#LGR

Look, I used a pound sign a tic-tac-toe board a hashtag! What a cool dude I am!*

This Sports Illustrated came from Mark Hoyle. I remember having it back when it was new. I've mentioned in the past that I was a Sport Magazine guy growing up. Sports Illustrated was weekly of course and I figured it was published for libraries and barber shops. I bought only the issues that featured my teams on the cover. I had a nice stack of those from the 60s and 70s but somewhere along the way I lost them. I big tip of the cap goes out to Mark for sending this my way. He included another one which I'm saving for another post. The cover is one of those fold out dealies and the other part looks like so:

This issue is from early March of 1970. That spring was a giddy time for Ranger fans. It wasn't long after this issue that the Rangers made a miracle entry into the Stanley Cup playoffs on the last day of the season. My buddy and I cut school that Monday to go to the Garden and buy tickets. We got them for Games Three and Four. Game Three was an unforgettable night and it's outlined in the Wikipedia entry below.

Boston Bruins vs. New York RangersThe Boston Bruins and New York Rangers were paired in the East Division playoffs. The Bruins clobbered the Rangers 8–2 in game one and Ranger coach Emile Francis yanked Ed Giacomin when the score reached 7–1. Terry Sawchuk took over in goal. Sawchuk replaced Giacomin in game two, but a new goalie was not the answer as Boston won 5–3. Game three featured a hostile welcome for the Bruins when they skated out on Madison Square Garden ice. The fans booed and shouted obscenities at the Bruins players, shook their fists at them and made obscene gestures at them. Two Bruins players made obscene gestures at the fans. Gerry Cheevers, the Bruins goaltender, was the target of eggs, coins and rubber balls. The Bruins won the opening face-off and Giacomin made the save on Phil Esposito. The line of Derek Sanderson, Don Marcotte and Ed Westfall replaced the Esposito line to the boos of the crowd. Just before the face-off, Giacomin skated to Sanderson and reportedly said "We're being paid to get you tonight." On the face-off, the puck went behind the Ranger net and Sanderson went after it. He was immediately smashed into the boards by Walt Tkaczuk and Arnie Brown. Then he collided with Dave Balon. Sanderson dropped his stick and gloves and went at Balon, which brought Brad Park and Bill Fairbairn into the fight. Don Marcotte joined in. Then the game erupted into a series of fights. The fans, turned on by the mayhem, threw eggs, apple cores, an aerosol shave cream container, oranges and other debris. When Sanderson was ejected from the game, he screamed at referee John Ashley. Police grappled with fans trying to attack the Bruins players at the Bruins players bench. The game erupted into more fights and brawls on the ice and fans threw eggs, nails, coins and other garbage. It took 19 minutes to play the first 91 seconds of the game. When the most violent, penalty-ridden game in playoff history [to this time] was over, the teams had set a record 38 penalties for 174 minutes. Almost forgotten was that the Rangers won 4–3. Game four had Rod Gilbert score two goals in a 4–2 Ranger win. Giacomin was brilliant in goal for the Rangers and one of the highlights was stopping Derek Sanderson on a shorthanded breakaway. Game five was won by Boston 3–2 as Esposito scored two goals. Bobby Orr set up the winner when he stole a pass at center ice when the Rangers were foolishly caught on a line change. Game six was won easily by the Bruins and featured another disgraceful exhibition of fan abuse. Bobby Orr scored two goals, including the winner. Fans threw eggs, and ball bearings on the ice, and when the outcome was no longer in doubt, they set fires in the mezzanine of Madison Square Garden. Sadly, Terry Sawchuk died a few weeks after the playoffs ended. His career ended with 447 wins and 103 shutouts, records that would not be broken for the next 4 decades.

I tried to get Game Six tickets with my girlfriend later that week but we got there too late for the SRO tix. We got d-hall for cutting school. It was my second offense in a weeks time. LOL

I've scanned a few pages from the mag. Flipping through it I am amazed that I can recall the articles for the most part. The last one on the contents page was 'written' by Bill Freehan of the Tigers and is a pretty open account of life in the clubhouse with Denny McLain.

For The Record was a good way to catch up on little news blurbs your local papers might have buried.

About as much fun as the old stories are the ads. Take a gander at these:

Anyone else join one of those record 'clubs'? I was a member for awhile of the Columbia record Club. I got a new LP every month.

This is the second part of the double truck ad and it's got a picture of a record player. I wanted to make sure the younger readers got a look at it.

Mustangs!!!! I wish I had a nice 1970 'Stang. Love that one option was an AM/FM stereo radio system!

But this is the sweetest ad of all. I remember those posters as if I had them on my walls right now. I had the Giacomin, Howe, Elvin Hayes and Havlicek. The only one of that group that doesn't ring a bell is the Earl Monroe. I've seen that Bill Bradley shot a million times but I don't remember it as a poster.

Thanks again, Mark. The mags brought back some great memories.


*=LGR means Let's Go Rangers