Thanks Pat Williams - You Will Be Missed!

“He’s the Babe Ruth of baseball!”

Tribute written by: Tom Burgoyne
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Those were the immortal words of then Philadelphia Seventy Sixers General Manager Pat Williams describing Julius “Dr. J” Erving to his boss, owner Fitz Dixon.  The ABA was disbanding, and Pat was pleading his case, trying to get Dixon to pony up the money it would take to bring the most exciting player in professional basketball to Philadelphia.  The owner wrote the check, six million dollars (a steal – even in 1977), and Dr. J was a Sixer. 

That is just one of the many stories from a storied career and incredible life lived.  Pat Williams died on Wednesday from complications of viral pneumonia at 84 years old. 

I remember Pat as the guy who brought the Doc to Philadelphia.  The guy who coined the phrase, “We Owe You One” after the Sixers unexpectedly lost to the Portland Trailblazers the first year that Erving joined the team.  The Sixers would lose again in the Finals in 1980 and 1982 before Pat engineered a trade to bring big man Moses Malone to Philadelphia.  The Sixers reached the mountain top in 1983, sweeping the Lakers in four games in the NBA Finals, finally paying that debt back, the one Pat and the team had promised the fans.

One of Pat’s biggest career highlights was bringing NBA basketball to Orlando in 1989. That venture changed my life forever. Let me explain.

The Phillie Phanatic burst onto the scene in 1978.  The lunatic (or as we like to say in the business, “professional idiot”) who brought the character to life was Dave Raymond. Dave modeled the character around the crazy antics of Looney Tunes cartoons with a large dallop of influence from the Three Stooges thrown in for good measure.  Phillies fans immediately fell in love with the green bird from the Galapagos Islands.  Before long, the Phanatic was making public appearances throughout the Delaware Valley.  Dave always had a back-up performer to handle the bulk of these appearances - schools, hospitals, nursing homes, malls, car dealerships, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, community fairs, weddings, bar mitzvahs – the works.

While with the Sixers, Pat had always been impressed with the Phillie Phanatic and how it was such a strong and lovable part of the Phillies brand. (Pat was actually drafted by the Phillies in 1962 as a catcher but left the game as a player in 1965 to be the general manager of the Phillies Class A team in Spartanburg, South Carolina.) As the Orlando Magic’s inaugural season approached, Pat wanted to model the new Magic’s mascot, Stuff the Dragon, after the Phanatic.  Who better to step into the new mascot’s shoes than the Phanatic himself, Dave Raymond?  However, Dave’s loyalties were to the Phillies and passed on the job.  Pat did the next best thing and hired Dave’s back-up, Mike Stevens.

Before long, the Phillies were in search for a back-up performer to handle outside appearances.  Guess who they hired?  That was thirty-five years ago and I will always be grateful to Pat Williams for bringing an NBA team to Orlando!

I met Pat on a few occasions and was even interviewed by him for his radio show.  He graciously provided Evan and I with a testimonial for our book.  Spoofing his own words in describing Dr. J, Pat wrote that the Phanatic is the “Babe Ruth of mascots” adding that he is also the “Michael Jordan of leadership philosophy” and that our book will “inspire you to build great companies by being loving to the people and organizations you lead.”

Pat knew a thing or two about leading with love and making things fun.  When he was the GM for the Sixers, he’d greet fans as they would come through the turnstiles and shake hands with folks after the games as they left.  (My brothers and I were such fanatical fans, we would stand at the exits next to Pat and shake hands with fans, too.  He loved our passion!). Pat was also known for his extravagant halftime shows by bringing in acts such as a singing pig and a wrestling bear.  Pat exuded positive energy – that same outward expression of optimism that my friend, the Phanatic, is known for. He was one of those guys who would look you in the eyes when you’d meet him and spend time engaging you in conversation.  He made every encounter count. 

In 2011, Pat was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood disorder in the bone marrow. The diagnosis did not slow him down. He continued to write (authoring over 100 books) and continued his aggressive keynote speaking schedule.  After two years of treatments and his cancer in remission, Pat dedicated his life encouraging others facing the deadly disease. 

Pat Williams lived a full and happy life.  He had 19 children – 14 adopted from 4 different countries.  He ran in 58 marathons, climbed Mount Ranier and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Basketball Hall of Fame.  I’ll always remember him as the man who brought my favorite basketball player to Philadelphia and the positive force who made everyone who he came in contact with feel special and loved.