Why do Some People Call High Tops “Bumpers”? James Rabe found out! (VIDEO)

Now that we've established that Chuck's / High-Tops / All Stars are indeed called "bumpers" in multiple parts of Minnesota, the question is...why?  Why are they called "bumpers"? On today's Early Morning Show, we found out!

This is the picture that started the whole conversation!

The photo credit is my dad. W.T. "Bill" Rabe. His given name was Wilmer Taylor, so clearly Bill was preferable. I think most of us fared better when it came to names. In the pic, from left to right is my brother John (the public radio host in LA), then my mom, Mary Ann Rady Rabe (yep, her maiden name was THAT close to her married name), then Clare (now Rabe Deboever, retired in Dallas...she is an amazing photographer). Karl, on the far right (lives near Ann Arbor, MI...tho what he does is a mystery to us, and, apparently, to him, too). Joan and Kate are missing, so I'll tell you about them some other time.

I'm in front, looking adorable. That was my job. James Rabe, Adorable Kid. If you could see under that mop of hair, you'd see the widow's peak I now sport more obviously. Also, I loved that outfit. And the shoes? Buster Browns. ((sigh)) Good times.

I see this picture and I think two things.

First, whenever we sang hymns, I kinda faked the words so i could find the woman singing with more confidence than was advisable (that's how my mom put it). She was SO off key, but very spirited, so I always kinda cringed and high-fived her all at once.

And ii) I can't think of W.T. Rabe Family Photo that is even close to good. For instance...

Some of us look good, others were caught mid breath, or, in my case, mid-strangle.

He got the lighting right in this one...tho, shadows may have been better.

Then there's this one...

He didn't even get the right family in that one!