By ROB TANENBAUM, Courier-Post Staff; January 15th, 1975
PHILADELPHIA – When the Wings first came on the Philadelphia pro sports scene last year, they fought like the Canadians who could win the war without the aid of John Wayne and the US. Marines.
The promotional TV spots they used showed the viciousness of the sport of box lacrosse.Most fans probably thought the final score was not determined by goals, but by the 10-point must system Muhammad Ali seemed their most likely draft choice.
And they didn’t disappoint anyone In the first game of the season, the Wings’ top heavyweight, captain Carm Collins, destroyed Maryland superstar Paul Suggate in a fight, breaking his nose.
First round to the Wings, trouble was that they lost the game. Then the Wings began to win. Trouble was that they never won a fight the rest of the season. Sure, their regular season championship kept the 9,000 steady customers from complaining about the lack of duking But no one, especially the Wings’ front office, was happy about the team leading the league in BBMRs (black and blue marks received).
“We want to be tough like the Flyers.” said general manager Jack Bionda. “We don’t want to be dirty, but I want a team that can take care of anything that comes its way.”
For their second year on the Philadelphia pro sports scene, the Wings promise to come up with something new First, they will claim they win everything: Regular season and playoffs. Second: They claim they will win all the fights.
For this purpose, they’ve come up with a new coach who wants his team to fight—and who isn’t afraid to fight himself.
Bobby Marsh, 42, is the man Bionda tapped to become the Wings’ Angelo Dundee. He is a short, stout man with large blue eyes and a nose obviously battered by bouts with sticks and fists. He’d be perfect for a second in a ’30s Cagney fight flick.
In his playing days in Western Canada, Marsh scored barely more points than he spent minutes in the penalty box. He scored 581 points, sat out 573 minutes. His nine years of coaching have produced teams as tough as he is.
“He has beeen known to throw a few tantrums, which I don’t want to see, particularly,” said Bionda, who ran into Marsh in East-West title playoffs.
“Yes, I get involved in the game,” said Marsh. “I’ve been known to throw a few oranges around in the dressing room. I don’t like to see any of my players ruffled up on the floor.
“It gets frustrating behind the bench sometimes I usually bring along a clipboard with lineups and things and I’ve busted my share. One time I tried an aluminum one. I bent that one, too. The edge was so sharp, I was afraid I’d cut someone’s head off.”
Marsh promises to be quite a change-of-pace from mild- mannered Bobby Allan, who resigned to remain as vice principal in a Peterborough high school. Allan’s team was often reluctant to fight, Marsh’s promises to retaliate first, think later, even if Marsh is the one doing the retaliating.
