Bigjack: Boston vs NY Rangers 10-1-76 pre-season game Fotiu-O'Reilly

[Orr4]

I watched all of the Fotiu fights on Youtube I could find and I came away thinking two things: 1. He knew what he was doing, hardly a wasted punch. Guys must have thought twice before dropping the gloves with him. And 2. He was not a loose cannon like a bunch of guys who were just crashing, banging and looking to fight.
Still I doubt O'Reilly feared him. After watching 24 for many years I always remember thinking I've never seen him coast for a single shift. He was a very rare athlete who could always find a reason to play hard. If he turned down Nicky there had to be something else to it.
I thought I could put this one to rest after Saturday night. My daughter volunteered to serve meals at a bike race to raise money for cancer research. I knew O'Reilly was in it last year with a bunch of other Bruins so I showed her who he was and told her to look for him. If she saw him she was going to ask if he ever turned down Nicky! He was there but he was in a different line!

[Flyers_22]

Originally Posted by Schultz

If O'Reilly didn't want to fight him that night then what about when Nick flattens the Bruins goalie Baron and Terry's near by and does nothing? What didn't Wilson want to fight Nick again when Nick's get's into Wilson's face and offered him out a second time? Why does Probert decline to fight Nick on 2 seperate incidents that's captured on video? Why did Cashman shy away? Esposito and other Ranger teammates have said that he gave them protection whenever Nick was on the ice against teams like the Bruins or Flyers stopped picking on the smaller Ranger players. Does that sound like a MYTH? How many guys really went toe to toe with Nick besides McIlhargey, Wilson or Cox? Most guys like Maloney took the easy way out by using the takedown or hugging and staying in close afraid to open up. Like Bigjack says Nick would fly around the ice banging boddies with no takers. Is that his fault? He's asked out Probert, O'Reilly, Schultz, Cashman, some of the best ever and nobody wanted him. If any of the players I've mentioned were maybe at the end of a shift and tired, hungover, maybe not feeling good or what ever other reason for not fighting Nick then why is it that they never tried to fight Nick when maybe they weren't feeling ill or were tired? It seems odd to me that if I'm considered a top NHL fighter and a newbie like Fotiu enters the league then why wouldn't I want to fight him to gain a huge rep if I beat him. If I were a top NHL fighter and maybe didn't want to fight Nick because the time isn't right, I'd being looking for him again to prove to myself and others that I wasn't afraid of him. I'd want to fight Nick to erase any doubts of anyone calling me a chicken. Even if I wasn't sure I could beat him. That's why Fotiu thinks so highly of Clackson. Clackson was fearless and would fight Fotiu over and over again never worrying if he was gonna lose. Maybe that's why Fotiu seems to have the most repsect for only 2 players, Clackson and Holt. Sure Nick lost a few fights, nothing major as nobody ever hurt him in the NHL but you guys love to nitpick on this. Everybody lost a few fights. Out of the top fighters of alltime Nick was one of the few who never got beat bad.

Nick was bent over and spanked by Nystrom. Brashear declined Andrew Peters last year on television. In 20 years we can remember the time that overrated Brashear turned down big bad Andrew Peters. We saw it so it must mean that Peters is top 10 all-time.

[battleship25]

Originally Posted by bigjack

I'm still waiting for someone to have the balls to post the Baron clip so we can watch O'Reilly and all the other Bruins on the ice say and do nothing. They won't because it would make them all look bad. Really comical but hey that's an opinion forum and fine and dandy.
With so many guys here who sit in a room all day watching tapes like Roger Neilson, you would of thought that one of them would post the Baron or Cashman clip to watch the brave Bruins!
Comical but telling.

Just reading through this thread...some pretty entertaining stuff. I'm trying to find that Fotiu -Baron video..anyone know where it is ?

Also Bigjack, back then you mentioned that you were at Fotiu's first preseason gm where he one punched O'Reilly. Care to elaborate ?

Also interesting to see BBBB take issue with BJ about O'Reilly 's fear of Fotiu in said Baron incident. Page three . How things have changed.

[BaddaBing Badda Boom]

Originally Posted by battleship25

Just reading through this thread...some pretty entertaining stuff. I'm trying to find that Fotiu -Baron video..anyone know where it is ?

Also Bigjack, back then you mentioned that you were at Fotiu's first preseason gm where he one punched O'Reilly. Care to elaborate ?

Also interesting to see BBBB take issue with BJ about O'Reilly 's fear of Fotiu in said Baron incident. Page three . How things have changed.

BS25 is feelin a lil frisky lately as he is doing his best Kenny Linnsman improv, ever... Yo BIgJack it's that time!