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Chat Area => General Chat => Topic started by: chance37 on January 02, 2008, 08:27:15 AM
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I guess this is an oportunity for many of you guys and gals to claim your greatness...but I have heard a lot of stories about local guys throughout the years that could play with anyone...I have seen some great players that if they were to enter a tournament they would be considered a rook, they just choose not to play in the tournaments to get the pro status...and they really dont care for it either....
I realize there is a difference from a pro to a master..but have any of you known anyone who could play an even win against the top players...and when they left the table had the masters and pros say who the hell is that?
I think it would be very difficult to be that good without playing against top level players on a regular basis to stay sharp.......I have heard of local pool players that could play against anyone in the world at anytime and was just thinking are there any foosers out there like that? Or is it just folk talk....
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Well to be honest with you if they have not played the best players in the world or the pros for that matter than they probably think they can beat them and can't. (unless your some kinda prodigy)lol... You need to play at that level to be able to get the experience. Otherwise you are just playing at the level of your competition. I would like to think that I am a damn good player. I should be a pro no doubt and when I go to a tournament I do pretty good. I should not be a rookie I have been told but as you said I really don't go to the big tournys cause it takes alot out of you first of all. It takes money to go to these tournys for entrie fees and rooms and food and so on. Personally when you reach that status you end up sitting there for long hours to wait for the other players to finish their events before you can begin yours and you can only play in so many events that you qualify for. As a rookie you can ply in alot more events. Sure it isn't as a promaster or anything but you get to play none the less. I have been to many state tournys as well as local ones and seen many players who should be pros and are not and the competition is good even at that level. But when it is all said and done they won't beat the pros cause they play weaker players. Hence the saying "You only play as good as your competition". When I play in our local event I usually win or get second no problem but as soon as I go to a place where better players are I don't do as well. Why? Well cause the players I play are good but not as good as the guys who play alot more than us. We play once a week and I know these other guys play in leagues and go to the big tournaments. I know my abilities are just as good but You can't expect to play once a week and do good at the bigger tourneys against the pros. When I say you I mean anyone not YOU. Don't get me wrong I have beaten pros and even pro-masters at tournys, but not on a consistant basis. I am still damn proud of it though LOL...
I was at a tourny in Iowa and seen a guy I thought "Great ,I have to play this guy cause he is a rookie" He was shooting a pull shot and was going dead bar It was quite something to see. he was doing it the whole time as a pro would. But when it came time to play in open he didn't do as good as he did against the lower level players. Anyway I just thought I would give my 2 cents worth!!! Happy Foosinaround!!!!
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Here in North Texas we have a few that come arround from time to time. Tony and AL Turner, Lane Hunicutt, Skip Clark, Kenny Jewel and a few others.
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Bar players who can play out of this world sometimes have a problem with the controlled pace and the unforgiveness of mistakes in tournament play. I remember how my game was totally reliant on immediate reactions to nonstop play, but when I went to my first legitimate tournament, that style went nowhere. You only get as good as the caliber of your competition. How else can you measure yourself?
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of course you have heard of me :D ;)
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Bar players who can play out of this world sometimes have a problem with the controlled pace and the unforgiveness of mistakes in tournament play. I remember how my game was totally reliant on immediate reactions to nonstop play, but when I went to my first legitimate tournament, that style went nowhere. You only get as good as the caliber of your competition. How else can you measure yourself?
