True Conversations. By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger (Former sports editor of the R-Hi newspaper)
Scene: Fairlawn High School soccer field—- too many years ago to count. It’s half time, and the Rutherford High School varsity is playing Fairlawn. I’m wearing my sweaty navy blue and white RHS uniform, hanging around waiting for the game to resume.
Somebody: There’s a Fairlawn cheerleader who’s name is Goldfinger.
Me: You’re kidding, right?
Somebody: No. She’s a good looker, too.
I grab a buddy, and we walk around the field to the opposite side. A group of FHS cheerleaders wearing red and white are standing in a clump talking and giggling. I’ve always had a curiosity about cheerleaders, especially how they do those splits, but I cautiously approached the group and asked, “Do you have a cheerleader named Goldfinger?”
Mildly hostile FHS cheerleader: “Yes, she is the dark haired one over there.” She looks promising.
Me to my friend, “I’ll be right back.”
So I walk up to her. She is in fact quite appealing in her uniform.
Me: Hello, my name is Goldfinger. Is your name really Goldfinger?
She: Yes. She doesn’t seem to be in the mood to exchange pleasantries with moi. (I was taking French that year.)
Me: You know, if we got married, you wouldn’t have to change your name. (This was an all-time great opening line–or, at least I thought so.)
She: Rolling her eyes, turns and walks away. Maybe she has no sense of humor, in which case I would not ask her to marry me anyhow.
Me: I shrug and walk back to our side as the whistle blows.
To be honest, I can’t recall who won the game, but it’s a good thing it wasn’t baseball, because I did strike out that day.
JIMMY BUFFETT:
Thanks Mary. I love that expression: “to give a tumble.” Back then at RHS we had lots of euphemisms. We were careful with our language, unlike today where girls talk like guys.
As far as Eileen is concerned, it was a case of instant “like.” Did we say “like” back then?
And, regarding you and your cheerleader colleagues, it’s time I thank you for all the visual antics that the guys in the marching band, sitting right in front at football games, greatly appreciated.
—Paul
Lucky for you the Goldfinger FHS cheerleader didn’t give you a tumble and you were available when Eileen came along. You hit the jackpot!
Your RHS cheerleader friend – Mary
A couple of years later I met Eileen who was (gasp) a senior at Dumont (NJ) high school. I gave her my Rutherford letter sweater with a big blue and white R and a soccer ball on it.
She wore it to school, and when her inquisitive friends asked her about it, she said it was a basketball from Rutgers. No one wondered about the absence of Rutger’s red.
Even then, Rutgers sports got no respect.