Author: Frank Fitzpatrick
Some thoughts after Wednesday night's Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Penn's Landing:
Where else but Philly could the honored inductees have included a Bucko and a Greasy?
Has there ever been a more minutia-filled, hilarious and heartwarming acceptance speech than the lengthy one delivered by inductee Chuck Klein's niece, Mary Jane Tropiano? I'm pretty sure it's the first one I've heard that included references to foul-mouthed parrots and beheaded chickens.
North Catholic people are noisy - especially when the drinks are free.
How would you like to have been at the 1954 Philadelphia Sportswriters Association banquet? A Hall program from that affair noted that the guests included Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Connie Mack, Jim Thorpe, Tris Speaker, George Mikan, Klein and Al Rosen.
Why hasn't age mellowed Chuck Bednarik?
No presidential aide ever guarded a briefcase more tenaciously than Temple's Al Shrier. Shrier carries his constantly - even to the podium when he spoke on behalf of inductee Harry Litwack.
The auction during the banquet might have been the only one I've ever witnessed where the top bidder - for a round of golf with Jay Sigel at Aronimink - was the sponsoring organization's treasurer.
Bill Lyon might be retired but he still looks 45 and can write rings around me.
Emcee Pat Williams, the onetime 76ers GM, has written 47 books and 47 million corny jokes.
I'm happy to report not a single skirmish erupted at the Flyers' table, though things did get a little testy when Joe Watson and Paul Holmgren both reached for the raspberry vinaigrette.
And speaking ofthe Flyers' table, why wasn't inductee Bill Barber seated there?
Looking at the team photo of the 1980 Phillies made me wonder:
A. How they ever found hats large enough to accommodate Bake McBride's Afro.
B. Whether Paul Owens used his World Series money to replace that hideous leisure suit.
C. Whether Ron Reed ever smiled.
D. What was worse? AstroTurf? Perms? That Phillies "P"? Or Pete Rose's soup-bowl haircut?
