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INSIDE FOOS Newsletter NO. 14 June 2004
Published By Inside Foos Productions Huntington Beach, California http://www.insidefoos.com
DO NOT REPLY: PLEASE SEND ALL EMAIL RESPONSES TO: newsletter@insidefoos.com
CONTENTS:
>From the Editor
Texas State DVD Listings
Texas State Results
Toro's Corner
Inside The Pro Tour
The Zone
Inside Foos Special Offers
Upcoming Events
Foosball Sites
SPREDMAN AND PAPPAS DOMINATE RECORD-BREAKING TEXAS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2004 Texas State Championships, held this past May 28-30 in the city of Irving, certainly lived up to its billing as "the pro tour's fourth major championship" with an exciting, record-setting weekend of high quality foosball. More than 320 individual players made their way to the Holiday Inn Select near Dallas/Fort Worth Airport for this annual Memorial Day extravaganza, and when the dust finally cleared it was the sport's two young lions, Tony Spredeman and Billy Pappas, who stood head and shoulders above the crowd.
In one of the most dynamic Open Doubles performances of recent years 2003 world singles champ Spredeman and his talented partner Pappas, both just 19 years old, held off the hard-charging Mike Archer and Brandon Moreland to win the title in impressive, and mostly one-sided, fashion. With the aggressive Spredeman playing primarily the forward position, Tony and Billy dismantled one team after another to win their first title together while playing as a team for the very first time.
After winning 5-4 in the fifth game of a tight early round match against hot-shooting Mike Philbrook and partner Tom Goff, Tony and Billy soundly defeated 1996 World Champions Tommy Adkisson and Rob Mares in four games, and followed that up with a solid semifinal win over pre-tournament favorites Terry Moore and Louis Cartwright to advance to the winner's bracket final.
On the other side of the winner's bracket, hall of famer Steve Murray and partner Terry Rue defeated David Radack and Brandon Whiten in a stirring come-from-behind effort to earn a matchup with Spredeman and Pappas to see who would be the first team to reach the 2004 Texas State Open Doubles final. In that match Murray and Rue lost the first two games to Radack and Whiten before storming back and winning the next three to secure their place in the winner's side final.
Tony Spredeman and Billy Pappas continued to play dominating foosball in the winner's bracket final, defeating Murray and Rue in three straight games, 5-2, 5-1, and 5-4, to advance to the final. Moving to the loser's side, Murray and Rue faced two-time defending Texas State champions Mike Archer and Brandon Moreland in the loser's bracket final. Archer and Moreland, who had come all the way back after a loss in the second round to Brian Turman and Jim McKenney, continued their winning ways, defeating Murray and Rue to advance to the Texas State final for the third straight year.
In the final Archer and Moreland, looking for a third straight Texas title, defeated Tony and Billy 5-3 in the first game. But Sprdeeman caught fire in game two, leading his team to a 5-1 victory, and then continued his hot shooting in a one-sided third game win, again by a score of 5-1. Mike and Brandon kept their hopes alive, pulling-out a tightly-contested fourth game, 5-4, but Spredeman and Pappas again seized control as Billy Pappas scored a long pull shot from goal, his only point of the match, to win the fifth game 5-4 and win their first title as a team.
And Pappas wasn't finished there. Billy also paired with Moya Tielens to win the Mixed Doubles title over Rob Mares and Debra Pflipsen, and defeated tour veteran Tom Yore to earn the Open Singles title in very impressive style. With his three open victories Billy became the first player to ever "triple" at the prestigious Texas event.
In the always competitive women's events, Canadian superstar Moya Tielens won her third straight Texas State singles title over Dusty Bambanek, while Dusty and fellow Ohioan Lisa Pride claimed their first title together, winning the Women's Doubles title over Keisha Rue and Gena Murray.
TEXAS STATE DVDS: You can order the four hour, two disc set of Texas State DVDs at http://www.insidefoos.com for only $35. To help with your decision we have included the complete video listings below. You can also order the 2004 full-season package and receive the Texas State DVDs at no charge. Go to the homepage at http://www.insidefoos.com for ordering information.
THE 2004 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: The pro tour now heads to the twin cities for the second major championship on the tournament calendar as Tornado Table Soccer and the USTSA present the 2004 $60,000 National Championships June 30-July 4 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. At last year's event local boy Dave Gummeson teamed with Texan Tracy McMillin to win the doubles title, while Rob Mares staged an extraordinary comeback against Todd Loffredo to win his first National Open Singles title. Down 4-1 in the fifth and deciding game, Mares blocked four potential championship-winning shots by the legendary Loffredo and scored four straight points to comeback and win the title.
