Sunday March 27 Bobfest

Cold, like 20, but sunny at 8 AM game time. We donned our blue and white Mangione commemorative T shirts and started without the guest of honor. Keebl scored for the whities, then Bob arrived with his son Mike. Play was halted for a rousing HBDTY and congratulatory handshakes, back slaps and hugs. Bob turned 60 on Thursday, the first of our group to reach this milestone.

The game restarted, with Bob handling the kickoff. More dudes arrived and we got up to 14 v 16. Mark Schwartz went down with a pulled calf muscle and had to leave, Guest Joe D. arrived and started knocking down payed up members. Dino came, but didn't play due to injury. He didn't want to miss the celebration. Game summary:

Keebs for white 1-0

Vince for blue 1-1

Shamu for blue 1-2

Super Mario for blue 1-3, after which we were kicked off by a bunch of little girls.

After the game 15 or 20 players and members of Bob's family reported to Nellie's to continue the celebration. Pizza and beer: the breakfast of champions. There was much discussion about overcrowding at the games, and general agreement that 13 v 13 is the maximum number of players that should be allowed. There was no agreement how to enforce this. I still think it's up to the 27th player to arrive, who should not enter the game until someone else leaves. Ten minutes of bench time is not the end of the world, and we can usually extend playing time so that everyone gets a full 90 minute dose. We just need a little voluntary cooperation.

I have known Bob for many years now, but just to say "hi" before the game and "by" after. He was a blue defender, and I was a white defender, so our paths seldom crossed during a game. It's just the last several months that I have had the pleasure of being his team mate. He is competitive, pretty quick, and his cheerfulness is contagious. He seems to be getting knocked down more regularly lately, but he keeps coming back for more. Last week he shoved an ice pack into his sock and came back into the game. He's one of the original Waldwick Team players and has the orange uniform to prove it. He's a guy who always shows up to play, even if it's raining or snowing Bob's there. I hope we get to play together for years to come, and meet up again to celebrate his 70th. Why not? Cheers, Bobby!

Bob didn't give me much for his player of the week profile, so a few others chipped in with some comments.

Player of the Week

Bob Mangione

Born March 25, 1951 to Anthony & Marie

Garfield Elementary School – graduated 1964

Barringer High School – graduated 1968

Montclair State College – graduated 1973

Married 1977 to Michele

1984 Moved to Wood-Ridge

1985 Assisted in establishing the Wood-Ridge Youth Soccer League

a. Lipton Youth Soccer League (spring/fall)

b. Pacsack Valley Indoor Soccer League (winter)

c. Coached recreation & travel soccer teams

1988 Certified FIFA Youth Soccer Referee

1996 Moved to Waldwick

1996-2000 Coached Youth Soccer

NCSA (Wildcats & Americans)

Waldwick recreation teams

1996-???? Participate in Waldwick Senior Soccer

2000 Certified Bergen County High School Soccer Referee

Michele Mangione :

Bob played football before high school and was captain of his wrestling team in high school. He tried to teach me how to play some tennis when we were first married and was very involved with soccer and baseball with his children in Wood-Ridge before moving to Waldwick in 1996. He loves basketball but he was never tall enough to play I guess. Sports are an important part of his life and still at age 60 if he can't play soccer on Sunday mornings he isn't a very happy guy. I for one hope he can continue to play for quite some time!!

Adam Keeble:

From the early days playing alongside Bobby at right back on the bare dirt

of Trap Hagen to playing against him on the hallowed turf of Waldwick

High, it has been a pleasure. Chatting with Bobby while the ball is at the

other end of the field is part of the WSS experience for me and I hope he

plays for many more years to come... Although if he would slow down a

little, it would make my life a lot easier. Cheers - Keebo #6

Vince Janelli:

"In all my years playing this sport, I have never met anybody that embodies the spirit of fair play better than Bobby. Week in and week out, he comes to the gathering of the soccer faithful in Waldwick to compete. He gives it his all, from the first minute to the last, sometimes getting knocked over by men half his age. Yet, in all these years I have never heard him complain; he simply gets up and keeps on going. And if he happens to knock you over, he's the first to help you up. Not the youngest, not the quickest, not the most skilled...but he plays his hardest, and is the greatest gentleman on the pitch....Auguri bello! Cent'anni!" – VJ

Mark Schwartz:

All indestructible men have a weakness. Superman has Kryptonite. Iron Man gotta hate magnets. It's taken me years to figure it out, but I think I finally found Bobby's weakness - it's the mustache.

Oh, you doubt that Bobby is indestructible? There's no other answer for it. How else could he brush off a charge from a 200 pound missile in the shape of a man? How can you explain his sixth sense in knowing when to pull the offsides traps? Who else could laugh off a 90 mile per hour ball to the face, chest, or err...balls? It has to be some sort of super power.

I've done the research. Bobby's playing strength perfectly matches up with the size of his lip spinach. There's no denying it, it's actual science.

Perhaps one day Mrs. Mangione will tell him to get rid of that old soup strainer and we'll see exactly what it's like for Bobby to play like a mortal man. We'll witness a Sampson-like crash and the whole defensive line will start to collapse. But until that day, Bobby will have his mustache - protecting the innocent from both Brazilian step-overs and Beckhamish bends. And we're lucky to have it, and him, on the field with us.

(Note: Mark obviously didn't know Bob when he had the pony tail. Talk about awesome.)