In the winter of 1973–74, Andy Abramson was a 14-year-old Flyers fanatic trying to sell an ad for his junior high school yearbook. He walked into the Blue Line Club — the Flyers' fan club — and met Ed Tepper, the man who would hand him his first real job: stuffing Philadelphia Wings tickets into envelopes for a paycheck he couldn't believe was real.
The Philadelphia Wings were a member of the National Lacrosse League — professional box lacrosse at The Spectrum, the same building where the Flyers were about to win the Stanley Cup. PR director Sy Roseman saw something in the kid: boundless energy, an instinct for people, and the nerve to walk around The Spectrum like he owned the place. Sy took him under his wing and taught him everything about the game, the media, and the relationships that make sports work.
The players gave him a nickname — "Opie" — courtesy of Captain Carm Collins and John Grant, who spotted the 14-year-old walking in with his school books on a mail strap and thought of Ron Howard's character in the Andy Griffith Show. The name stuck. For two seasons, he was "Opie," or just plain "Op" — a full member of a locker room brotherhood that included some of the toughest, most colorful characters in professional sports.
On May 19, 1974 — the same day the Flyers won the Stanley Cup — the Wings played their home opener at The Spectrum. In the chaos that followed the championship celebration, a 14-year-old Andy Abramson walked into the visiting locker room and told Phil Esposito and the Boston Bruins they had to clear out. Esposito stubbed out his cigar and left. That was the moment Andy understood: in sports, sometimes the smallest person in the room has the biggest role to play.
"Those years shaped me. They took a kid who loved watching the game and turned him into someone who lived it, breathed it, and learned from it."
The Media Remembers
Two major publications covered the 50th anniversary of the original Philadelphia Wings — and Andy Abramson's role in their story.
The Dawning of The Boys of Summer
Andy Abramson's personal account of the Philadelphia Wings years — the full memoir article and the speech he delivered at the 50th anniversary reunion.
Philadelphia Wings — Celebrating 50 Years
Ten archival photographs from the 1973–1976 Philadelphia Wings era — with the original soundtrack of Philadelphia. Hit ♪ T.S.O.P. to play MFSB's "The Sound of Philadelphia" as you watch.
T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia) — MFSB feat. The Three Degrees · Philadelphia International Records · 1973
The Wings Reunion Interview
Larry Lloyd, Ted Peters, Wings owner Ed Tepper, former Spectrum President Lou Scheinfeld, and Andy Abramson sit down with Museum of Sports Radio to reflect on the Philadelphia Wings — the team, the era, and what it all meant.
The Boys of Summer
The 1974–75 Philadelphia Wings — the ragtag band of warriors from Canada who became Andy Abramson's first professional family.
Explore the Full Comunicano Sports Story
The Wings era was the beginning. Discover what came next — from Hockey Central to the Denver Nuggets to the modern Comunicano Sports Report.
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