Tim Rossovich was a cross between legendary Bears’ linebacker Dick Butkus and pro wrestler George “The Animal” Steele.

The late and former defensive end/middle linebacker was aggressively scary in his four years with the Eagles from 1968 to 1971. I mistakenly missed listing him as a member of the Philadelphia Bell last week, as he played middle linebacker for the World Football League franchise for two seasons.

This latest installment of my look back at YESTERDAY -- a trip back in time to the late 1960s’, 70s’ and sometimes dipping into the early 80s’ -- is a recollection of some of the more memorable “flakes,” free spirits,” or “eccentric” Philadelphia players from the late 60s and 70s and also involving eccentric events, pop-culture situations and items.

Rossovich certainly beat to a different drum. He was a first-round pick from Southern Cal in 1968 and made the Pro Bowl his second season when he switched to linebacker. He was a solid player, but his antics off the field gained him national recognition.

Rossovich frequently would set his hair on fire, and also bit off bottle tops and ate glass. Some of his other feats included diving head first into the whirlpool, wearing tie-dye capes and listening to Gregorian chants on the stereo, grabbing a spider off a locker room table and eating it, and diving naked into a birthday cake.

He played a year with the then San Diego Chargers before his two years with the Bell. He retired after a year with Houston in 1976, and appropriately went to work in Hollywood as an actor and stuntman.

Yet, Rossovich wasn’t the only free-spirit in Philly in the 1970s.

The mid-70s Phillies’ team had their share of characters.

Steve Carlton rewrote the Phillies’ record books, but he stopped speaking with reporters in 1978 after an alleged incident with longtime AP sports editor Ralph Bernstein. Carlton had some quirky workout rituals with rice and sand that worked, and seemingly had a chip on his shoulder before he went silent.

Tug McGraw was one or possibly the most vocal free spirit of all the Phillies. He always had a nervous glove flap on his thigh, but was a master of mayhem in the clubhouse. Like Carlton though, McGraw got the job done in relief.

Jay Johnstone was another vocal player who also wasn’t afraid to reach beyond the bounds. He was famous for having a glowing shine of his cleats before games and wearing an array of various hats. In a rain delay, Johnstone would often don a hat with a propeller on the top of it. He gained the nickname “Moonman” for his odd antics. Johnstone was a solid lefty bat for the Phillies who hit above .300.

You could also throw in Arnold “Bake” McBride from that unit. McBride had a huge afro and was the epitome of “cool” in that decade. His long arms and legs created a long, looping swing that was effective. McBride gave the Phils a legitimate base-stealing threat.

Before the Phillies’ divisional runs, Willie Montanez was a showboat back in the early part of the decade. The left-handed hitting first baseman would flip hit bat with both hands, make the sign of the cross, and had a swashbuckling home run trot. He also would flip his glove during putouts.

The late Richie “Dick” Allen crossed both the barriers in the 60s and 70s. Allen was a budding star in the mid-60s, but he was aloof and often had trouble with authority. Allen has all of the tools needed to be one of the greats and is often underrated, but his issues dating back to a clubhouse fight with Frank Thomas in 1964 continued to haunt him.

In his second stint with the Phillies in ‘75 and ‘76, Allen reportedly had an issue with teammates that stemmed around racial issues his final year. The Phillies traded him to Oakland in the offseason.

The Flyers “Broad Street Bullies” of the mid-70s were a rare breed.

Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, Bob “The Hound” Kelly, Andre “Moose” Dupont, and Don “Big Bird” Saleski, Bobby “The Chief” Taylor, and “Cowboy” Bill Fleet were cartoonlike in their nature, and the perfect role players for the two-time Stanley Cup champions.

Head coach Freddie “The Fog” Shero, who truly epitomized his nickname, was the perfect coach. Broadcaster Gene Hart – “Let’s Go Flyers, and Let’s Go Gene Hart” – made us all feel good in his larger than life appearance. Fellow broadcaster Don Earle was the perfect straight man.

The Sixers also had a few unusual characters on their teams in the mid- to late- 70s.

Joe “Jellybean” Bryant could ignite the crows coming off the bench and making a variety of moves for a big man, and he had his share of dunks.

Lloyd Free changed his name to “World B.” He was known for his high-arcing, slow jump shots, and his flamboyant style on the floor. Free was an instant attraction when he came off the bench, and he was effective.

Along with Bryant and Free, Darryl Dawkins was a dominant character. His size and strength and rawness as a recent high school graduate created the role of the team’s enforcer. But “Chocolate Thunder” also claimed to be from the planet of “Lovetron,” where all was good. He later played and coached the Lehigh Valley-based Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs.

Steele Stole the Show: Steele was arguably one, if not the, most peculiar wrestlers. His grunts and garbled yells to the fans were legendary as well as his chomping of turnbuckles.

Managers such as the “Grand Wizard” with his turban and wide-rimmed sunglasses and the ranting and animated “Captain Lou Albano” grabbed the headlines.

Groundbreaking Eccentric Comedies: You may remember “The Benny Hill Show,” a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill that aired in various forms between 1955 and 1989 in over 140 countries. The show was classic slapstick with sexual overtones with far-fetched, scantily clad women.

Along with Benny Hill, “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” debuted as a British comedy in 1969, and made its way to the American airwaves on a regular basis roughly 10 years later. The show ironically was aired on Channel 39 in the late 70s and made its way to other channels. The overtones were similar to Hill’s, but it was more intellectual-based comedy.

With Monty Python, we surely can all recall some skits and songs that can’t easily be related in print.

Songs That Crossed the Norm: There were plenty of songs in the 1970s that could have fallen into this category, but here are a few of the more recognizable ones.

In 1973, Edgar Winter released the instrumental hit, “Frankenstein” that mixed current sounds with ones that would truly fit the movie title along with long drum solo. A year later, Ray Stephens broke to the top of the charts with “The Streak” in which a TV reporter interviewed people who saw others in the “streaking craze.”

C.W. McCall had a one-hit wonder in 1976 with “Convoy,” which touched the CB craze during that time and Rick Dees made history with “Disco Duck,” a quirky jingle with a Donald Duck-sounding character highlighting the scene.

Final thought: This weekend wasn’t the first time the Rams played on their home field or in their city.

The 1980 Super Bowl between them and Pittsburgh was played at the Rose Bow, 10 miles away from Los Angeles. It was the last of Pittsburgh’s four consecutive Super Bowl wins.

Remember Vince Ferragamo? He was the Rams’ quarterback who didn’t have a good day, going 15 for 25 for 212 yards and a pick.

And the national anthem singer? It was ex-Charlie Angel Cheryl Ladd.