To those in the media who have ever dealt with Phil Esposito, there is no such thing as a bad interview with Espo. He’s always great copy. Esposito is personable, as well as quotably frank and funny. He can also be self-deprecating, earthy and politically incorrect. And he could be in the good guys hall of fame as well as the NHL’s.
So, how fitting that the Tampa Bay Lightning unveiled a bronze statue of Espo, the team’s founder, before the New Year’s Eve game with the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s the principal reason the NHL is here.
The Esposito statue is in the plaza in front of the newly renamed Tampa Bay Times Forum. A large crowd had gathered. And Espo, who turns 70 next month, was, well, Espo. “The pigeons are going to love this statue,” he quipped.
He was appropriately flattered, thanked a lot of people, and recalled the challenge of selling hockey in Florida. It was a time-consuming, often frustrating grind, he recalled. So consuming that “It cost me a marriage. But it was worth it.”
Indeed, Espo is still Espo.