Story published in Allentown paper, 1/28/2004

 From The Morning Call

Allentonian's long devotion to Flyers earns a call

January 28, 2004

Poor Ken Hitchcock. Nobody believes it when he calls.

Ken Hitchcock, the head coach of the Flyers, recently took a little time to call long-time Allentown resident Frank Fiala. And he had to work to convince Frank that he was for real.

What prompted the Sunday morning phone call?

I had written to the coach two weeks earlier and I described Frank's avid devotion to the Flyers and his admiration for the discipline and spirit that Ken Hitchcock has brought to the team. And I neglected to tell Frank about my letter on his behalf. Given that the Flyers are in the heart of their season, I just was not sure when and if he might get a response.

But I guess Ken Hitchcock was impressed by Frank's amazing life. At age 91, Frank has lived through so much. The oldest of five kids, he dropped out of school to get a job and help feed his siblings. He raised his two young daughters by himself after his wife died at early age. He spent over 45 years as a truck driver, in an era when there was no national highway system and drivers had to pack and unload their vehicles. And, he owned a home in South Whitehall Township until just a few years ago.

Frank always had a bit of a wild side: He fought as a middleweight boxer; he lived and worked in New York City as a teenager, and nearly lost his leg in a motorcycle accident. I was surprised to learn he had never served in the military. This is not a guy who would ever back down from a fight. But then I found out: He tried to enlist, but they turned him down since he was a single parent.

Frank goes around saying he was ''born with a weak mind and a strong back.'' But he was always very inquisitive and curious. Being so hard working, Frank would have been a success at any college or academic field he might have tried.

I met Frank a year ago, purely by accident: I wound up renting an apartment in the same building where he lives. And like most people, I grossly underestimated his age. That's one of his favorite games, having folks guess how old he is. While his leathery skin and wispy white hair mark him as a senior citizen, his strong voice and firm grip belie a 1912 birth year.

I was a little nervous when I moved to Allentown in the summer of 2002. Having grown up in New York City, and having spent the last 12 years in Washington, D.C., this would be smallest city I have ever lived in. But I have a great job as the systems librarian at DeSales University, and I love all the parks, events, and festivals in the Lehigh Valley. And when ever I crave a subway ride and a little more concrete, I visit Manhattan. My dad passed away six years ago, and I relocated here so it would be easier to visit mom, who still lives on the upper West Side.

And now I'm hooked on rooting for the Flyers. As an ex-athlete (besides boxing, he excelled at baseball and football), Frank likes to watch the local sports teams on TV. But the Flyers are his favorite. He has memorized all their names and numbers, a little tricky given all the injuries and recent trades. He knows who are the goal scorers and who are the hustlers who dig the puck out from the corners. He rails against Steve Coates, the local Flyers TV announcer, for talking too much, but then misses him whenever they have the national guys doing the telecast.

The physical nature of hockey appeals to Frank. With his crooked nose and missing front teeth, courtesy of his boxing career, Frank looks like a hockey player. When the Flyers' star Jeremy Roenick was hit with a stick to the mouth a few weeks ago, he was up yelling at the refs. He felt the league was so unfair, giving Roenick a suspension and fine for tossing a measly water bottle on the ice. And of course, Frank knows which players on the team are the best fighters.

When I got over the shock over hearing that Ken Hitchcock called Frank, I was curious as to what they talked about. Actually, they didn't talk about the Flyers. I thought Frank would at least tell him to make all the players get a shave and haircut. Frank is ''old school'' when it comes to player appearance. But Ken Hitchcock just asked a few questions about Frank and thanked him for his loyalty to the team.

The games do mean a lot to Frank. He can't get out much in the cold weather and he battles a growing list of infirmities. Hardly a week goes by without his visiting another specialist or the pharmacy. And since a pacemaker was installed next to his heart two years ago, even the short walk to the local park leaves him winded.

Given Frank's self-reliant nature, it's no surprise he still drives and does all of his shopping and cooking himself. But later this year, he plans to move to an assisted-living apartment. He is worried about how he will get along. But, I'm sure he will charm the residents and staff in no time.

And, I'm hoping this June, he and I will be sitting in front of the TV at his new place, watching the Flyers hoist the Stanley Cup.