I have met guys at tour type tourneys that live out in the middle of no where. They never get to play anyone but still come to an event like Las Vegas and clean house in the lower ranks. So I would change your statement to "You only get as good as the caliber of your skill and talent. How else can you measure yourself?" LOL
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didn't i hear that John Smith basically never played dyp's or regionals and just came out for Worlds mostly and he did very well...I heard that on Insidefoos before...don't know how true it is but that has always meant something to me because I don't get out
i think the new guy can present problems to the pros if they are unique enough...if they are unique, but can also be methodical and consistent, I can see a person doing pretty well who comes from the outside
but it is definately the exception to the rule
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Fair enough, I guess I'm relating to the spanking I got at the 1977 super singles. Very humbling experience at the time. Some good lessons though,,, Coming back to the game now kinda puts me in that position where I could play as low a rank as I wanted. Vegas huh,,,,, And Bbtuna, where do you live? I'm still motivated by that "American Idol" insinuation ;D
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hey, i didn't say you couldn't sing/play, I said you just need to check in the mirror because it is human nature to fool ourselves
i grew up playing ping pong a bit and every person i have ever met thinks they are good a ping pong...I am not great, i know my limits, but i have a story from early in my life which really iced that for me when I couple of my friends played each other site unseen for money...my longer term bud (Jim) thought he was a stud and tore people up all the time and he was pretty good for a basement scrub but the other guy, unknown to any of us, was a tournament player (Bob)
we all went over to Bob's house and he had a table in his basement and we were lead down there by his mother and she called for Bob...a mintue later Bob emerges from his bedroom in shorts, tennis shoes, Golf/Tennis shirt, etc...this all made us giggle and my friend had lost no confidence at all (very ***y still and loved to bet on everything...he is a Golf Pro someplace in CA these days)...anyway, they stepped up, and Bob had the overhand oriental grip and that made us giggle more
then they started to play...lets just say it wasn't close and everyone in the room knew Jim got schooled except Jim...he thought it was that his backhand was just a little off so they played again for money ($10 bucks each time which in 1976 wasn't chump change)...anyway, the second was worse than the first and we were brutel to Jim and had to give Bob and his shorts his credit...he knew what he was doing and he would school any of us for quite some time
so, nothin personal, i could be doin it too
by the way, i live in kc
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Oh Bbtuna don't fail me now,,, C'mon bud, don't you love the whole thing about competition. I'm not getting down on you, you gave me a gift in that reference. Really! If there is one thing about Foosball it brings out the bare bones competitor in us. In my day I hitchhiked all over northern Wisconsin just to play somebody who was suppose to have game, true story. I kicked ass usually but there was maybe a couple of times I was schooled. I took those as lessons. I love this game and I hold anyone with skill with high regard. So when I challenge you it is out of respect. I don't doubt but what you play a vicious game and that is exactly why it would be fun to play you. I understand that todays game has probably passed me by, but I tell you what, in my day I threw stuff at my opponents that they never saw coming and I kicked ass! So here I am, loving the game, in my 50's, and still doing my shots. I don't even have a clue how it measures up with today's game. I haven't played anyone for almost 20 years, but my shots stilll work. When I was young I didn't fear playing anyone, I sought them out. I like the spirit I hear coming from you and hope that the good natured challenge I throw your way is accepted in the same light. I may never end up in your neighborhood but if I did it would be pretty cool for us to play our game, have some beers, talk foos.
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bbtuna & Old M., I got winners! I have a no look shot waiting for y'all. (-:
Hey, we have local player who is 56 and I bet our old guy can beat your old guy. Hey, that sounds like a good topic. Who is the best old guy in your local scene. As far as best players I havent heard of, I think a quality player has to have some tour experience and massive talent to be able to just show up a at local tourney and completely dominant to the point people are just dumb founded. Hear is a good story, a pro player showed up at our local dyp talking smack. He said, "first guy who beats me gets this foosball t-shirt of mine." The first guy (50ish yr old rookie) who put is quaters up beat him. Funny stuff!
