kid A
03-28-2008, 09:18 AM
Little blurb in this morning's Times caught my eye - Bob Shank, aka "Bingo Bob" has passed away at the all-too-young-age of 62. Figure most of the folks here should remember him.
I wasn't around for the original "incident", but I remember going to lots of games and seeing him come out in between periods to play that "try to shoot the puck into the tiny little hole and win a car" game. He'd come out onto the ice as they would announce his name, smile and wave at the crowd, and wait for the boos. heh. The boos clearly lost their vitriol after a bit and just became the customary way to greet the guy onto the ice. I don't even think most people knew why they booed, they just knew bingo bob = boos.
I also remember when they tried to exorcise the bad juju associated with the whole thing (under the Williams group?) and gave the woman who originally "won" a new car for a year or something like that.
Anyhow, just one of those crazy little pieces of sports franchise folklore.
I wasn't around for the original "incident", but I remember going to lots of games and seeing him come out in between periods to play that "try to shoot the puck into the tiny little hole and win a car" game. He'd come out onto the ice as they would announce his name, smile and wave at the crowd, and wait for the boos. heh. The boos clearly lost their vitriol after a bit and just became the customary way to greet the guy onto the ice. I don't even think most people knew why they booed, they just knew bingo bob = boos.
I also remember when they tried to exorcise the bad juju associated with the whole thing (under the Williams group?) and gave the woman who originally "won" a new car for a year or something like that.
Anyhow, just one of those crazy little pieces of sports franchise folklore.