12-07-12 10:58 PM - Post#1491412    

Watched this incident last night and had never seen this before. It was shown on news clip and shows Mann coming off the bench and skating up to Bathe and dropping him to the ice with a sucker punch. Question: Why did he do it and what is the date that this happened?

I've never read any info on this or have seen it discussed on here. Is the news clip all that exists?

12-08-12 12:40 AM - Post#1491419    

    In response to the hammer

Feb 2nd 1983

Edited by Topper77 on 12-08-12 12:41 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

12-08-12 03:57 AM - Post#1491429    

    In response to Topper77

Bathe was pushing around Doug Smail, so Mann smacked him. The news clip is all that exists.

Did it show the whole clip?

Two Flyers - I THINK they were Wilson and Holmgren - squared off with Mann with Mann positioning his back to the boards after the punch, but nothing came of it. That's how it ended. There was no revenge from the Flyers.

Bathe was a goof. Got what he deserved, even tho the punch was nothing remotely close to the infamous Gardner punch.

I think we debated this incident MANY years back, with me taking the position that it wasn't a TRUE sucker punch ala Gardner. Bathe was looking right at Mann when the punch came; I believe he even tried to get his hands up but too late. Sucker punch? I say not really, but...splitting hairs.

My attitude has always been that when you see a notorious nut like Mann skating toward you after you've abused one of his mates, you're probably getting a punch thrown at you. I've watched the punch many times, and I'm convinced Bathe saw Mann, but reacted too late to the shot.

We'll probably all agree that Bathe was a goof tho...

Edited by Q88 on 12-08-12 04:02 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

12-08-12 06:26 AM - Post#1491432    

    In response to Q88

Hammer,

The clip has been out there for years. Although, I've seen a very good quality version with more of the aftermath in recent years.

I've never seen a live feed.

Z for Zendetta!

12-08-12 02:49 PM - Post#1491480    

    In response to TGR32

In the early 80's, I recorded a lot of our local TV sportscasts hoping to catch fights & have a great clip of this recorded direct from the news. Unfortunately it's on a Beta tape & I haven't figured out how to convert any of my old tapes to You Tube. I haven't seen the video in 20 years so perhaps my memory is foggy but I do remember Mann sort of sneaking in from the side and sucker punching Bathe. I also don't think Bathe saw it coming as there were a lot of players milling around which shows me the scrum was probably started in the middle of a line change. I never thought that Bathe was looking at Mann -- rather, I always thought he was looking into the scrum. I remember there was also a debate because a few posters had said way back on the Soul board that Mann actually had his gloves on but the video showed that he dropped one of his gloves after the sucker (his right one) and his left hand was what caught Bathe.

I was surprised none of the Flyers really went after him -- perhaps they were still tired from the bench brawl against the Devils which happened only a week or so prior.

Durbano

12-08-12 05:31 PM - Post#1491515    

    In response to Durbano

The clip I have is from the Marv Albert Achievement Awards segment that he used to do on Letterman.

12-08-12 06:17 PM - Post#1491524    

    In response to McPhee21

Durbano -

I haven't seen the clip recently either; maybe 7-8 years. I recall Mann coming into a scrum (Bathe was shoving around Smail I believe) and coming at Bathe somewhat straight on - Bathe catching quick sight of Mann - and Mann smacking him with the left. I recall Bathe trying to get his arms up in defence (that's why I think he saw him coming), but his arms got up too late. I recall the old 'Playfair27' poster and I discussing this clip quite a bit, and we watched it together to try and determine what happened.

My memory may be off as well, but that's what I recall. But there WAS definitely a scrum, so possibly Bathe didn't see him. I contended (and still do) that he saw Mann as he seemed to be looking in Mann's direction when Mann arrived.

The Flyers did go after him, but for some reason they didn't finish the job. I'm not sure why. I have no doubt that neither Holmgren nor Wilson were scared of him, but neither made the move to engage Mann...and I believe Mann had his hands raised for battle. That image is at the end of the clip.

I know I have the clip somewhere, but damned if I'll ever find it..lol.

Edited by Q88 on 12-08-12 06:20 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

12-08-12 11:47 PM - Post#1491561    

    In response to Q88

I rewatched this tonight. There's 2 different news clips shown, one right after the other(one being much longer than the other). Mann comes off the bench and skates towards the scrum. Bathe turns his head and does put up his hands to defend himself but only had a split second to do it. I still say it's a sucker punch. Cochrane and some of the Flyers rush towards Mann who's now positioned near the boards with his fist cocked but the linesman are now between him and the Flyer players.

