Phantoms To Honor Past With New Jerseys

The recently-sold, soon-to-be-outta-here (I guess) Philadelphia Phantoms still have the rest of this season to play out at the Spectrum. And what better way to honor the Broad Street Bullies of the 1970s than by playing in these weird new jerseys!

To be honest, though, I kinda like ‘em. They’re so hideously ugly — really, guys? orange, black and white stripes? — that it warms my heart. Go get ‘em, Broad Street Bully Phantoms!

Phantoms to Don “Bullies” Tribute Jerseys [The 700 Level]

Smoke On The Frozen Water

Not since that dude shot a bottle rocket across the 700 level of the Vet back in ‘97 (I think) has there been an incident as ridiculous as the one at the Flyers’ game Saturday: Someone threw a homemade smoke bomb (not purchased at a store!) onto the ice after a Flyers’ goal was waved off in OT.

The Flyers are really pissed, talking about canceling season tickets and whatnot. Also, ha ha, here is the description of the suspects:

The description being released is of two males about 6 feet tall. One is described as an African-American wearing a white Flyers jersey and a white male also wearing a Flyers jersey, with his face painted.

A white Flyers fan and a black Flyers fan. With those descriptions, we’ll find ‘em in no time.

Rangers Fan To Drop Ceremonial First Puck At Flyers Opener

Philly Edge checks in with a reminder about Sarah Palin’s ceremonial puck-dropping at the Flyers opener. It seems Michael Klein wrote a little ditty on Sunday about a near faux paus by Palin her last time in town:

Bobbi and Garry Adair of Montgomeryville were on a down elevator last Sunday at the Westin in Center City - he in a Phillies shirt, she in a Donovan McNabb Eagles jersey - when the door opened.

In stepped Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (left) and her security guys. Palin wore a New York Rangers sweater with “Palin 08″ on the back.

Bobbi Adair greeted the veep candidate and asked what she was up to.

Going for a run, Palin replied.

“Not in that shirt you’re not,” Adair says she told her.

Which explains why Palin jogged in a green No. 5 jersey, topped by a pink cap. News anchors later praised her sartorial sense.

I can’t believe the Adairs. Could you imagine how funny it would be if Sarah Palin ran around Philadelphia for a photo op with a New York Rangers jersey on? It’d be front page news for weeks. And the team the Flyers play opening night? Of course: The New York Rangers.

Will Bunch is predictably hilariously upset about all of this: “Flyers fans should be outraged — even conservative ones, because this misuse of a hockey game for his political agenda is flat out wrong.” That’ll be five minutes for misuse of a hockey game.

Sarah Palin. To Drop First Puck. At Flyers Opener.

Let the “Hockey Mom” puns begin. Sarah Palin is dropping the puck at the Flyers opener. I assume that Sarah Palin, being a true blue fan of the game and an aw-shucks folksy Alaskan, is not doing any sort of “ceremonial” nonsense; she is probably refereeing the contest as well.

Comcast Spectacor’s press release says otherwise; they must just be pulling our chain. An excerpt:

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the nation’s most popular hockey mom, will join the winner of the Philadelphia Flyers regional search for the “Ultimate Hockey Mom” contest and drop the puck at the ceremonial opening face-off as the home team Flyers host the New York Rangers at the Wachovia Center on Saturday, October 11 at 7 p.m.

“Because of the tremendous amount of publicity she has brought to our sport, we invited the most popular hockey mom in North America to our home opener to help us get our season started,” said Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider who founded the Flyers in 1967. “We are very excited she has accepted our offer and we are very proud of the publicity she is generating for hockey moms and the sport of hockey.”

See, they’re bringing out a regular hockey mom along with Palin so you can’t boo her. (This is like when Pat Croce introduced Sugar Ray before Game 5 of the 2001 NBA Finals.) Also, why only a regional search for the Ultimate Hockey Mom? Pretty soon John McCain’s going to suspend his campaign to say we should only vote in Alaska.

It’s a good thing Palin finally got some publicity for the sport of hockey, though.

Meet the Flyers new hockey mom: Sarah! As in Palin! [Inquirer]