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I can remember when I first started out playing back in the day. I had just won my base tournament in the army (FT Sill,OK) and I thought I was pretty good So I decided to go to Oklahoma City....and find me someone to play.....So I go to this place I think was a pool hall. They had a couple of tables (tornado too,which I had just started to play on..I liked Dynamo at the time) so I go in and start playing . A few minutes later this kid about....14-15 years old comes up to the table......Well lets just say I was not the player at that time I thought I was...LOL He put me in my place let me tell you. Many years later I found out that there are alot of good players in OK
From that time on I knew I had to get better or get embarrassed..Foosball is so competitive. That is what I love about this game... :) I had not had the exprience I needed to play yet even though I thought so. I had to go to the School of hard knocks...lol oh well...that's what it takes huh? :)
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Billings, you're on the way to my old stompin grounds. Don't think I forgot about ya cuz I didn't. 56 huh? Geez he must have some serious arthritis by now,,, lol. That's my kind of people, nothing to prove just lot's to share,,,
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OM,
You will have a good time here in Billings. Let me know when you when your going to be in town. Remember you are never to old to play. Andy Wilson is our 56 year fooser. He plays like he was in his early 20's. I always tell him to relax, settle down, take it easy, but he can't, it is full throtle foosball or nothing.
Jeremy
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OM,
you didn't even ruffle my feathers, its all good, I am not sayin, I am just sayin
i love the "Whos the Old Guy in your area" ... for us it is me at 50, I am the young old guy and then there is our 54 year old Pro-Master Kent Rhodes...Kent is a very competitive wiley player and wins probably 90% of the time...a few of use are given him fits now a days and stealing the dyp more often but Kent is still king...for now
well, actually, now that I think about it, we have a couple other good 50 or very near 50 players
you know, Todd Loffredo is only a couple of years away from 50 so you can still be quite good at that age
I remember I went to Worlds in 1977 and saw Todd win at 17 and I thought I was already too old and I probably passed my peak for foosball age (applying ideas from other sports like track Sprinters)...we are still in the first generation of competitive foosball players and we haven't really found the age wall or ceiling for players
people's pop and lateral speed slow down (maybe near their 40's give or take a couple of years?) but they retain all their power and mental acumen - most can make up what they lost in speed with experience
some people loose a ton of speed and others only a little...watch Todd at 48 and it is hard to see what he has lost on the other hand, look at our PM Kent (no offense to Kent) and you will see how much speed can be lost
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sorry, I got side-tracked
you want a peice of me? what? you talkin to me? well I don't see anyone else around, you talkin to me?
you want to play for blood, "I'm your huckleberry" "That's just my game" and you say, "I was only foolin bout that" and I say, "I wasn't"
hey, any time any of you are in KC, you call me and we will make sure we get together and play games, drink, trash talk, have fun, and work our arses off to beat each other...I should always be able to round up a player or two from around here who would enjoy beating, ah, I mean, playing you all
doc
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Definition of "Grandmaster of Table Soccer": someone who skunks Masters and makes them whine and call refs; someone who beats the current #1 ranked Master for cash and hardware in an Open event; someone who skunks the current Masters' Singles Champion while the Green Jacket is still new enough to wear...
My goodness, what about a Doubleskunk? Nine in a row........
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g-mas you should post a video of your playing abilities.......Skunking a promaster thats impressive....How long have you been playing? And you have to tell me who you skunked....
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If a fooser was to list off the promasters he has beat wouldn't seem like he was pat'n himself on the back a little?
OK-I will pat myself on the back first.
2005 Colorado State Championships
Open Singles
Beat WARREN VANLANDINGAM JR (master)
Beat SHELLY LANGLEY (master)
took SERGIE ARAGONES (master)to meat ball but lost
DYP (with WARREN VANLANDINGAM JR)
Beat TRACI BRUBAKER(pro) / JOHN GREENGO (pro) (17th or better)
Beat BILL HAYDON / RYAN MOORE (9th or better)
Beat SERGIE ARAGONES )master)/ CURTIS MASON(pro) (5th or better)
Beat MOYA TIELENS (pro) / NATHAN WINTER(master) (Winners Bracket Final)
Lost To SERGIE ARAGONES / CURTIS MASON (Finals)
2002 Hall of Fame Classic
Draw Your Partner (with ADIL HIZOUNE)
Beat BRANDON MORELAND / ROBERT SACHS (Loser is 7/8th)
Lost To ROBERT ATHA / ANTHONY BRANNUM (Loser is 5/6th)
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I heard that there is a guy from Iowa that is a real "unknown"...