12-09-12 09:08 PM - Post#1491681    

    In response to the hammer

My clip I taped on VHS was also from the Letterman show on NBC when that guy with the funny hair who has a prediliction for biting was on.

12-10-12 06:57 AM - Post#1491710    

    In response to Sask66

If I remember correctly, wasn't this the year the Flyers didn't fight all that much? It was kind of strange year for them as they had a pretty tough roster, but nobody really fought. In fact if memory serves me well, I don't think Wilson had a fight that season.

12-10-12 07:19 AM - Post#1491711    

    In response to Matt Dillon

Yup, the Flyers just had a little over 50 fights in the regular season and were far down the list in fighting majors. However, 82/83 was a pretty shitty year for fighting in the NHL as a whole

My job description? If there's a problem on the ice, I just go out and fix it. - Dave Brown

12-10-12 08:30 AM - Post#1491719    

    In response to Kordic

• Kordic Said:

it was a disasterous year for the flyers all around, but the lack of fighting was particularly disappointing...probably the worst moment being ed hospodar suckering captain bill barber during a line brawl while the team (and the bench) watched impassively.


Edited by daveh8 on 12-10-12 08:30 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

12-10-12 08:42 AM - Post#1491721    

    In response to daveh8

Very much of topic but didn't they have the long pants that season aswell? Tough year for the Flyers indeed...

1.Probert 2.Brown 3.Wilson 4.Playfair 5.Gillies 6.Grimson 7.McSorley 8.Hunter 9.Wensink 10.Miller

12-10-12 11:11 AM - Post#1491759    

    In response to coalinga

• coalinga Said:

they wore them in 81-82 and 82-83.

12-10-12 11:13 AM - Post#1491760    

    In response to daveh8

• daveh8 Said:

correction, the hospodar/barber incident was during the 81-82 season.

12-11-12 12:29 AM - Post#1491861    

    In response to daveh8

Jimmy Mann was a little cunt.

takes a real man to go around sucker punching non enforcers like Frank Bathe and Paul Gardiner.

12-11-12 12:49 PM - Post#1491896    

    In response to ChiefBerube17

• ChiefBerube17 Said:

not sure that gardner and bathe should be grouped together. gardner was a stickman and apparently one of the biggest assholes to ever lace up the skates, while bathe (while not very good at it) was a frequent fighter and stirred up plenty of shit and started a ton of fights in his day....again i would stop short of calling him an enforcer but dude fought plenty, more than most.....

12-11-12 06:49 PM - Post#1491957    

    In response to daveh8

• daveh8 Said:

I never realized the league stepped in and told the Flyers and Whalers they couldn't wear them anymore.......Holmgren's legs looked like popsicle sticks......

Hasnt you anything else thinking than Juha82??????

12-11-12 08:29 PM - Post#1491970    

    In response to ChiefBerube17

• ChiefBerube17 Said:

A cunt? LMAO!!

Guy was far from a cunt.

12-21-12 12:41 PM - Post#1494092    

    In response to Matt Dillon

All Mann did when he was here was stick up for smaller, timid teamates. In BOTH the Gardner and Bathe incidents, the antogonizers were abusing Doug Smail. Gardner actually crosschecked Smail directly in the face while Smail was recovering from a broken jaw. Mann then did what an enforcer does - he sent a VERY CLEAR message. He did garner the rep as a sucker puncher after these incidents, but his willingness to fight ANYONE in the league showed his colours. He was dirty, nasty, violent, and probably a bit bent. But if you abused a Jet, he was going to come after you, and it didn't matter your size or importance. Hell, he jumped and started hammering Peter Lee here one night right in front of me before the puck drop. Why? Because Lee was mouthing off and probably acting all hard. Mann was 'off'. That's how he played. F*ck, given the fact that the Jets basically gave him NO second-tier support, I think he handled things fairly well.

If anyone ever wants to question his guts or manhood, then they should take a look at his fight card from the 1st couple of Jets' seasons. Damn impressive. LOTS of tier one names on that list.

Knowing what I know about Paul Gardner, I don't feel the least bit sorry for him. And Bathe? Well, he always tried to act like Holmgren and Wilson - didn't work.

Edited by Q88 on 12-21-12 12:51 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.