The National Championships are also home to the higly-prestigious Masters Singles competition, which features the world's top players competing in a single elimination bracket to determine who will earn the title of Masters Champion. Last year Todd Loffredo defeated Adrian Zamora to become the first player to be rewarded with the green jacket three different times. The Nationals are always one of the year's most exciting and memorable events on the annual tournament schedule and this year should be no different.
WHAT'S NEW? The Inside Foos Newsletter welcomes a brand new column to our publication as tour veteran Kevin Munro offers us a look into "The Zone". Kevin gives us his views on how to optimize performance through proper nutrition and physical/mental balance.
The Inside Foos team heads to Minnesota next week to once again cover the sport's national championship. As usual we will bring you all the top stories from what is shaping up as yet another great pro tour event.
Thanks for your support, and we'll seeya foosin',
Jim Stevens
Editor
Inside Foos Newsletter
2004 Texas State Championships DVD Listings
DISC 1
TONY SPREDEMAN/BILLY PAPPAS VS. MIKE PHILBROOK/TOM GOFF
TONY SPREDEMAN/BILLY PAPPAS VS. ROB MARES/TOMMY ADKISSON
BRANDON WHITEN/DAVID RADACK VS. STEVE MURRAY/TERRY RUE
WINNER'S BRACKET FINAL: TOM YORE VS. BILLY PAPPAS
LOSER'S BRACKET FINAL: TOM YORE VS. TERRY MOORE
BILL BELL/JOHN SMITH VS. TERRY MOORE/LOUIS CARTWRIGHT
DISC 2
WINNER'S BRACKET FINAL: STEVE MURRAY/TERRY RUE VS. BILLY PAPPAS/TONY SPREDEMAN
LOSER'S BRACKET FINAL: STEVE MURRAY/TERRY RUE VS. MIKE ARCHER/BRANDON MORELAND
OPEN SINGLES FINAL: TOM YORE VS. BILLY PAPPAS
OPEN DOUBLES FINAL: TONY SPREDEMAN/BILLY PAPPAS VS. MIKE ARCHER/BRANDON MORELAND
AVAILABLE NOW AT http://www.insidefoos.com:
2004 TEXAS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2004 HALL OF FAME CLASSIC
2004 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (Pre-Order)
2004 FULL SEASON PACKAGE (HoFC, Nats, 10 hour World Championships)
TEXAS STATE RESULTS
Open Singles
1st BILLY PAPPAS2nd TOM YORE
3rd TERRY MOORE
4th LOUIS CARTWRIGHT
5/6th DON SWAN
TOMMY ADKISSON
Open Doubles
1st BILLY PAPPAS & TONY SPREDEMAN2nd BRANDON MORELAND & MICHAEL ARCHER
3rd STEVE MURRAY & TERRY RUE
4th BILL BELL & JOHN SMITH
5/6th TERRY MOORE & LOUIS CARTWRIGHT
DAVID RADACK & BRANDON WHITEN
Open Mixed Doubles
1st BILLY PAPPAS & MOYA TIELENS
2nd ROBERT MARES & DEBRA PFLIPSEN
3rd GREGG PERRIE & LISA PRIDE
Womens Singles
1st MOYA TIELENS
2nd DUSTY BAMBENEK
3rd GENA MURRAY
Womens Doubles
1st LISA PRIDE & DUSTY BAMBENEK
2nd KEISHA RUE & GENA MURRAY
3rd JOY STEWARD & MOYA TIELENS
SEMI PRO DOUBLES DAVID CHAPMAN/BRANDON LISLE
ROOKIE SINGLES PAUL RODRIGUEZ
ROOKIE DOUBLES CHRIS HESANO/WAFIR HALAWI
3500 LIMITED DOUBLES LAXCY VINCENT/ADAM HOROWITZ
FRIDAY DYP TERRY MOORE/BOBBY SIMS
INSIDE THE PRO TOUR
Clearing out the Texas State notebook...Steve Murray and company truly outdid themselves at this year's event, staging one of the greatest regional foosball championships of this or any year...
Kudos to David Radack, Bill Maloney, Ben Kennon, Marcos Reyes, Rex Bennett, Stefan "Stash" Glenn, Carlos Hernandez and everyone who helped make this year's lone star foos festival such a success...
Murray also found time to place third with Terry Rue in a very tough Open Doubles field...
Speaking of success, Billy Pappas was truly unbeatable in Texas, going undefeated on the way to his first-ever "triple"...
Pappas and partner Moya Tielens did lose the opening set of the Mixed final before coming back to defeat Rob Mares and Debra Pflipsen 5-4 in the final's deciding game...