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The best coach in the world of foosball is Roger Olson, also known as Grandmaster. Anybody who wants to learn from the very best should go pay him for lessons at about a hundred bucks an hour.
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I started playing in 1959. Thank you for the nice complment inviz, however I must tip my visor to my coach, mentor and friend, Billy Sumption for teaching me Professional Foosball when I was just another bar hack with a bump kick. When I met Bill he beat me 8-3 on a DM in a bar called the Prospector Saloon. He asked me to play goalie for him after the trouncing. When I asked him why he wanted me on his team he promptly replied " Because we shot the same percentage, 100%. You were 3 for 3 and I was 8 for 8. No one else here has done that." I was 17 at the time and too young to be in there.
Roger "Foos" Olson 605-391-5958
Grandmaster of Table Soccer
920 Van Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
"Get DOWN Billy!"
PS- I invented the 3 step method to learn any deadman in the winter of '76-'77. Anyone who needs to learn any deadman with any hand needs to be shown this SIMPLE way to shoot!
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Please share! Whats the 3 steps? Any time we can share techniques, that is what will make this board more popular.
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please do my email is www.chancegwaltney@aol.com (http://www.chancegwaltney@aol.com)
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I turned 50 this year
i play like a 20 year old after a long long lay off Im starting to scare the local players I cant wait to play the best michigan has to offer.
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chris traynor is a Michigan guy stuck in KC and he has been playing fiesty old guys for quite a while now so I am thinking you won't sneak up on at least him
and foosaround69 is in his mid 40's he tells us, so you won't be the only old guy with game trying to make a statement
wish I could go, chris and I play real well together
maybe some other time in the not to distant future
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GM, 1959? Holy Crap! That is 9 years before I first payed. Hmmm, maybe I'm not Old Meister after all, maybe just Meister,,, naw, they wouldn't let me have that handle. Where in the world did they have tables in 1959?(State, City)
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If memory serves it was called The Hole in the Wall, in Rapid City, South Dakota, and was still open and active at least into the mid 1970's. I think the coin slot took dimes.
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I finally broke down and registered after I saw the reference to Ft Sill and couldn't resist.
foosinaround69, What time frame were you at Ft Sill? I live in the area and met a lot of transient players due to the base, the best of which was probably Scott Stewart. Scott and I played pretty well together, especially for a couple of goalies. We threw a going away party for him his last weekend and we didn't win a single game all night. A couple of the youngins were hot (but we blame the beer).
I also got to meet several foreign players because of the International Student Battalion. Did you meet any locals? I just got curious to know if I had met you.
And finally, to JW...Hi, sorry for lurking so long and never posting.
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Hey Mr. Mark Jones when you coming to back to town for fresh supplies?
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papafoos,
great to have you on board
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pappafoos,
Iwas in FT Sill in 86. I was in the newest part of the base at that time called "Hollywood" There was a place called the carousel for us guys to go to and play all sorts of games.
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foosinaround69, I ran a couple of tournaments for MWR around that time. The first year we used a DM clone that played pretty bad. The second year, I loaned them two tornadoes.
In 1985, two of our kids won Oklahoma State rookie doubles. One was 12 and the other was 14 at the time. I think that was their first large tournament. The older guys played in a bar called Gertlestones and we had a couple of arcades that held tournaments. I often wondered how many players stationed at Sill who just never was able to locate where we played.(no widespread internet back then)
bbtuna, thanks for the shoutout. If you see K Rhoades, tell him hi for me. When he says "who?", remind him that we used to go eat breakfast together every year at Worlds. Maybe this will inspire him to get in here. Tell him the smell of bengay is pretty potent here.
ED, I've got Tony Turner trying to play again. Looks pretty rusty right now, but he still has the passion. He can still pass.
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Pappafoos,
Funny you say that. As I said before I went to play off base at a pool hall and got beat by a real young kid hmmm?:'( Maybe he was one of your kids... lol ...or Tommy A ????..never know..
