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Monday, December 15th Inquirer - Neil Young plays the Spectrum More than four decades into an astounding career, Neil Young still sticks to his countercultural guns. "Love and only love will endure," the Canadian elder statesman insisted on the opening salvo of his tour-de-force performance Friday at the destined-for-demolition Wachovia Spectrum.
Two hours later, he blew unsuspecting minds with the Beatles' "A Day In the Life," relishing the opportunity to unleash a squall of feedback at the song's close, and also the chance to give voice to John Lennon's fondest wish: "I'd love to turn you on."
In between, he sat at the pump organ and decried the despoiling of the environment in "Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)," and advised that "there is a long highway in your mind, a spirit road that you must find," in "Spirit Road," from last year's Chrome Dreams II. And in "Cortez the Killer," his guitar eloquently wept for the destruction of an idealized Aztec civilization by imperialist colonizers.
But if Young, 63, who sported gray sideburns and a bald patch visible when he bent to rip into another fiery solo, is an unrepentant hippie, he's always been an irascible one.
His career-spanning set included songs of almost beatific calm and childlike beauty, such as "The Needle and the Damage Done," and "Old Man," layered with meaning 36 years after it was written, and highlighted by a banjo cameo by guitar tech Larry Cragg.
And "Light A Candle," one of four new songs performed in the evening's second half, when a greatest-hits parade turned into something altogether more strange, was a hopeful prayer of a ballad: "Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle for where we're going."
But the show was dominated by epic guitar jams of unrestrained fury, with Young backed by his Electric Band, featuring his wife, Pegi, on vocals, drummer Chad Cromwell, bass player Rick Rosas, Anthony Crawford on keyboards and vocals, and the great Ben Keith on guitar and lap steel (most delectably on "Heart of Gold").
With the exception of "Like a Hurricane" and "Down By the River," all the stone-cold classics were present, including "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)," "Powderfinger," "Cinnamon Girl," and "Cowgirl in the Sand," which gave way to the fist-pumping catharsis of "Rockin' in the Free World."
Young, who wore a paint-splattered, oversized black jacket and jeans to go with his peace-sign-decorated guitar strap, got slightly cranky when the raucous crowd wouldn't shut up during his band intros. "Give me a break! I'm trying to introduce my friends," he said. And his new songs weren't only optimistic: "You can sing about change," he warned in one. "But just singin' a song won't change the world."
"I think they're going to blow this place up as soon as we're done," Young said of the Spectrum, which is set for demolition next year, and, true to its reputation, felt winningly cramped and intimate compared with the Wachovia Center across the street. He didn't, however, indulge in any nostalgia for the arena, where he first played with
Young's cathartic set was preceded by a excellent one-hour warm-up from Wilco, the six-man Monday, December 15th News Journal - Older Young returns to rock the Spectrum one last time "I think they're going to blow this place up as soon as we're done," Neil Young said Friday during his ninth and final concert at the Wachovia Spectrum, which will be demolished next year. "And I hope we're not too late." Young was joking about the walls of the 42-year-old arena coming down before his performance was over, but during his rumbling guitar solo on "Hey Hey, My My," you couldn't be quite sure.
Dressed in a black paint-splattered blazer and blue jeans, Young returned to
An iconic silhouette of Young was created as a single spotlight shone on him during an expansive 10-minute "Cortez the Killer" early in the concert, which closed with a massive sing-along to the Beatles' "Day in the Life."
The 63-year-old bona fide rock legend may have gained a little weight over the years and his hair may be graying, but those were the only signs of aging on display Friday night. As always, he stomped across the stage on nearly every song with his wispy long hair floating all around his head as he moved to the music.
The show was billed as "Neil Young and his Electric Band" and there was plenty of grunge guitar work throughout the night on songs like "Cinnamon Girl," "Rockin' in the Free World," and "Powderfinger," which found Young hunched over low to the ground for an extended guitar solo.
But Young still managed to squeeze in more acoustic-based favorites like "Heart of Gold," "Oh, Lonesome Me" and "The Needle and the Damage Done," which he performed solo after his band left the stage. A banjo-laced "Old Man" received one of the night's biggest responses from the crowd.
The show opened with a 45-minute set by Wilco in their first area appearance since their triumphant
In his previous life as a member of alternative country band Uncle Tupelo, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy would regularly cover Young, including the country rock touchstone "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" and "Get Back to the Country," both of which Young performed Friday night.
So it was only fitting that Young would bring Wilco on tour, giving flannel-loving music fans everywhere a dream bill that found Wilco flaunting Young's influence, whether it was on the boundary-breaking 10-minute "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" or the beautifully noisy "Impossible Germany," hampered by a broken guitar string during guitarist Nels Cline's solo. On this tour, Wilco split duties opening for Young with Death Cab For Cutie, proving that Young is not afraid to share the spotlight with younger and arguably more musically relevant bands.
But make no mistake about it -- Neil Young cannot be overshadowed. He owned the evening, even though he made the odd decision to spring four new unreleased songs on the crowd of 18,000, causing sudden lines in the Spectrum's rest rooms.
