Local Knowledge: Macon some whoopee for Valentine’s Day

Ah, Valentine’s Day.

Hugs and kisses. Candy and flowers. And, for Maconites, a time to reflect and observe a moment of silence for one of the greatest sports nicknames of all time.

The 1973-74 Macon Whoopees hockey team was born from the title of an old Doris Day song called “Makin’ Whoopee.’’ Hockey was a foreign sport to most Southerners. As much as everyone wanted it to succeed, the team folded on Feb. 14, 1974, nine days before the end of the season and a day local fans often refer to as the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.’’

See how many Whoopees trivia questions you can answer. (And learn something as you give it a try.)

1. When owner Jerry Pinkerton revealed the name of the team, NBC hockey broadcaster Tim Ryan promised to make the Whoopees the what of professional hockey?

A.) Cadillac

B.) Slippery Rock

C.) Cinderella

D.) Zamboni Zeniths

2. Which two movies feature the song “Makin’ Whoopee” on their soundtracks?

A.) “Sleepless in Seattle” and “The Fabulous Baker Boys’’

B.) “Forrest Gump” and “Top Gun”

C.) “The Karate Kid” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”

D.) “Indiana Jones”  and “Ghostbusters”

3. KeKe Mortson, the player/coach for the Whoopees, was the first professional hockey player to wear No. 99 . Which hockey superstar, nicknamed “The Great One,’’ made the number so iconic  it was retired by the National Hockey League?

A.)Wayne Gretzky

B.)Bobby Orr

C.) Gordie Howe

D.) Phil Esposito

4. The Mr. Whoopee mascot was the first-cousin of “A. Giant” a caricature created and developed in a print advertisement for which local car dealership?

A.) Youmans Chevrolet

B.) Jackson Olds

C.) Riverside Ford

D.) Butler Toyota

5. Who dropped the ceremonial puck on opening night on Oct. 12, 1973, when the Whoopees made their debut against the Suncoast Suns at the Macon Coliseum?
A.) James Brown

B.) Gov. Jimmy Carter

C.) Doris Day

D.) Whoopi Goldberg

6. What did Macon Mayor Ronnie “Machine Gun” Thompson send to the Coliseum to greet the new team and have some of the French Canadian players “mock” arrested?

A.) Border patrol agents

B.) S.W.A.T. team

C.) Rhinestone cowboys

D.) His tank. (Armored Personnel Vehicle)

7. Whoopees goaltender Ron Grahame went on to play for the Houston Aeros, Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings. He later appeared in a commercial that aired during the 1983 Super Bowl. What was it for?

A.) Bud Light

B.) Volkswagen

C.) Coca-Cola

D.) Doritos

8. Which of the following did NOT make a reference to the Whoopees infamous nickname, often considered one of the greatest of all time?

A.) Answer to a question on the board game Trivial Pursuit.

B.) Question on the game show “Hollywood Squares.”

C.) Multiple choice answer on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

D.) Quoted by an imaginary hockey player in a national print advertisement for Reebok.

9. Whoopees defenseman Blake Ball played the role of an “enforcer” hockey player in what movie, starring Paul Newman?

A.) “The Mighty Ducks”

B.) “Slap Shot”

C.) “Goon”

D.) “Mystery, Alaska”

10. The original 1973-74 team used what to form its logo?

A.) Fig leaf, as a tribute to Adam and Eve, pioneers in whoopee.

B.) Whooping crane

C.) Whoopee cushion

D.) Rounded “M” placed above a rounded “W” to portray a hockey rink.

Answers:

(1) B. (2) A. (3) A. (4) C. (5) B. (6) D. (7) A. (8) D. (9) B. (10) D.

REPORT CARD: (9-10) Hat trick. (7-8) Feeling amorous. (5-6) Cross-checking (3-4)) Icing the puck. (0-2) Love sick.