Of course to my defense I really had never played on tornado at that time. I was a dynamo man all the way!!! (gotta blame it on something...lol) ;D As for the base tourny the table they had was this small table but not too bad for what it was...I think it was a vulcan table...Painted men blue and white & red and white!!! Even had a horrible white ball that didn't roll all that good. I wish I could of went to a good tournament where you guys were!!!
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well i am not claiming to be great because i have not played against anyone that is even remotely good or competitive at foosball. But on that note i have not lost in quite a long time i prolly only play against the same 10 people over and over again but the closest the games will get would be 10-4 at best. With that being said more of u "foosball experts" need to start playing in central new york. A tournament to enter would be nice but unfortunately foosball is dead in CNY and i have not been able to find a tournament to enter in my area...hint hint cough cough.......i believe the time has come for foosball in cny again and perhaps u can find a few more "foosball experts"
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lookingforachallenge,
What part of CNY?
AC
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I OWNED everyone i knew all the time...Not even close...scored 54 straight goals against a buddy of mine....and beat any two friends everytime......Then i went to a local tournament and was shocked....I did have a decent pull kick and a push....saw the snae shot an bought a table and for the past year have been bashing balls as much as possible....You will find that the game is decided on the 5 bar. You can have a decent shot up front and still win if you get more chances to shoot. Generally the great 5 bar guys are good 5 bar defensively because they understand passing... My strength is my 3 bar I can at times be ligts out against good defenders....but get beat on the 5 and thats why all ive been focusing on the most is the 5. I get frustrated when i go two and out at the tournaments..but what keeps me focused and gives me the want to practice is the fact that I have a high percentage shot...and being told that by the big guns.....I HATE losing more than anyone...but if i don't learn something from it i might as well quit....
I guess what im saying is, if youve never played tournment level guys be prepared to be humbled....But if you really love to play find what you do well..work it...and then find out what you stink at and TRAIN it...
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AC,
CORTLAND, CORTLAND COUNTY specifically...
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"What do you wanna bet says I can throw this football over them mountains?"
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I to am 50 lost my wrist and some speed but the new players need so catching up to the 70s players. Does Bob Curtin still have his awsome pull shot I havent seen that in many years.
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"Hurtin Curtin" doesn't play as much as he used to so no he doesn't have that shot quite like he did. I will say I don't think there has ever and I dare say "EVER" been a harder or faster pull shot then his. For those of you who don't know him ask some old school players in your area and they will tell you what I'm saying is true...I promise....Wow!!!
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coach woulda put me in wed won state,,,,,, I be in a hot tub with the girl of my dreams....
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i saw a bunch of the big names in the mid to late 70's and to this day, I have never seen a harder wrist shot than Wizwell's pull...then or since...almost frightening...much different than anything else I have ever seen...now I have seen one or two pullkicks that were "harder" but they were not well known players
I started and played 75-76-81 (ish) and i can say without hesitation that today's players are every bit as good and if they had banks and good angles to shoot consistently they would all do that every bit as good as in the past
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I got to play wiz and doug at doulphen coin in Mt Pleasant we lost of course I remember any hole open he would hit he had a nice cut shot from his pull But Curtin had him beat on speed and power. sorry I cant spell played foosball instead on homework.
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Okay, you guys are killing me with all the old names and places of my youth.
On Bob "the giant killer" Curtain (so named because he invariably beat Fury in singles every time they played), I ran a Michigan State Championships for Tornado in 1996 and he showed up (not to compete, but just to socialize/reminisce) and we had a great trip down memory lane even then. In fact, several of the regulars from late 70s/early 80s Dolphin Coin tournaments showed up that weekend. (Dolphin Coin -- I loved those Mt. Pleasant tournaments and college bars!)