The night was a fitting end to Young's 38-year run of performances at the arena -- a photograph from a 1973 concert there graced the cover of his live album, "Time Fades Away." The photo, taken from onstage, shows a red rose in front of a massive crowd of concertgoers, one of whom was flashing the peace sign.
At one point Friday night, a fan threw another red rose onto the stage, recreating that moment. In between songs, Young picked up the flower, smelled it and tossed it back to the crowd with a smile.
Wednesday, November 5th Daily News - Philadelphia, PA - November 5, 2008 Rollie Massimino has Spectrum of memories from his time at Villanova ONLY TWO PLAYERS on Northwood's basketball team had been born when its only coach, Rollie Massimino, took Villanova on that ever-enduring national title run in 1985. But he tells them all the stories. Many of which involve the Spectrum, the Wildcats' home away from their Fieldhouse (and later the Pavilion). They played there four times in the championship season, including two-point losses to both Georgetown and St. John's. Tomorrow night, he's giving the Seahawks their first look, and quite likely their last, at the building, which is scheduled to be razed on an as-yet-unspecified date. Well, at least most of them. The 3-year-old NAIA program does have three players from Philadelphia or South Jersey - Cardinal Dougherty's DeSean White, Episcopal Academy's Ron Frazier and Ocean City's Trey Severs. For the rest, well, the stories will probably seem more real after they line up against No. 25 Villanova in an exhibition opener. A year ago, Jay Wright's team went to West Palm Beach, Fla., to christen Northwood's new facility, the Countess de Hoernle Student Life Center. "It's a great experience for these young kids," said Massimino, who's also playing against his good friend Gary Williams and Maryland on Saturday. "That was a tremendous building, it really was. "People asked, 'Are you playing at the Cathouse? Or the Wachovia Center?' I said, 'No, we're going to the Spectrum.' "We're coming up [today]. We'll go practice there. Then I'm taking them to Pat's Steaks." Got to have your priorities. Speaking of which . . . Much of Massimino's family, and many of his former players at Villanova, including most of the ones who paraded through center-city Philly on that April day over a quarter-century ago, will be in the house. "I've been back to Villanova so many times, but being a part of it is very special," he explained. "Jay's been wonderful, giving us this opportunity. It's fun. When I stop having fun, you know what I mean, that's when I'm giving it up. "I want my kids to see what you have to do to succeed at that level." Two years ago, the Seahawks went 23-9, and made the NAIA national tournament. Last season, they were 27-8 and made it to the quarterfinals. "This is a real, real full-time job," Massimino said. "You have to do everything. It's not the same. But it's a lot about giving back, and I really enjoy it. Playing golf with [Billy] Cunningham and [Chuck] Daly every day wasn't the total thing. They come to all the games. It's member-guest [at the club] down here this weekend, or else they'd have been up [too]." Massimino left the Main Line in 1992, to go to Nevada-Las Vegas. And later, Cleveland State. Where, in 2000, he came back to play Temple on North Broad Street. But he hasn't roamed the sideline at the Spectrum since his last season at Villanova. Doesn't mean his recollections aren't just as vivid. "It was a big deal for us," Massimino recalled. "They didn't want you to have any athletic advantage. Those were the words that [then-Big East commissioner] Dave Gavitt always defined it as. Then you saw Georgetown go to the [Capital Center]. Connecticut went to Hartford. That's how it expanded. They did such a good job of spreading the wealth, by taking it to major venues. "Once, we played Georgetown, and Tommy Lasorda was the coach of the game. We used to have that. He would sit next to me. John Thompson started screaming at him as we came down the alley way. I'll never forget that. He didn't like it. He said, 'What the heck are you doing here?' And [Lasorda] yelled back, 'I'm taking care of Massimino.' "Now they have 'Villanova' along the baseline, if you notice, and a 'V' in the middle of the floor. They made a special group of wood, so they could insert that when Villanova's there. We didn't have a thing. We were just part of the Sixers' operation. But it was something, to be associated with all that history . . . "I spent 20 years at Villanova. Just so many memorable times. Where do you start?" He first took a team to the Spectrum in 1976, his third season, a few months before Bobby Knight got his first ring there. Now, it's time to say goodbye. Nothing wrong with a little nostalgia.
