The Real-Life Gritty: Flyers Legend Joe “Thundermouth” Watson Appearing at Surfside Park
Joe Watson (right) and his brother Jimmy flank Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider at the NHL Winter Classic in 2012.
By Al Morganti
So, if Gritty was a human being, who could possibly combine the skill, the fun, and the outrageous behavior of the Flyers’ magnificent mascot?
Let me suggest that person already exists, wears two Stanley Cup rings, and has written a remarkable book about his wild adventures from Smithers, British Columbia to the Jersey Shore. His name is Joe Watson, and the Flyers legend will appear at Avalon’s Surfside Park on Sunday, June 21 at 4pm, courtesy of the Avalon Free Public Library.
And talking about the library, Joe will entertain with many stories from his biography “Thundermouth: Memoirs of a Broad Street Bully and NHL Lifer.” What better way to celebrate Father’s Day with your dad than a relaxing Sunday afternoon listening to stories about the Flyers’ wild days of the 1970s?
You think Gritty can get out of control, just wait until you hear the stories that Joe Watson can share about those storied days when the Flyers owned Philadelphia from October through June, and the Jersey Shore from Father’s Day until Labor Day.
And don’t worry, you will be able to hear the stories because, as the title suggests, Joe Watson still has the booming voice that used to echo from the ice surface of the Spectrum right to the rafters. In fact, it might be suggested that the year the roof blew off the Spectrum, it wasn’t a windstorm that did the damage, but Joe Watson’s voice celebrating another victory.
This past season was a great revival for Flyers hockey as the team under coach Rick Tocchet finally returned to the Stanley Cup playoffs and won a round against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite being eliminated in the next round by the Carolina Hurricanes, the team got a huge ovation from the crowd as they appreciated the return of exciting, winning Flyers hockey.
It was getting to the point that a younger generation had to be told of how great it was to be a Flyers fan, and all of that started when Joe Watson and his brother Jimmy were part of those Flyers teams in the 1970s that set the standard that exists to this day.
Those teams stole headlines from the Eagles, Phillies, and Sixers and turned Philadelphia into a city of champions. More than that, they set a physical standard that made it more than believable that a guy named Rocky could run the streets of Philadelphia and rule the world. After all, the Flyers had already done that in real life!
And with that booming voice, Joe Watson loves to tell the stories of those days – and not just on the ice. Oh, no, Joe is more than eager to discuss some of the great times the Flyers had at the Jersey Shore and across the entire continent from those days.
You want to hear about hunting from a moving train in British Columbia with Bernie Parent – buckle up, because you won’t want to miss the details. Joe Watson’s wide-eyed enjoyment, loud voice and outrageous laugh will make you wish you could have been with those Flyers every day through their journey to becoming legends in Philadelphia.
Who else can tell you about rooming with Bobby Orr in a Bruins rookie camp? Who else can tell you about those little conversations with Parent in front of the net, and all the meetings with Freddie “The Fog” Shero as the coach came up with game plans to win two consecutive Stanley Cups.
Want to relive a victory over the Soviet Red Army team and be told exactly why they left the ice in Philadelphia? Well, let Joe Watson give you the lowdown – and you won’t have any trouble hearing those stories, maybe as far away as Ocean City!
Yep, this is the man who didn’t score many goals in the NHL as he was a stay-at-home-and-crush-people defenseman. But he did score a shorthanded goal against maybe the best goalie on the planet, Vladislav Tretiak, after which Shero said Watson “set Soviet hockey back 25 years.”
Joe Watson loves to go over those stories, and the reality is that they should be passed down from generation to generation. Chances are he shared many of those stories with his friend Jack Erkert at Jack’s Place in Avalon. Just like most of the Flyers, Watson spent many a summer around the shore playing charity softball with the Flyers as they raised so much money for the Helen L. Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children.
So, what better way to spend Father’s Day than giving dad a chance to enjoy all those wild stories and enjoy the fact that Flyers hockey looks like it might be on track once again to enjoy that sort of success – knowing that no team will ever be as colorful or loud as Thundermouth and those Flyers of the ’70s.
One bit of advice, Joe Watson loves to meet and greet everybody, but he still has a vice-like handshake. In fact, this typist once invited a punk band to take in a Flyers game, and when the bass player shook hands with Joe, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to play the guitar later that night!
I will be on hand to introduce Joe, and after that everybody can just sit back and enjoy the stories.
Meet the Author: Broad Street Bully Joe Watson at Surfside Park
Don’t miss a special appearance by Philadelphia Flyers legend Joe Watson! Author of the hit memoir Thundermouth, Joe brings the golden age of hockey to life with stories of the Broad Street Bullies, Stanley Cup championships, and his legendary career. Come hear the stories behind the book, get your copy signed, and meet a true Philadelphia sports icon.
Who: Flyers legend Joe Watson, a star defenseman for the two-time Stanley Cup champion Broad Street Bullies, will appear with longtime Flyers and NHL writer/broadcaster Al Morganti.
When: Sunday, June 21, 4pm
Where: Surfside Park, 29th Street & Avalon Avenue, Avalon
What: Watson is expected to speak about his career and his wild times with the Flyers.