On John Smith -- that was partially true. He and Daniel played regularly within their local area, but didn't ever "tour" except for the big ones and even then they mostly kept in the south/southwest of the USA. The first time I ever played them was at a Tornado Nationals in Oklahoma around 1984 or so, and they torched Spear and me. Then again, we had never played against "real" Tornado players until that tournament (we were still trying to play TS/Dynamo-style). But at our best we might not have beat them as they had apparently amassed a record number of consecutive tour match wins (something like 78 at the time) going into our match. What I do remember most about that match was that John pretty much molested my defense in goalie and Spear's defense at the five-row with a style we in Colorado later came to call "sudden-impact, instant hammer." His pull shot was by no means a long raging deadman like I saw Wiswell do so many times on TS but an instantaneous take-off. My bait defense -- usually quite effective on the smaller-goal TS and Dynamo tables) was useless because the instant I showed him any hole the ball was gone before I could close it up. His five-bar series was the same in that he brought the ball to a stop next to his second man, ever so slightly edged into it to make Spear either hesitate or commit, then slam -- he seized the first hole he saw with a power lane or lightning wall before Spear could react (at the time you could slam passes better than now because the balls were softer and easier to catch).
Anyway, Curtain had a blister of a pull, John Smith had one, and Wiswell was out of this world. I remember at '79 Worlds in Minneapolis: when his matches were called he would go to a nearby table (in view of his opposing goalie) and slam in two or three racks consecutively on an open goal seemingly as hard as humanly possible. On those TS Browntops, most solidly hit longs would go in and back out of the goal but in Wiswell's case they flew back out of the goal and up into the air and down the row of tables to his left. Add in the recoil he threw in for maximum effect on those already shaky, lightweight tables and it was truly scary. The net result was, however, that the opposing goalies lived on the long whole, and Wiswell would proceed to eat them alive with straights and splits. (There was a young kid there who seemed to learn a lot from that, named Dave Gummeson...)
Another great pull-shooter from the same era was Ronny Nevois, whose techique at the time was to start the match with his first pull shot being literally the hardest split you've ever seen or imagined. Then once both your defense (and butt cheeks) were totally locked up on the split, he'd pick you apart with straights and longs.
Back to the original subject of this thread, my favorites (besides myself ;)) for "best players I haven't heard of" (but some of which you all might remember) might include Colorado's Erwin Burke, Dan Brack, Doug Moe, Lee Roley, Eric Baumgartner and Sergio Trevino (Gus Trevino's older brother, who took second in Super Singles to Dan Kaiser); Wisconsin's Aaron Gilmore (Amedio's older brother) and Ron Greenwald; Vermont/Oregon's Shaun Irish (who in the late 1980s went to a Tornado Worlds and videotaped it, went home to Essex Junction Vermont and practiced everything he saw until he could duplicate it exactly, came back the next year and whupped on a bunch of Pros but got overrun 'cause he had no defense); Ohio's Frank Garbuglio; Buffalo's stunningly good looking brother and sister team of Jeff and Sharon Clark (anyone remember "Bob-B-Q's"?); and Chicago's Jerry "JK" Knowles, George Petroheleos, and Don Becker (seen on the cover of "The Complete Book of Foosball" playing against Johnny Lott). If I really think about it I'm sure I could come up with a list of many more (especially from Colorado), but in my view these were all amazing, sometimes even extraordinary players who for various reasons either never toured or never really followed up on their total foosball potential. (You know the usual list of silly "distractions" or excuses, like having a real life, work, school, family, other obligations/other sports, bankrupt pro tours/manufacturers, etc).
Well, that's my food for thought for now...
Respectfully submitted,
Larry Davis
"There's a fine line between 'hobby' and 'obsession' and I... I crossed that line many years ago."
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Anyone here ever heard of a guy named Rick Stroud? He was from Amarillo, TX and I was playing against him on Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX at the Airmen's Club back in '80-'81.