Billy's doubles partner Tony Spredeman also put on a show in Texas, playing the forward position about as well as it can be played...
Tony "the Tiger" is virtually unstoppable when he gets his game rolling...
Florida tour veteran Tom Yore also played well in Texas, using a newly unveiled high-speed, on-the-fly playing style to finish second to Pappas in Open Singles...
In an amazing loser's bracket final performance against Terry Moore, Yore shot nearly everything on the run, defeating Moore in four games while scoring only 2 of his 19 total goals from traditional pull shot position...
It was reminiscent of Don Swan's amazing high-speed performance at the 1997 Masters...
At that event Swan seemed to never allow the ball to stop on the way to a victory over Terry Moore in the Masters final in a match that took only 14 minutes to play...
In the final Tom continued to use a fast paced, quick transition style, but the talented young Mr. Pappas was simply too quick, defeating him in three impressive games...
Moya Tielens continued her Lone Star State dominance, winning both Women's Singles and Mixed Doubles, her fourth and fifth Texas State titles in the last three years...
The 2004 Texas event also saw another great effort from two-time champs Mike Archer and Brandon Moreland, who fought their way back to the finals after an early round Open Doubles loss...
The creative and sharpshooting goalie Moreland will play with Billy Pappas at the Nationals in Minnesota...
Earmark them as one of the early favorites...
TRIVIA TIME: What was the last team to go through an entire Open Doubles competition at a major tour event without losing a single game?
Congratulations to 2004 Texas Legends of Foosball inductees Tracy McMillin and Mark Snyder who were honored in a ceremony at the Texas State event...
McMillin is a former world champion and current national champion, while Snyder is an ex-world singles finalist and perhaps the greatest push-shot shooter in the sport's history...
Steve Murray was also kind enough to honor Christina Fuchs and me with "Texas Legends" ststus as well...
Thanks from both of us Steve...
TRIVIA ANSWER: Todd Loffredo and Scotty Wydman who won the 1995 National Championship by sweeping ever one of their matches in three straight games...
NEXT MONTH: A full National Championship report...
The Art of 'Splitting': Yet Another Ancient Foos Mystery
v. split, split.ting, splits: To divide, as for convenience or proper ordering: Want to be friends? Let's split the money and be friends.
Have you ever 'split' in a foosball tournament? For those of you who don't know, this means to allow your opponent to advance beyond you with the financial benefit of sharing in one or both players winning purses. For example, two players are set to play to advance into a winner's bracket final, one or both of them decide that they do not wish to actually compete to advance, therefore one allows the other to advance usually compensated with a percentage of the other player's winnings. Pretty simple?
How often does it happen? It happens all the time and everywhere. It's a part of our game. It happens at local tournaments up and through the three major events. It happens at the Rookie level and all the way up to the Master level. By the end of a tournament, so many side deals may have been cut that it takes an accountant (or a very savvy money managing fooser) to figure out who owes whom what and exactly how much.
I can remember the exact last time I 'split' in a tournament. I was playing for 9th place in Semi-Pro Singles at the Cal State Tournament several years back. Standing in front of me was a local Semi-Pro who I was completely uninspired to play (how's it going Dan Tyvoll?). I wanted out of that match, and out of that tournament. I asked him politely if he wanted to 'split' and move up in the loser's bracket. He gleefully accepted and we agreed to play the match out but that he (Dan) would proceed. Needless to say, I crushed him so badly in uninspired fashion that there was no way I was going to let him advance (he would have got pounded by a corpse leaning on the rods in his next match). I was stuck advancing! Now, not only did I want out of the tournament, but I also wanted to hang myself for not being able to effectively throw a match! I was so frustrated that I came to the conclusion that if I was going to stay in that tournament room for another three hours, I was going to give it everything I had.
I went on to win that tournament. It was the last time I 'split', and it will be the last time I ever 'split'. It comes down to the fact that we are competing in foosball and so we can't possibly be playing simply 'for the money.' If you are so financially destitute that you are inclined to take the safe road and 'split' a purse with someone, than you should actually not be at a foosball tournament and should instead be standing outside a Home Depot looking for a job or something much more productive. What does splitting' say about the competitive spirit or our players? What does it say about why we enter tournaments in arenas with players that have worked very hard to prepare? As members of a 'Professional Touring Organization' what does it say about our respect for the integrity of the game?