Free throws Villanova is also playing Pitt at the Spectrum on Jan. 28. And three games at the Wachovia Center - against Louisville (Jan. 10), Syracuse (Feb. 7) and Georgetown (Feb. 28). The first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament are being held in the Center, for the second time in 4 years. Once again, Villanova could end up there. But not if it has played more than three times there during the season. * Saturday, September 27th Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider - Saturday, September 27, 2008 How do you feel about today? Snider: "I am very excited today. It is a happy day. It brings back so many fabulous memories. I didn’t know how I would feel when I came but when I came and everybody was outside celebrating and all our fans are excited and to see what kind of great fans we had and still have, it’s an exciting day for me." Can you talk about the Flyers vs. Soviet game? Snider: "I have a cartoon, we were looking at all kinds of old momentums and there is a cartoon that was in a Pravda, the Russian paper at the time, it showed the Flyers with big clubs, big logo of the Flyers beating up the little Russians, I can’t tell you how much I love that cartoon! Ed Van Impe, who was a very clean hockey player (smiles), he happened to throw a check on a Russian and the team didn’t like it so they left the ice. I have never seen anything like that ever before or since. They went down into their locker room ready to take off their uniforms and just leave. I went down and Clarence Campbell, the president of the (National Hockey) League at the time and Alan Eagleson, president of the players association were there and I said, ‘what’s happening?’ and we talked to the interpreter who said they were leaving. So I asked Eagleson, who arranged the tour, ‘have they been paid?’ he said, ‘well they have not been paid for this game and they haven’t been paid for the entire series.’ I think we were their eighth game, and they were getting $25,000 a game, big money in those days. So I said, ‘why don’t we tell them we are not going to pay them?’ They went back to the interpreter and told them that, they huddled together talking in their language, came back and said, ‘we will play,’ so they wanted American dollars." Can you talk about some conversations you had with fans who are remembering the Spectrum or how you can relate? Snider: "When I walked into the building and of course almost all of the time, fans come up to me and tell me when they saw their first hockey game at the Spectrum and what their great memories were on a specific occasion and specific game. There are so many of them you cannot enumerate them. I think everybody knows that our number one exciting event was when we won the (Stanley) Cup here on the afternoon in 1974. The parade that we had the next day afterwards, which really was a parade of about 2 million people, and then they said well it’s an anomaly, they only have really 17 thousand fans but everybody in the city was celebrating and this that and the other and then the next year we won it again in Buffalo and came back to another 2 million-plus people in a parade. These are parades I have never since the likes of before or since anywhere in any city. It was pretty amazing because everybody had a Flyers’ t-shirt on, probably both years. People always underestimated the number of hockey fans that are in this city. This city is a hockey town. We have hundreds and hundreds of thousands of fans so it’s just exciting when you walk in and everybody is telling you about their favorite moment. It just makes me realize that we have a real great fan base here, they love the Flyers, we love them and we are very, very fortunate to have this kind of fan base." Everyone talks about the class of this organization. What are some of the things you wanted to instill? Snider: "We wanted the Flyers Organization, the players and the fans to be one big family. It was always a goal of mine. We have a wonderful alumni of our players and probably maybe the best in all of hockey. They always come back. We have all kinds of functions. We look after our own and as you can tell in our organization, Bob Clarke as General Manager (GM) is an ex-player, Paul Holmgren as GM is an ex-player. I am thrilled that Keith Allen who engineered both (Stanley) Cups is with us today. We keep the family atmosphere and it is something that is very important to me and I am just thrilled that we have been able to accomplish it." Was it by design that the fans in this building are so close to the ice? Snider: "I wish I was that smart (laughs). What happened was, I was running the Philadelphia Eagles at the time. I was the vice president in charge of operations and very active in negotiations with the Phillies to build the Vet. The city had bought all the land and they were negotiating and designing and what have you, when the National Hockey League was going to expand, you had to have an arena. Ike Richman, which is our (Comcast-Spectacor Vice President of Public Relations) Ike Richman’s grandfather, who owned the Philadelphia 76ers, had come to see me and said, ‘a stadium is being built, do you think there is any chance to get an arena?’ When I realized the National Hockey League was expanding and that we could apply for a franchise and if the 76ers needed a place to play, it would be wonderful to have an arena right on the parking lot. The amazing thing is that the building was completed 16 months after I had the idea. It took us 11 months of construction. We got the franchise and the rest is history. Philadelphia as a major city at that time did not have an arena. It wasn’t like New York going from the old Madison Square Garden to a new Madison Square Garden. We had no arena so it was pretty amazing. It was in my opinion a great opportunity." Can you talk about the first parade, not the Stanley Cup Parade but the one where you introduced the players? Snider: "They had a parade for us to parade down Broad Street to introduce the team to the city. We were in convertibles going down Broad Street and there was no one at the parade except us. People were looking and saying, ‘what is that?’ and seven years later there were 2 million people so I am glad you brought that up because it is pretty fantastic." How did the idea come about to celebrate the captains today? Snider: "It was not my idea, it was someone in our organization and probably I should find out whose idea it was because it’s an outstanding idea. We’ve had a lot of different groups of players back for various reasons but this is the first time we have assembled all the captains and they are the ones who were the captains and had all of the thrills in this building. We are just glad that most of them are back. Lou Angotti is here, he was our first captain, he was in our very first squad in 1967. That is a thrilling thing and we have most of the others through the years." What does a captain mean to you? Snider: "I don’t want to speak for all other sports but in hockey a captain is really a very important position. It’s not honorary. The players look up to the captain. If you have a really good captain in the room he can keep things on an even keel because there are always issues with 20 some people no matter what if you are in business, sports or whatever and a captain can keep everything in the right direction. He can make sure that whatever is going wrong he will fix and if he can’t fix it himself he will make sure the organization fixes it. So those are the kinds of things that I think a real good captain can do for you." What do you think is going to go through your mind the first time you see the Spectrum come down? Snider: "I really don’t know. What I have been thinking lately and what I have been telling myself is that, the great thing about this building is the memories and not necessarily the bricks and mortar. So the memories will never go away. Quite honestly I don’t spend a lot of time over here since we built the Wachovia Center. This will be our 13th year, we are the only city that built the new arena and kept the old arena going. It’s going to be a 13-year run and we’ve had a great run in this building but I think everything has it’s time and while it will be sad, and I don’t think I can show up when they demolish it, I will always have these memories no matter what." Is there one aspect of this building that you can preserve once it does come down? Snider: "We are working on that now. We have not really decided but we are definitely going to preserve whatever we feel is logical to preserve and we will have a list of things that’s for sure." What does Kate Smith’s rendition of God Bless America mean to this building? Snider: "Lou Scheinfeld, who was our vice president at the time in charge of all, he is here also with us now, in fact Lou is working on this whole last year of the Spectrum. He was with me from the beginning and he had noticed that people in those days, it was the 1970s and a lot of turmoil in the country and some people weren’t standing for the National Anthem. One day he decided to play God Bless America and put Kate Smith up on the screen and we won the game and after that I never wanted to know when she was going to be played, I was superstitious and he and others decided when they were going to do it and our record was fantastic. Even before the (Stanley) Cup we had her in person, I am trying to remember exactly when, particular when we were playing Boston for the first Cup, Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito were going to break the curse, they skated up and gave Kate Smith flowers but it didn’t work and we won. I ended up being a pallbearer at her funeral. It (her singing God Bless America) was pretty amazing, she was an amazing woman and at her age she was still could still belt that song out beautifully." What is the plan for this area now? Snider: "We had a press conference and announced what we thought would be Philly Live. We are changing things a little bit all the time to make it better and of course we have to get the permits and everything from the city. Right now it will be stores, restaurants, entertainment and maybe the worlds biggest and best sports bar, a hotel, it will be an exciting destination point. We don’t think or feel that it will be just for the people who come to the football, baseball, hockey, basketball games, etcetera, we feel that people are going to come here even if there is not an event, just as if they would go into Center City to go to a restaurant or go have fun somewhere. We think it will be a wonderful destination spot. We have named it Philly Live and we are looking forward to the next phase of our development." Is there a start date? Snider: "We probably cannot start construction until a year and we hope by that time we have all the permits and everything else necessary from the city."
Friday, September 26th: Mike G. Morreale "Bringing the Flyers back to the Spectrum for a preseason game will be the perfect start of a season-long celebration of the Spectrum," said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter A. Luukko. "We will continue to bring events to the Spectrum this year to celebrate the wonderful memories and proud tradition of the famous arena."
