Sam Carchidi’s new book spins never-before-told tales about the Philadelphia Flyers of the “Broad Street Bullies” era
It has been 50 years since the brawling and multi-talented Philadelphia Flyers won their last Stanley Cup, but the bond between the fans and those players is still remarkably strong.
Win a championship in Philadelphia, and you are loved forever.
That’s one of the themes of “Bullies,” a new book by JerseyMan Magazine contributor Sam Carchidi and Jeff Hare that goes behind the scenes and uncovers some never-before-told stories about the Broad Street Bullies – some of them heartbreaking, some of them oh-so uplifting.
It’s not a recap of their accomplishments – Stanley Cup titles in 1974 and 1975, a monumental win over the Soviet Red Army in 1976 – but a look back at what the players and front office went through to get to the top. On and off the ice.
Some of it is painful, some of it is surprising (the parade madness that forced a star player to go home), and some of it will leave you laughing out loud, such as the crazy stories that surround the Flyers’ unofficial hangout, Rexy’s in South Jersey.
The book is available on Amazon.com or at local bookstores.
Carchidi, Hare, and producer Susan Blanchard Ryan are also negotiating with networks to make “Bullies” a TV series, one they describe as “when Rocky meets Slapshot meets Boogie Nights.” – S.C.