It says nothing. It says that we would rather lie down in an ocean of meaningless excuses rather than dig in and fight for it. If you make it deep enough into a bracket to actually be eligible for money, you owe it to all of the players you beat to get to that spot, your pending competition, and most importantly to yourself to hit your punch card and go to work. If you drank too much the night before, or you are scared, or you don't think you can win, or you just don't feel like playing, than either wish your opponent good luck and walk away, or flip a coin and fight. IF you are a Pro/Master, you should contemplate no other choice than to stand and deliver. How will foosball ever get to the 'next level' if the community doesn't fight for it? This is a big part of the big picture. Now, fight for it.
Staying in "The Zone"
It's been said that winning tournaments can be almost as much a matter of eliminating the things that can go wrong, as it is a matter of skill. You've practiced for countless hours, bought the right wraps, bought your plane ticket and hotel room etc., youıre ready and you want to win.
We play in a sport that demands extreme energy and concentration for short bursts, and a need to be ready to play at a moments notice, after sometimes waiting hours on end. Being ready at all times can't win a tournament for you, but it can keep you from losing matches unnecessarily.
Have you ever shown up to a match and realized that you haven't eaten in 6 hours and your energy level has crashed? Or, on the other hand, have you ever been called up to a match right after eating a heavy meal like a cheeseburger with fries and not been able to get your game going? That middle ground is where you need to be to maximize your chances of playing your best, and is an integral part of being in "The Zone.² A phrase coined by Arthur Ashe right after he won the Wimbledon Tennis Championship, "The Zone" is a unique psychological/physiological state of balance or homeostasis. Itıs being confident in your skills, fully aware of the ball on the table in the moment, not looking back to prior matches or looking ahead, and having a good balance of energy and calm.
What can you do to improve your chances of getting into "The Zone" and staying there?
1) Getting enough sleep ... for some, light meditation helps too.
2) Being ready to play your game and knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are, so that you can be confident in your decisions, no matter who you play.
3) Maintaining hydration and electrolytic balance. Dehydration is the primary cause of fatigue, but too much water can be harmful if you're not getting the right minerals as well. Avoid the caffeine alcohol roller coaster.
4) Controlled breathing and emotions. Donıt over dramatize mistakes; just continue to play the ball where itıs at. Remember to breathe.
5) Switching your concentration onto something else in between playing to maintain the focus and the zone, (like you see the tennis pros do in between serves when they stare at the racket in their hand picking at the strings).
6) Proper nutrition*. Several books have been written recently about keeping a good balance between Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat to ensure efficient health & metabolism.
7) When to eat is as important as what you eat. After a workout, eat something high in protein.
Good Luck at the Majors!
* FYI, beginning with the 2004 National Championships in Minneapolis, the
Foosball.com store will offer a selection of sports supplements, vitamins and
protein products.
INSIDE FOOS SPECIAL OFFERS...
Inside Foos has been the official video production company of the Tornado Professional Foosball Tour for more than 10 years. Our videos and DVDs are digitally recorded using a multi-camera set-up and feature the play-by-play of "The World's Only Fooscaster" Jim Stevens, with expert commentary from pro-fooser Mark Torres and four-time tour champion Tom Yore.
NEW---> The 2001 and 2002 Super Doubles Finals Both for only $30. You'll receive both of these classic Inside Foos DVDs for the low price of $30. The 2001 event includes the amazing run of Billy Pappas and Mike Yore through the Super Doubles bracket which features the winners of each of the weekend's doubles events (Rookie, Semi Pro, Women's, Pro and Open) competing in a final day showdown for $20,000. The 2002 Super Doubles final features Women's Doubles champions Moya Tielens and Stephanie Ohashi fighting their way to a finals matchup with Terry Moore and Bob Diaz. email info@insidefoos.com for exact ordering instructions.
SAVE---> Order your 2004 DVD Package, Receive a Free Texas State DVD Set, and Pay Only $5.00 for Shipping Stay up-to-date on all the pro tour happenings by pre-ordering the full 2004 USTSA season on DVD. You'll receive the 6-hour Hall of Fame Classsic and Nationals DVDs, and the 10 hour World Championships in the mail 4-6 weeks after each event and you'll pay only $5 shipping for the entire season. By ordering the entire season package you'll save $25 off regular single event pricing. To order go to http://www.insidefoos.com and scroll down the homepage to the 2004 Packages pay point. We ship in the order received so place your order now.
Order the 2003 World Championship DVDs and Save $10. You can order the exciting 10-hour, 5-Disc set of 2003 Worlds DVDs at a $10 savings by going to http://www.insidefoos.com and ordering the 8-Hour version for $60. You will automatically be upgraded to the full 10-hour version. These exciting DVD sets include performances from Tony Spredeman, Tommy Adkisson, Billy Pappas, Adrian Zamora, Frederic Collignon, Terry Moore, Eddy Gartman, Tom Yore, Bob Diaz, Mike Philbrook, Frank Balecha, Louis Cartwright, Matt Steward, Moya Tielens, Cindy Head and others.
