onto the ice carrying a Stretcher some of the fans booed that Loo. To be fair other fans did applaud Giles As he was helped off to the Hospital where a rays disclosed a Frac tured Elbow. Having made their Point the Ryers con trolled their Gronish Ness a tribute to the cold blooded discipline and computer aided planning of the flyers coaching staff. In certain situations the computer behind goes "bccp-bccp11 or maybe Boom Boom and Mike Keenan sends in his enforcers it happened the other night in the Garden a few Yards below the uncomprehending eyes of the league presi Dent John Ziegler. The flyers had been playing hockey and losing up to that Point. Bul suddenly there materialized people named Brown and Berube and Canon who could barely skate and certainly had not the slightest idea s an old Philadelphia tradition going Back to the egalitarian Days of William Penn and Ben Frank Lin to let a few of the common people in with the elite a few representatives of the brawling masses along with the real hockey players. All they have to do is throw a few punches and not worry about puck handling or subtleties like that a teams have them bul the flyers have up graded them into an institution. And the symbiotic relationship Between fan and player who can out Goon whom goes on. But the flyers also have some talented players Aswell As a that the rangers have not enjoyed for years. The rangers have used 46 players Bis season. In most of any team in the league As Phil Esposito has tried to make up for All those years of inactivity inthe broadcasting Booth. Esposito As general manager got some Fine work from players like Walt Poddubny. Tony Mckegney. Bob fro Csc and the prodigal son Ron Duguay bul Espo seems to have gotten Slung with Bobb Carpenter twice in one season first in trading Kelly Milter and Mike Ridley for Carpenter then intruding Tom Laidlaw and Carpenter for Marcel i Onnic who just could t seem to gel anything done inthe Gritty Eastern playoffs. Espo did not choose to be this Busy. He hire Tom Webster to replace the grim Ted Sator in no vember but the unfortunate Webster came Dow with an inner ear infection that has not allowed him to Fly or coach. The rangers were 5-10-4 under Sator 0-2-0 under interim coaches 5-7-4 under Webster and 24-19-0 under Espo in the regular season Espo looks Good on the Bench pounding backs rallying the troops jaw ing at opponents and officials and giving the look of eagles directly into the red blinking lights of inc Tele vision cameras whose location is no mystery Thespo. The team has looked Crisp at limes but on tuesday after 85 games these new rangers and old rangers still look As if they should be exchanging business cards and agreeing to meet some Day for lunch they May have time for getting to know one an other soon while the Garden airs Oki from another dismal Gulf and Western Winter and the hockey fans go Home to Belt Down a few co tics kick the dog and curse at the television set even fans have to keep in shape in the of season. Free agent refugees watch and wait by Hal Bock a sports write Rich gedman knew a time would come when in the Middle of april he would not be playing baseball. I just did t think it would come this soon he said. I figured i d get old and instead gedman became a free agent and was retired at least for the moment by a deflated Market that left fistful of players unemployed or forced to take sizeable pay cuts to gedman concentrates on his new born son. Grateful for the timing of his Bailie with baseball. And Ron Guidry rides a tractor in Carencro la., unsure of whether hell Ever get Tiff that piece of Arm machinery. Bob Homer prepare for a summer of playing baseball in Japan. And Bob Boone wans for May i the next deadline in the Battle of nerves Between management and Are mired in a no Man s land free agents without learns their roster spots already filled by Oiler players. The group includes stars like Tim Raines the defending National league Balling Champion serviceable Kiili Iyman like Danny help future Hall of a Mars like Tom save Rand sluggers like Dave King Man. On May 1, free agents who arc still unsigned May return 10 i hair former clubs an option that has nol been Avail Able 10 them since Jan. 8. Will they go Back will the teams still want them at what Price nobody knows said Reggie ring get Cuidry s agent. Fay i is uncharted territory a new Era. Nobody knows Shalit ref Iguel still is an cd at what he found in the marketplace when he shop Ped Guidry Over the Winter. We did no get one of i r. Not one he said. Not Rich gedman is enjoying his time off and believes he s la a no lose situation. Aph Tornato even for the minimum salary. There were All kinds of excuses. The Boom line is we got no left Guidry and Ringuet Wilh one option Guidry s old learn he Newyork Yankees. Pushing poor new York said in remains interested in the left hander who has been with the club since 1975. I Don t care if 1 go Back or not Guidry said. Iii works out i la go. Fit does t,1 wont when Itsey parted company the Yankee offer was $825.000 a year for two years an Guidry was at $850,000. There is no word Art that la