To this day he had the best pull I've ever seen. I haven't seen some of the guys mentioned here but I see Gummy down at Mort's all the time and vids of the pro masters. This guy would be full of tequila and just smoke a dead long pull without even looking at the table. When he was looking he was like lightning to any open hole and deadly accurate. Only pull I've ever faced as a goalie where you literally had to ask him occasionally what hole he just hit because it disappeared too fast to see it. He was a little like Johnny Horton in that he loved to show off and have fun as much as win. His favorite thing was to set up the ball and then look up and shoot while he was staring you in the face talking to you, and it went every time until he got a few too many tequila sours in him.
He would also spend hours teaching anyone who showed an earnest interest in learning. I used to shoot an open hand pull that was fast and hard, but my wrist would end up raw by the end of a long night of foos so he offered to teach me how to use my wrist. He brought over a bare 2 rod with just the handle on it and had me holding the rod with my left hand and practicing the wrist movement with the handle in my right. I spent hours upon hours with him in dorm rooms after the club closed, getting baked and learning pull shot mechanics while jerking that 2 rod like a pedophile at a pageant. He said he never played in any tournaments when I knew him and he may never have toured.
I was hoping maybe some of you here were from west TX and old enough to remember him. He was a fabulous foos player and a great guy, I only wish I had a pull shot like he had, that thing was like greased lightning on steroids.
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My two cents worth....
I first started playing in Dallas Tx. a little over 20 years ago, an area that I found used to be one the hotbeds in the country for foos. It was funny to see Larry post Aaron's name, we had a few battles... good ones. The scene is Dallas back then was pretty rough, and I mean competition wise. The general public may not know these names but I'm sure Papafoos and Larry will.
First, I mention my dearly departed friend, Tandy Bustillos, lightning quick reflexes, best pull push kick ever hands down, his shot was silk. Bucky and Joe Newberry, good fives and good pull shooters, they could beat anybody. Melanie Green, yep a lady, most every guy feared playing her cause they did not want to lose to a girl, if she beat you she would let everybody know ;D. David Hill who we call Duke, a precursor to Pappas's speed and power was just freaky at times. I watched him lose a dyp final to Terry Moore meatball both games in which he shot eight different shots untouched, even Terry was shaking his head.
Some others... Skip Clark... one of nastiest pull shooters around, and in the land of pull shooters that's saying something, one the most explosive take offs ever, if he had a five man everyone would have known him. Harley Parks....owned one of the best push kicks, best long push kick I have seen.
My number one guy would be one of my old partners, Housein Kiani. He struck fear in a lot of the top players because he was such an unknown. He was always a thorn in Loffredo's side because of his ball control. He was one of the first two to the five passers and he was a far wall passer as well. His combination of speed, power, and finess on the five was a beauty to watch.
And during the time he was playing, he had one of the best pulls ever. At times he was simply sick. Those monster pulls coming from such a small guy was just amazing. He just really never toured outside of Texas.
One more guy that i would mention from back in the day but has made a huge comeback would be none other than...... David Vick. Goes to show you what kind of competition they had back then.
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I didn't know Rick Stroud. Too bad we didn't have internet back then. At about that time, the best players I knew from Wichita Falls were Brian Ball, a guy named Joey and another named Curtis. All had good shots but lacked the five rows. Joey had great reactions and would have made a good player if we had converted him to tournament style. Now the best in Wichita Falls are Andre and Renita Pierre. Andre just needs the experience and to get a little meaner. I hope they are able to stick with it.
I'm not sure about Harley and didn't know David Hill. If Melonie was Goldstone, she would challenge anybody in the house to play for $5. She had no fear of anyone.
Joe and Bucky were both solid players. Kiani was one of the nicest guys you could meet and had a monster pull from the back. I liked to warm up with Skip Clark and Al Turner because they didn't know how to slack off in pick up games. When you got tuned up to them, you were ready to start the tournament. I played with Tandy 2-3 times in his last year. When we played at Bridgeport, he had been having health problems. I could tell his game was off. I enjoyed playing with him. Our games meshed well.
David Vick is my newest inspiration. He's proof that the old guys are able to come back and be competitive if they're willing to put in the time. Ice, next time you see him, tell him I said he's getting slow in his old age. I always thought he had one of the best pulls in Dallas, very quick and extremely long. Don't tell him that part though. He may start growing hair again.
