The Long Awaited Frank "The Animal" Bialowas story. He's not a bad guy, really!The Long Awaited Frank "The Animal" Bialowas story. He's not a bad guy, really!
The tradition of Philadelphia hockey lies in the banners which hang from the rafters of both the Core States Spectrum and the Center. A major facet of the rich hockey lore is the storied "Broad Street Bullies" who patrolled the corner of Broad and Pattison. And now that a new team occupies the confines of the Spectrum, might things have changed from the way the game was formerly played? Not at all thanks to some of the colorful characters of the phantoms. One player in particular has flourished in this new environment and Frank Bialowas couldn't e happier here.
"When I first got traded, I was a little unsure because it was a new team in a new city, but it has been nothing but a positive experience." remarks Bialowas. "I've received a great reception from the fans here in Philly and I couldn't ask for a better place to play. It's probably been the best time of my career."
The showers of "We want Frank!, We want Frank!" and "Animal....Animal" coming from the spectrum stands and the roars whenever #29 takes the ice have taken he Phantoms enforcer off-guard. "The chanting is great, but sometime's it's a little bit of added pressure. I try not to get caught up in the adrenaline. For me it doesn't matter if there is one person in the stands or 10,000; I'm going to go out and bang people and mix it up whenever it's needed. There are times when the fans want to see you go out and drop the gloves, but you've got to pick your spots. You can't be putting yourself before the team by taking dumb penalties."
Coming into a city which has such a blue-collar work ethic regarding it's hockey, it's not always whether you win or lose, but how physical you play. Being tabbed as "the" guy who's going to mix it up might be an added bit of pressure. "I was aware of the reputation and tradition of the Broad Street Bullies, but I had no idea how much the people get into it. I had friends that said I would love it here and the fans would love the way I played, but I could have never imagined. I am not trying to live up to what they did, but rather help my team in whatever role they need to be successful."
The glamour and fan-fare that Bialowas has received both here, in the City of Brotherly Love, and in Saint Johns is not a universal constant. A prime case study to support that year would be last year's stop in Portland. In his first and only year with the Pirates, Bialowas struggled to find his niche in the locker room. "Portland had a set of "tough guys" that everyone liked in Kevin Kamenski and Kerry Clark and that was a tough bond to break. I play the game 100% every night and I'll do whatever is asked of me as long as I'm respected among my teammates and coaches. I have nothing against the organization, but it just didn't work out and I couldn't be happier with the Phantoms."
The respect that Bialowas talks about is something that he bases his performance on. Anytime part of your job description is to maintain the law and order for your team, you carefully examine how your own players perceive your efforts. The role of the enforcer will always be a part of hockey and Bialowas understands that. However he doesn't exploit or abuse his "stature" as one of the AHL's top vigilantes.
"I feel the enforcer is an essential part of the game. If the players knew that they would not be held accountable for their actions, then there would be total chaos out there. When you look at the sport the danger lies in the stick swinging incidents and the guys swiping knees out. If the tough guy was eliminated, what's to stop a player from taking a run at your top scorer. No one will ever take liberties with our hockey team because we've got a bunch of guys that stick up for each other."
There is little question that respect and admiration for the job Bialowas does is not only
shared by the thousands of Philly fans that scream his name but also by his teammates and the
Phantoms management. No one knows for sure what the remainder of the 1996-97 season will
hold for the Phantoms, but you can be certain that "The Animal" will be a integral part of the
Phantoms' fortunes. What a secure thought that is, except if you play for another team in the
American Hockey League!
Volume 1 Issue 3
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Taken From Philadelphia Phantoms Magazine