The 2003 World Finals DVD--Only $30. This two hour DVD includes the finals from the Mixed Doubles, Open Singles and Open Doubles events, all for just $30. Scroll down to the bottom of the http://www.insidefoos.com homepage to place your order.
Get the 2003 Texas State DVD Free with the purchase of any 2003 DVD full-season Package! Order the entire 2003 season on DVD! Order a 2003 DVD Package and receive The Hall of Fame Classic, The Nationals and the World Championships, along with the added bonus of last May's Texas State Championships, all for one discounted low price. Go to http://www.insidefoos.com/2003VideoPackages.php to place your order and save $55 off individual event pricing.
An Inside Foos Classic: The 10-Hour 2001 World Championships. Only $50 at insidefoos.com. This 5 DVD set features one of the greatest matches of recent years as Trevor Park and Louis Cartwright faced-off against Frederic Collignon and Todd Loffredo in a two set final that went right down to the last ball. Johnny Horton's World Singles victory is also featured on this exciting 10 hour DVD set. To order go to http://www.insidefoos.com and scroll down the homepage to the 2001 World Championship pay point.
Please call Toll free 877-833-3603 or email info@insidefoos.com if you have any questions.
The above offers are good through July 20, 2004.
UPCOMING EVENTS...
June 26-27th
Tulsa City Championships
Tulsa Billiards Palace
Tulsa, OK
rexbennett@tulsafoosball.com
918-261-0101
June 25-27th
$2000 Montana State Championships
Bullwhackers Billiards
Billings, MT
Jeremy Housley
406-245-5061
June 30-July 4th
$55,000 National Championships
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, MN
http://www.vifa.com
*An Inside Foos Event*
Foosball Sites...
http://www.vifa.com For info on the major pro tour and VIFA leagues. The Official Site of the U.S.T.S.A., V.I.F.A. and Table Talk Magazine.
http://www.natsa.org For complete schedules, results, and Table Sports Radio.
http://www.foosball.com For anything and everything pertaining to foosball.
http://ocfoosball.com Orange County, California foosball site.
http://foosballworld.com/ifp.html Independent Foosball Promotions.
http://foosworld.com/site/default.aspx FoosWorld.com events, results, interviews
http://home.swbell.net/dradack Dallas/Fort Worth foosball
http://www.dfwfoosball.com More Dallas/Fort Worth foos
http://pub86.ezboard.com/bfoosball6358 Foosball EZ Board newsgroup.
http://www.sdfoos.com San Diego, California Foosball site.
http://www.nwfoosball.com Northwest Foosball site.
http://www.ottawafoos.com Ottawa, Canada site.
http://www.britfoos.com U.K. foosball site
http://www.atlantafoosball.com
http://www.tulsafoosball.com
http://www.foosballohio.com
http://members.shaw.ca/vancouverfoosball
http://www.newenglandfoosball.com
http://www.tischfussball.at Austrian Fussball site
http://NYMetroFoosball.i8.com New York City foos
http://www.csfoosball.com Colorado Springs foos site
http://www.cnyfoosball.com Central New York site
http://www.FoosBars.com global, online foosball locations directory
http://www.FoosManchu.com Foosball site featuring a foosball animation short titled "The Adventures of FoosManchu"
http://www.bonziniusa.com Bonzini Table Soccer U.S.A
http://www.warriortablesoccer.com
http://www.MinnesotaFoosball.com
http://www.torontofoos.ca
http://www.ontariotablesoccer.com
http://www.canadafoos.com
http://www.tafelvoetbal.nl Awesome Netherlands foos site
http://www.foozen.com Iowa's Foosball website
http://www.flatheadfoos.com Montana Foosball site
-----> To have your site listed, send an email to newsletter@insidefoos.com
INSIDE FOOS PRODUCTIONS
http://www.insidefoos.com
Inside Foos Newsletter:Jim Stevens
Christina Fuchs
LaVonne Stevens
Production Crew:
Jim Stevens
Christina Fuchs
Ezekiel "Iceman" Moore
Richard Hall
Frank Espinosa
Commentators
Jim Stevens
Tom Yore
Mark Torres
Scott King
Brian Harrington
Brandon Moreland
INSIDE FOOS PRODUCTIONS
Toll Free in the U.S.A. 877-833-3603or 714-842-9161
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