Sam Carchidi The Spectrum used to be Lou Nolan's second home. "I was 17 or 18 when I started working there," said Nolan, 62, who is in his 42d season with the Flyers, including the last 37 as their public-address announcer, "so I grew up at the place." Which is why Nolan - a silver-haired man with a friendly, booming voice - will be a bit sad tomorrow when the final NHL game is played at the venerable arena on Broad and Pattison. "There were a lot of memorable times," he said. And a memorable, no-frills style by Nolan. "He's to the Spectrum what Bob Sheppard was to Yankee Stadium," said Karl Condello, a photographer who works at Flyers games. Nolan, a full-time broker, isn't recognizable because of his face. But virtually every day, someone will approach him with curiosity. "They usually give me an eye and tell me I remind them of somebody, or they'll say: 'I know that voice from somewhere,' " he said. Nolan has been a part of the Flyers' organization since their inception in 1967, and he was there for many of the club's fabled Spectrum moments: their first Stanley Cup title in 1974, the victory over the Soviet Red Army team in 1976, and key games in the 35-game unbeaten streak in 1979-80. It was at the Spectrum that he began developing a lifetime of friendships and memories. The Spectrum will be demolished next fall to make room for an entertainment/dining complex. But before it disappears, The House That Clarke Built will be remembered in two ceremonies before preseason games there tomorrow and Oct. 7 (vs. the AHL Phantoms). Eleven of the 15 former Flyers' captains will be honored in festivities tomorrow before the televised (Comcast) 1 p.m. contest against Carolina. Most of the Flyers from the 1974 and 1975 Stanley Cup champions will return for the Oct. 7 exhibition. "I look forward to seeing the guys again," Nolan said. "These games are like social events for everybody. A number of the guys are scouts - guys like Ron Sutter and Mel Bridgman - and I get to see them . . . but it'll be great to see everybody all together." Long before he pumped up Wachovia Center crowds, Nolan worked as an aide to the club's PR director, Joe Kadlec, in 1967-68, the franchise's inaugural season. At the time, Nolan, a West Catholic graduate, was taking night courses at St. Joseph's. He worked part time in the Flyers' PR department until 1972, when he replaced Kevin Johnson as the public-address announcer. Johnson left to take a public-relations job with the Philadelphia Blazers of the WHA, Nolan said. "I was scared to death," Nolan said of his first NHL game. The first game was, um, interesting. Sitting in his booth between the two penalty boxes, Nolan was caught in the middle as the penalized players shouted at each other - and one picked up a puck-storing bucket of ice and heaved it at his opponent. Instead, the ice landed on Nolan. Welcome to the NHL, Lou. "Lots of crazy stuff has happened down there," Nolan said. "The first several years I did it, there was no glass [around his box], and you'd get hit with sticks and pucks all the time. I was always getting dinked. I remember [Flyers left winger] Bob Kelly saying to me once, 'Louie, I'm gonna put someone in your lap today.' And, sure enough, he checked a guy and he came right over into my lap and all the scoreboard buttons went off, and the scoreboard went crazy." Nolan, who lives in Penn Valley with his wife, Ellen, and their two sons, Matt and Jeff, has handled the PA duties for some of the most famous games in the Spectrum's history. "I was right in the middle of everything when the Russians walked off - the refs, the interpreters and everything else," he said, referring to the brief walkout in the epic 1976 game. He estimates that, because of his broker duties, he has missed six to 10 games in his 36 years as the PA announcer, including Ron Hextall's historic goal. On Dec. 8, 1987, Hextall became the first goalie in NHL history to shoot the puck and score a goal. John McAdams was Nolan's replacement that night. "He busted on me a little for that," Nolan said. Nolan was the Flyers' PA announcer when they stunningly won their first Stanley Cup in 1974 by beating the Boston Bruins, 1-0, in Game 6 of the Finals at the frenzied Spectrum. "Flyers goal scored by No. 19, Rick MacLeish. Assist, No. 6, Andre Dupont." There is a rhythmic cadence to his dignified scoring announcements - and they are done in an enthusiastic-but-professional manner that makes them echo in your mind. "It was," Nolan said, "the biggest goal in Flyers history at that point." And probably still is.
Ed Moran ED SNIDER is not sure if he can watch the day that the Spectrum comes down. There have been too many good times and too many moments that the Flyers chairman will never forget in the building he built in South Philadelphia as a home for the hockey team he started. But that doesn't really matter to Snider, because you can tear down a building but you can't erase the memories. "I just keep telling myself that it's not the physical building that counts, it's the memories,'' Snider said yesterday. "I'm going to keep them with me forever.'' And tomorrow afternoon, Snider will add another when the Flyers play Carolina in a preseason game that will kick off the Spectrum's final season. It will be the last time two NHL teams will play in the building, which opened when the Flyers entered the league in 1967. The day will be highlighted by a ceremony, including the return of 11 of the team's 15 former captains. Fans are being encouraged to arrive early for a free block party, featuring live entertainment and interactive games, beginning at 11 a.m. The Flyers also will play the Phantoms at the Spectrum on Oct. 7. "This will be one unbelievable way to celebrate the Spectrum,'' said Shawn Tilger, Flyers senior vice president of business operations. "The fan response to our games at the Wachovia Spectrum this preseason has been incredible. Ed Snider and [Comcast-Spectacor president] Peter Luukko really want this to be a tribute to our fans who, with their dedication, loyalty and enthusiasm, made the Spectrum a great place for Flyers hockey and a tough place for our opponents.'' For Snider it will be another special moment, but nothing like the ones that came before - like the Sunday afternoon in May 1974 the Flyers won the Stanley Cup by finishing off the favored Boston Bruins. "I will never forget the afternoon we won the Stanley Cup in there,'' he said. "It will be etched in my mind forever.'' And there were the countless concerts, the artists who have appeared there. "There are too many to mention,'' Snider said. "We had Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel. There were just so many.''
