Lunch Table Hockey

 

From : Chuck Darling

June 21, 2025

 

Lunch table hockey was a

favorite pastime at School 44.

 

The Buffalo Sabres were

Incredibly popular,

and so this game was

amplified by the reflected

glory of the televised games.

 

Buffalo had a newscaster named

Ted Darling

"The Voice of the Buffalo Sabres !"

 

Ted would give exciting play by play

action, following the puck handler,

and naming the players...

 

His tenor voice would rise to

an ecstatic crescendo whenever

our team scored, emphasized by

the roar of the fans and the Air horns

some carried.

 

Several of my classmates at 44

followed me th Hutch Tech...

 

The Buffalo Bills football team

also fired our imaginations,

and we would play six player

table football, with a paper wad

attempting to score between

Defense men's elbows, held firmly

to the sturdy wooden cafeteria tables.

 

Hutch Tech was an Engineering school, and we all took Drafting,

and carried wooden triangular 

Architect Tri-Scales.. 

 

The game was physical, allowing

the hammering of opponents elbows

to provide an opening..!

 

Extra point field goals were "kicked"

by  player snapping a taped paper

Football between the opposite side's

upraised thumb goalposts.

 

Field goal football was also a two player game, played like hockey,

with pennies, counting downs,

looking for a table-edge score...

(the penny must not fall...)

and resorting to a field goal attempt

on the fourth down.

 

Chuck

 

PS.

Bob Adams, the Salutorian of

our Hutch Tech class, used to call

me "Ted"...

 

Bob wrote in my Yearbook:

 

"Ted !

Keep up the good work 

with your studies...

Although you NEVER DO !!!!! "

 

It used to drive him crazy

when I would excel him

in any grade...

 

 

[Chuck's 00Cedar JPICedar ]

 

 

 

 

[ This page built with JPICedar by Chuck Darling Saturday June-21-2025 Time : 11:57am]

 

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