A not-so-harmless game of pinball.
271. I would presume I do not have to explain pinball to anyone, but perhaps I presume erroneously. The Presidential campaign was deep in the primaries with a cover story in The Observer about Gerald Ford considering running for President as he felt that Ronald Reagan could not get elected.
272. A short blurb in this Observer noted that Darby’s Place II was going to reopen in the basement of LaFortune. Darby’s Place was the late night hang out sponsored by the campus chaplain, Reverend Robert Griffin. You could buy Pop-Tarts, English muffin pizza and drinks while you gabbed and told jokes. Others tried to study, but that was not the intent. Darby’s Place was named for Griff’s cocker spaniel. On the sports page, Coach Nappy Napolitano, who had been on staff since the days of Rockne, was featured reminiscing about the Bengal Bouts over the years.
273. Some might need an explanation for these references. Senator Ted Kennedy challenged President Carter for the nomination in the 1980 election. And yes, the word “splash” appears as a pinball sound in the final panel.
274. The sports page of this Observer featured a story on basketball star Maggie Lally who they called “Doctor.” Maggie was a point guard monogram winner and went on (as predicted in the article) to become a doctor practicing in the Pittsburgh area. The 1980 NCAA Basketball Tourney Bracket featured in the paper showed Notre Dame with a bye on the first round. Other Catholic colleges in the 48 teams in the bracket were St. John’s, Iona, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Villanova, Holy Cross, Loyola and LaSalle — about 20 percent of the teams!
275. The cover story of The Observer included continuing rumors about the demotion of hockey to a club sport as the moratorium on hockey scholarships was extended. In the personal ads, the bar Bridget’s offered 25 cent drafts nightly from 9:30 to 10:30.
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