Discussing plans for musical celebration of the last year at Wachovia Spectrum in Photo Taken: September 17, 2008
Thursday August 28th Philadelphia Daily News - Flyers could add second preseason game at Spectrum Chuck Bausman The Flyers might play a second preseason game at the Wachovia Spectrum before their longtime former home is torn down. According to Flyers senior vice president of business operations Shawn Tilger, the game under consideration would be against the Phantoms, their HAL affiliate, on Oct. 7. Last month, the Flyers announced they would play a preseason game on Sept. 27 against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Spectrum, where on May 19, 1974, the Stanley Cup was paraded around the ice, firmly in the grip of captain Bobby Clarke and playoff MVP goalie Bernie Parent. "Due to the demand and limited number of available tickets [for the Sept. 27 game], the Flyers are in discussions to add a game," Tilger said. Comcast-Spectacor recently announced this would be the final year of the Spectrum, which will be razed to make room for the Philly Live entertainment complex. The Flyers' season opens Oct. 11 at home against the New York Rangers. Delaware County Times - Spectrum farewell might shed 88 tears Anthony Sanfilippo The Flyers have always been a team known for remembering its past. Sometimes they have been criticized for hanging onto things for far too long - namely the Broad Street Bullies moniker, or trotting out Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" one too many hundreds of times. Of course, their fans love it. Even 30-plus years later. But those die-hards are in for a real treat when their favorite team returns to the Spectrum ice for one final game - albeit a preseason one - against the Carolina Hurricanes Sept. 27. That's because the Flyers are experts at waxing nostalgic. "Ed Snider and Peter Luukko want to throw a celebration and party for the fans that made the Spectrum what it is and gave it the reputation it has," Shawn Tilger, the organization's senior vice president of business operations, said about his brass bosses. That loud music and video accompaniment that ensconces every Flyers game? It won't be heard. There will be nothing but old-fashioned organ music played, with several "Let's Go Fly-errs," chords strung together, just like the old days. The telecast on Comcast SportsNet will have a similarly retro feel. And don't be surprised if the Flyers debut their (latest) new third jersey at this game, an orange sweater akin to those worn by the pre-Stanley Cup winning squads. Oh, and speaking of Lord Stanley, he'll be on the premises too, fresh off a summer tour of North American and European cities that are the hometowns of the cup-champion Detroit Red Wings.
It won't be a regular-season game, but word on the street is that the Flyers will play the Phantoms there Oct. 7, four days before the start of the season. Tilger wouldn't confirm that the second game is set in stone, but did say the Flyers are considering doing something like that the week before the regular season is set to begin.
With the 16th captain in franchise history expected to be named soon (cough, Mike Richards, cough), nine have already agreed to show up for the ceremony. RSVPs are still expected to come from several others, including Lindros and Peter Forsberg. Efforts by the Daily Times to reach them were unsuccessful.
This grand goodbye will include mementos and surprises for fans, and remembrances of players that have passed on.
Monday August 18th Send-offs: Spectrum vs. the Vet A THANK YOU in advance to Ed Snider as he prepares to send off the beloved Spectrum as more than just a slab of concrete but a place where some of our lifelong memories were created. It's where parents took children to see their first Flyers or Sixers game, or a classic concert, or the circus. To acknowledge, honor and understand our memories of Broad and Pattison is not only important to Mr. Snider but to countless loyal and passionate patrons who have enjoyed the Spectrum for decades. That's unlike Jeff Lurie, who carpetbagged into town with his smoke and mirrors and Hollywood production crew to depict our Veterans Stadium as if it were a warehouse-stored movie prop used in one of his B movies. Sometimes, Mr. Lurie, tugging at our heartstrings is more important than pulling on our purse strings.
Wednesday July 16th The Bill Lyon At its ear-shattering best, it was Thunderdome, a When a And if they were losing . . . ah, well, then it was a mournful wail, so haunting that wolf packs a thousand miles away lifted their muzzles to the heavens and bayed at the moon in sympathetic reply. To this day, it is claimed that way up there in the cold, cold north there are wolves that know how to boo. For three full decades and bits and pieces of two more, the Spectrum served its purpose uncommonly well - it was more than just another antiseptic arena, it was one of our civic cathedrals, a signature profile, its lights emitting an inviting glow, tempting, bidding you to come in, suggesting all manner of entertainment. Crooners crooned there. Dr. J dunked there. Sinatra in a tux, Doc walking on air. Smooth. Silk-on-satin smooth. The Flyers won Stanley Cups there, won them when the sport was new here - hockey? What's hockey? - won by toothless Canadians long on grit and gristle. They came into their locker room before the deciding game to find this message written on a chalk board by their coach, the enigmatic Fred Shero: "Win today and we walk together forever." Quite a prophecy. Clarkie and Bernie. The Watson brothers. Moose and Hound. Big Bird and The Hammer. Lunch-pail, hard-hat athletes, hungry . . . hungry and ravenous because the big money hadn't infected their sport yet. Even they didn't fully comprehend the impact they would have on this town. None of us could. They were the best and the brightest, and they remain so to this day. The Blade Runners. The Spectrum was theirs. They brawled and bashed and splattered its ice with blood - the opponents' and their own. In Kate Smith played big, too. In life and in records. Adopted as the Flyers' good luck talisman, when her version of "God Bless And then the hard wood would be placed on top of the ice and the 76ers would take over. Moses and Remember? They gave us our last parade. Twenty-five years ago. Ah, boy, we know that math, don't we? All of us. Know it by heart. Know every galling, gnawing season of frustration. Nothing lasts forever . . . well, with the exception of public television pledge drives and the lack of So, there will soon be a tiny, precise mound of rubble and from the bones will arise new commercial ventures. The Spectrum will be the third sporting venue fatality of recent time, joining JFK Stadium and the Vet. They recede in our memory, and when summoned, now show up fuzzy and indistinct. Years hence, such a fate undoubtedly awaits the Spectrum. But its passing needs to be observed. It was home to heroes and zeros, to moments of giddy exhilaration and wrenching despair, to high drama and low comedy. The fall of the Wachovia Spectrum thins the I did 31 years and a small river of words in the Spectrum, hunched over at a Quasimodo trajectory in the cramped hockey press box, or wedged in along the baseline, so close to the floor I could see the whole unit - basket, backboard, stanchion, all of it - be moved by Charles Barkley at the conclusion of a two-handed breakaway dunk. No one tried to step in and take a charge against Charles. The single best individual play I ever saw in the Spectrum was on a dank, rain-lashed night in March of 1992, Duke against Christian Laettner took a 75-foot inbounds pass at the top of the key, faked, pivoted, and put up a jump shot that splashed the netting at the gun. As is customary in this profession, we were given 37 seconds to write 500 words. There were a lot of deadlines in the Spectrum, a lot of nights when you looked beseechingly at all those banners draped from the rafters, pleading desperately for inspiration, asking the building to bail you out one more time. It's only a building, the pragmatist will say, and correctly so. Concrete and steel rods. Inanimate. Maybe so. But it is also the repository of memories, memories for which there are no replacements. So then, let us lift a glass. And cherish the memories.
