When Phil Esposito said he received hate letters for fans for poor performance against his goalie brother Tony during the playoffs

The competitive spirit between siblings is nothing new, and this was no different for Phil Esposito and Tony Esposito. Both were professional ice hockey players in the National Hockey League who later became coaches. Phil was a high-scoring center while Tony was a goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks.

In one incident, Phil Esposito received hate letters from fans for poor performance against his goalie brother Tony during the playoffs.

Phil said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 1988:

“I remember in the playoffs one year, I got three goals in three games against Tony, but we lost."

Speaking about the response from the fans, he added:

“I got all sorts of hate letters saying it was my fault because I didn’t want to score on my brother and we lost the playoffs because of it. I got traded the next year.”

This was indeed a childish way to express anger at a player just because the team lost. But yes, this is the way it is with fans in almost every sport.

Phil and Tony both had successful careers and are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. However, in 1988, the brothers found themselves in new positions as they moved from playing to front-office positions. Phil was the general manager for the New York Rangers while Tony held the same position for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Despite their new positions, the competitive spirit between them remained. Phil admitted that he felt more pressure when he was hired as a general manager. Especially when he had to trade with his brother, who was in the same division.

While they both liked to help each other out, they were each committed to making decisions that would help their respective teams.

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The 1988 controversy surrounding Phil Esposito and Tony Esposito

The Espositos also found themselves in the midst of a controversy in 1988, following a violent game between the Rangers and Penguins.

The game was marred by 300 minutes of penalties and a slashing incident that resulted in the suspension of Ranger defenseman David Shaw for 12 games. Both Phil and Tony thought the penalty was too harsh and were disappointed in the game's outcome.

The competitive spirit between the brothers started early, with Phil Esposito taking shots and Tony Esposito stopping them during practice. Phil Esposito believes that playing with his brother helped him develop into a better player.

Despite the pressure on their new positions at the time, the Espositos were dedicated towards the sport and are respected to this day.