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Mike Bowers could list several unheard of great players from Colorado but Tim Burns "Zeke" comes to mind for me (there were more). Several of the names you mentioned meant a lot to me, especially Frank Garbuglio (and his wife), as he was an upcoming star who was taken to heaven (with his wife) before we knew his potential. I loved watching George Petrohelios play. None of your listed names mean anything to today's generation of players as they are for the most part too young to recognize any of the names or care about the past (and first) generation of foosball tournament players, other than the living legends still playing today and winning tournaments. The topic was unheard of champions and you listed many.
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Pebbles,
Are you actually thinking of Jeff Piscopo, who together with his wife were killed in a car crash on their way home from a weekend tournament (I think it was a NY State Championships)? Great guy, outstanding player/sportsman, terrible loss to foosball.
Separately, it's a bit funny to consider past world champions like Tim "Zeke" Burns (or maybe Bob Gibson or Bob Maloney, or say, Johny Valles) as "best players I haven't heard of" but you're right, they played so long ago most of the people playing today don't know who they are/were. (Although both Bob Gibson and Johnny Valles have showed up at a couple tour events in the last four years, even winning multiple matches in Open...) One thing I remember out Tim Burns was when he teamed up with Lori Schranz at a $25-grander in Indianapolis in 1978, and watching as they beat Wiswell and Fury to take 1st place in Open Doubles.
Love to keep the memories going,
Larry "I foos, therefore I am" Davis
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Yes Pebbles was talking about Jeff Piscopo. Jeff and I won the 3500 Limited Doubles World Championship in 1989. He was an amazing player. I could have him sit on the big dot and I would shoot as hard as I could and he would catch it. If he did not it would go in most of the time. He was one of the few players I played with that we played as one. My fondest memory of him was when we won in 89 and seeing his face inches from mine screaming WE WON WE WON!!. We had won the winners bracket without losing a game, putting Thor Donovan and his partner (who's name escapes me) into the losers bracket. They won the losers bracket and beat us match ball, to go to the final match. We won the final in 2 games with me shooting an out of gas long pull from the back to take the win on a game ball. Every time I think of this it sends chills down my spine. God rest your soul Jeff. I will never forget you.
1989 Tornado 3500 Limited Doubles World Champions
Jeff Piscopo - Forward - Detroit, Mi
Scotty Scott - Goalie - Birmingham, Al
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Okay, you guys are killing me with all the old names and places of my youth.
On Bob "the giant killer" Curtain (so named because he invariably beat Fury in singles every time they played), I ran a Michigan State Championships for Tornado in 1996 and he showed up (not to compete, but just to socialize/reminisce) and we had a great trip down memory lane even then. In fact, several of the regulars from late 70s/early 80s Dolphin Coin tournaments showed up that weekend. (Dolphin Coin -- I loved those Mt. Pleasant tournaments and college bars!)
sorry for bring these old post back up but I just joined and have a bunch of Foos history in my past
I am sure we crossed paths in Mt Pleasant. We had some of the best in the world come to town to play and they were always eager to play us townie kids that grew up at the Dolphin Coin.
I replied in another post that Rolfe had passed away last August. We kept in touch throughout the years but his death was a huge hit on me. Rolfe and I would go out west skiing and motorcycling when we were younger. As well as many all night foos parties at his home. I always thought of Rolfe as the grandfather of foosball. RIP Rolfe Schwierin
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I enjoyed reading through this thread.
I turn 59 in a few days and enjoyed playing on DMs. I’m the 70s. Have owned 4 of them.
My skill was good enough to play goalie if no one else was around lol
My older brother used to go play in events in Iowa.
He and another guy were so fast I could barely see the shot. They shot So hard they broke pieces off the edges of the hole.
I’m sad to say, I never had the pleasure of watching someone really great but I hope too in the future.
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Revise
Playing on DMs in the 70s.