The Bronx Warriors Shine On!

The Bronx Warriors football team I played for in the 1970s started in Yorkville, Manhattan in 1948. The team's founder, Jerry "Jay" Demers was ten years old, he lived on 73rd St. and fell in love with football. Robert H. Nieder, my friend and a Warrior teammate wrote a terrific true history of the team, "The Bronx Warriors ~ the story of a neighborhood football team." He nailed it.


My Warrior memories are deep. Bob's book is a gift to all the neighborhood boys who lived and and died for fall Sundays. If you crave New York City neighborhood history from the perspective of a group of locals doing their best to stay out of trouble (most of the time) through their passion for sport & team you will love this book. This place and time is long gone, the book details the way it was and page by page runs the double feature through your head.

One Warrior memory stands out, late July 1972 practice at Rice Stadium in Pelham, middle of a heat wave, 87 degrees at twilight, two & a half hours of hitting, released by the coaches, helmets off we head for the water fountain, fifty guys fighting over their place in line for the one & only water fountain within a cab ride from the playing field.

Buy the book! Without my friend, Joe Menesick, I never would have gone north on the #6 to play with the Warriors or SJU RFC OLd Boys (NYC). Love you, Joe. Thank you.

"School's Out For Summer!"

Dettmore & Pryor

Saturday, June 22 @ 7-10pm

Ryan's Daughter

350 E 85 St.