Philadelphia Inquirer - Wachovia Spectrum to be demolished Frank Fitzpatrick In the end, the Wachovia Spectrum suffered the same fate as many of the teams that inhabited the oval-shaped Ed Snider, who along with Jerry Wolman got the arena built in 1967, said the demolition likely would take place next spring, after the seasons of its pro sports tenants, the Phantoms and Kixx, who are not sure where they will play in the future. "This has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make," Snider said. "The Spectrum is my baby." Plans for the start of the ambitious project, known as Philly Live!, remain vague. A spokesman for the proposed developer, Cordish Co. of Baltimore, said the company was "still going through the permitting process and cost-estimating." "Philly Live! is progressing very nicely," said David Cordish, the company's president. Some have speculated that, given resident opposition to the proposed riverfront locations of two planned Council President Anna C. Verna, who represents the Second District, which includes the Spectrum, has backed the project. She urged the developers, whatever their plans, to keep her constituents in the loop. Peter Luukko, the president of Comcast-Spectacor, said one of the building's current tenants, the American Hockey League Phantoms, might play some home games at the Broad Street Bullies The building's last hockey hurrah came in 1998 courtesy of the Phantoms, whose fan base included many who supported the old Flyers but couldn't afford seats in the new building. Their playoff run woke up the Spectrum's echos. "The fact that we were able to play in the Spectrum was pretty intimidating for teams to come in," said Flyers coach John Stevens, who played on those Phantoms. "We were able to piggyback on the tradition that had been established for years." The Kixx' future remains fuzzier. Its Major Indoor Soccer League recently announced it was folding and attempting to reorganize. If the Kixx survive, they could be looking at an abbreviated schedule, Luukko said. "The Kixx is a strong franchise, and we will be playing next year in a newly founded league," said team president Jeffrey Rotwitt. "We are in the midst of advanced discussions and will make an announcement in the coming month that will continue professional indoor soccer in Farewell events However and whenever its demise occurs, the Spectrum will long be recalled for its decades of events and the roster of local athletic stars who performed there - Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, Charles Barkley, Billy Cunningham, Moses Malone, Ron Hextall and Joe Frazier. Most memorably, the Flyers, founded just seven years earlier by Snider, won their first of two straight Stanley Cups there on May 19, 1974. The 1-0 shutout of "We had great times going down to the games and then going crazy when they won the Cup," said The 76ers' Erving helped revolutionize basketball with the signature slam dunks that ignited Spectrum fans. Bobby Knight's "The Spectrum was different from arenas now," said Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks, who starred for the team there. "It was packed in, smaller, tighter. There were none of those boxes, people were all up on you, and that's what we got used to. You could familiarize yourself with the people. I remember one guy, Stevie, he sat right across from the bench. He still comes to the games at the The building, especially in its first decade, also was the site for many top-flight boxing bouts. Frazier, Roberto Duran, Matthew Saad Muhammad and Marvelous Marvin Hagler fought there. By the 1980s, however, the local fight scene had shifted to Curiously, the Spectrum's most famous bout took place 3,000 miles away. The arena was the setting for the Rocky Balboa-Apollo Creed heavyweight title bout in the 1976 Academy Award-winning film Rocky. That fight, however, actually was filmed at the Los Angeles Sports Coliseum. Nonetheless, a statue of the fictional Rocky stood outside the Spectrum for many years before finding a permanent home near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Spectrum also hosted wrestling, circuses, ice shows and concerts. Entertainers from Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley to Billy Joel to Springsteen performed there. The Grateful Dead alone played the Spectrum 53 times. Built for $12 million as a home for the NHL-expansion Flyers and the 76ers, who had been playing at Depression-era Convention Hall, the Spectrum hosted a jazz festival and an ice show to benefit the Rotary Club in the days before its official opening. But it was a heavyweight fight between the undefeated Frazier, a Philadelphian, and Tony Doyle that christened the arena on Oct. 17, 1967. (Frazier won in two rounds.) The 76ers, then the defending NBA champions, played their first Spectrum date a night later, Oct. 18. The brand-new Flyers made their debut Oct. 19. On his first visit, legendary sports columnist Red Smith characterized the new arena as an "elliptical hat box" and "a $12 million center of the perspiring arts." Others said it resembled a "sardine can." Still, the modern facility, well-lit and with broad corridors and concession stands that were plentiful and accessible, moved the city into the modern-sports era, became the foundation for Snider's sports empire, and was beloved by Philadelphians. Its predecessors, Convention Hall and the Arena at 46th and Market Streets, were