The Power of POW!

Every so often you come across a memento that reminds you of a singular moment from your childhood. A simple sentiment autographed on the back of a ticket stub brought back a cool memory for me.

Ranger Bob, played by Tim Trombitas, was a staple on UHF Channel 31 in Rochester, NY during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Kids rushed home from school to catch the antics of Ranger Bob and all his friends in the fictitious frontier town of Gooberville. One segment of the show had every viewer rushing to their house phones (that clunky contraption attached to the wall in all the cheesy reruns) for a chance to play tv POW! live on the air. I was no exception.

Finally one afternoon, after weeks or maybe months of trying (my memory fails me at my age), they answered my call. What I had to do to play the game was pretty simple. I had to say just one word. As I yelled “POW! POW! POW!,” someone behind the scenes at the television station studio pushed the game controls. even though I screamed “POW!” as fast as I could, it wasn’t fast enough and I lost. But losing the game didn’t curb my excitement. Knowing that my friends heard me on the Ranger Bob Show, live on tv, was enough for me.