dark and dour symbols of the black-and-white age when they were built. Until its opening, there hadn't been a major professional sports facility constructed in the city since 1931, when Convention Hall was finished. Its demolition, just five years after its contemporary, Veterans Stadium, was imploded, will leave the Franklin Field and the Palestra, on the Perhaps the Spectrum's most infamous moment occurred in 1968, just six months into its long run, when gusty winds tore large holes in its roof. Without a home for a month, the Flyers played home games in The Spectrum's future has been in doubt since January, when Snider revealed plans for Philly Live! Verna, whose support will be critical for getting the project's zoning changes through City Council, suggested the project could be an economic boon to her district. "This has the potential to bring a world-class retail and entertainment complex to "It's a sad day," Jon Bon Jovi, co-owner of the Arena Football League's Soul, told the Associated Press. His band, Bon Jovi, played 14 concerts at the Spectrum. "It's a dark day in During a "Just like the sporting teams, we've moved next door," he said. "But we'll never forget the Spectrum - dressing in Bobby Clarke's locker." Luukko indicated the decision was particularly hard on Snider: "Ed built this house," he said. "[Now] he's tearing his house down." The Spectrum was a wonderful building in which to see a game or a concert - except on the off chance you needed to use the bathroom at some point. The intimacy of the place lost some of its charm then, particularly to the women who could not press the sinks into emergency service and instead stood shifting from one foot to the other in those long lines that snaked along the narrow concourse. You can get as sentimental about the Spectrum as you'd like, and this is the week for that, but don't get more carried away than its owners. The Comcast-Spectacor folks are saying the expected things, and meaning them, but they're not going to let memories stand in the way of a potential development bonanza. For its time, the Spectrum got the job done. At the age of 41, ancient by arena standards, it hosted the official announcement yesterday that - this time next year - there will be only rubble in its place. As a comparison, the oldest operating NBA arena that has never had a major renovation project is the Nets' arena in the Meadowlands, which was opened in 1981. Even though the Sixers and Flyers have been out of the Spectrum since 1996, the place has kept operating and aging. "There's nothing visible that's deteriorated from the fans' perspective, but the infrastructure would need money: plumbing, electrical and the like," company chief operating officer Peter Luukko said yesterday between memory-lane tours for the local television stations. The reasons to keep the Spectrum open have pretty much disappeared, and it would be expensive to keep it going, so the time is right, from Comcast-Spectacor's perspective, to knock it down and make way for the commercial complex being designed by The Cordish Co. in Cordish's plans for Philly Live! are still in the drawing stages, and there is no firm decision yet about whether a hotel will anchor one side of it. There will be stores and restaurants and an enclosed mall and, if the artist's renderings are correct, a "Gateway Block" that lures customers into the complex from the corner of Satisfying America's insatiable quest for more Hard Rock Cafe outlets, packaging them in all-encompassing mall-like projects that happily fulfill all of the customers' entertainment, shopping and nourishment needs - if their needs are like everyone else's - is Cordish's specialty. It will be very nice, probably, and it will have new plumbing, and somewhere they will remember to put a plaque that says something about the Sixers, Flyers and Billy Joel. The statues of Kate Smith, Julius Erving and Gary Dornhoefer will have to be moved, though. "We'll find somewhere appropriate," Luukko said. The only collateral damage is suffered by the Phantoms, but Luukko said they lose money anyway, and lots of cities would love to have an AHL team. The Kixx don't technically exist now - at least if you consider the league's shutting down to be a problem - so it's hard to displace them. Ed Snider, the company chairman, was the one who gave the go-ahead for yesterday's announcement. He and his partner Jerry Wolman built the Spectrum, and then the two men split into separate business entities, with Snider getting the Flyers and Wolman the building. There are differing accounts about what happened next, but the Spectrum went broke, and Snider took over its operation, too. He is sentimental about the place, but only to a point. "It became inevitable," Snider said of the demolition. "It's something we've been reluctant to do, but at this point, the building has seen its best days. We'll always have the memories." True enough. Knocking down the Vet didn't diminish the great seasons there for the Phillies and Eagles. Losing the Spectrum won't change what happened there, either, just as no one seemed to mind when Convention Hall came down, taking the space that contained Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell along with it. We move on. We change. We go to the new places. We walk past the parking lots where the old places used to be. We pause. We remember. And then we get a burger at the Hard Rock. What's so bad? |
