Topic: Warrior going to hollow rods

[Old Meister]

I had a deal set to buy an "in-the-box" table from a guy only to now see that Warrior is going to change to hollow rods. Well scrap that deal! I guess I'll sit back and wait and see how it goes. I'm a bit disappointed that they are doing this. Had I bought the table and then found out about the upcoming change I'd be really PO'ed. I imagine those players who won tables won't be too happy either,,,

[marty]

OM check out fireballs multi play table if i was smart anuff i would post there link here if understand right you could have tornado rods and men and could have bonzni men it looks like tecball garlando warrior and of corse fireball all are an option , more then likely all on there rods just think you could split the ball thing up any way i remember awile back you
bringing this up well there you go . funny thing is i put warrior men on the black side of my tornado table to try it out tight fit but got it to work think i will switch it back as it just
does not look right

[Old Meister]

Hi Marty. I was wondering about how that might work, doing the Tornado/Warrior thing. Bbtuna says just using the Warrior ball gets you part way there. Since they are going to hollow rods I wonder how different the play would be then? I saw that too about the Fireball table. Maybe Bbtuna might remember me talking about what it would be like to have a changeable rod system a couple of years ago. Everyone told me why it wouldn't fly.  I guess it wasn't too far fetched an idea after all. Well maybe a guy should get a milling machine and start experimenting with men and feet. Those Fireball rods sound like they are as good or better than Merkels so that might be a standard anyway unless the heavy Warrior rods are used for banking which I think they would work better at. If Fireball does get a foothold, which it sounds like it will, then one might pay attention. I do think Brendan made a mistake letting the Tornado players talk him into going light right when Fireball comes in. Or maybe that was the reason. It would be pretty cool to play with a rod/man set-up that I designed for myself. The men would definitely be higher off the bed so I could dance the ball without pinning which is what I did with Deutscher Meister tables in the early 70's. I can do it some on Tornado's but the movements have to be so exaggerated due to the men being so long and low. Well times are a changing and it might be for the better of the game. Tornado is heading down hill through their own undoing and the new kids on the block have big ideas.

[bbtuna]

OM, i remember for sure...I have to say I didn't think it was a good idea because the mechanics of it were too much but Fireball seems to have it figured out by changing bearing and thus the height of the men...i am wondering if he "borrowed" the idea from you since i have never heard anyone else ever even suggest it

i like the idea for customized men, rods, and handles...think of all the engineering that has gone into making better golf clubs and tennis rackets and you have an idea of the possibilities and most importantly in my mind is the after market sales can create

you obviously could change bearings too

i don't see it working so much for a muti-table deal since there are so many variables not accounted for, ball, tble surface, goal size, but i think it is a great place to start and maybe it will introduce table standards which i have asked for many times (field size, goal size, and tollerances on foot size, ball size and weight and eventually when we know more, materials used)

great idea, good job, well deserved kudos for you

[Old Meister]

Thanks Bbtuna for the recognition, I hoped you would remember as you are so detailed oriented. So, what do you think, will Tornado with Warrior men and balls play like a Warrior with light rods? Or are the men at different heights for the pinning angle?

[bbtuna]

i think if War goes to hollow rods a Warrrior ball on a Tornado would be all you need...the original War men were exactly the same size, height, etc as Tor...they are supposed to have a new man but I haven't heard the playing changes are noticable

between you adn me, i think if War changes to hollow rods, they won't sell another table to a tournament player

[Old Meister]

I thought that might be the case or at least close enough. I see a big difference going from my Brown Marble to the Cherry. So if it is different in ways that I have more control I doubt I would be at a disadvantage.  Thanks bro!  Huh! I just modified this post to add that I went directly to buy 9 balls at $18.00 and they wanted to charge me $17+ for shipping. I think not! Maybe they aren't quite what I thought they were,,,So maybe this Fireball table will be a bit more "user friendly",,,

[bbtuna]

if you want Warrior balls, go to a War tournament or get someone who is going and you can buy the balls there for $2 which is a great deal because the balls are really well made and last forever

[the spray]

O.M.

I live a few miles from Flair and see him a couple times a month and here's the last thing I heard. Evan S. is handling the miner tweeks and after talking to him there will be no change of rods. The fact is he's trying to accomadate all players and the 2 things he hears most is hollow rods and coin slot. The coin slot is mandatory but the hollow rods are not. It's a simple transition but once you make that transition it is a far superior table. With the control added along with TS style play, banks etc. if the players would quit complaining about the rods and make the transition they would love it. And looking at $$$ being given out by Warrior and Tornado this year you players logically should make the move to Warrior. I don't know all the ins and outs of this subject but unless you have commitments or obligations to Tornado or there is other issues I'm not aware of make the change.  I believe Flair's plan is $1,000,000 tour in 2011 so do what you gotta do, you know what you have to do. Show up in Atl., St. Louis, New Orleans etc. and anything that would help this along let me, Flair or Evan know.

So O.M. I'll check with Flair 2nite and let you know but on the flight to Runaway Bay it sounded to me like no change. On that note I'm going to my garage and stroke some pulls, 3 bar banks and 2 bar banks then it's to the bar for some 12 oz. curls. Hey!!!

                                                                                  The Spray AKA Bankshot

[Old Meister]

Thanks Spray. I was this close to making a deal on a Warrior and then heard on the "other board" that they were going to hollow rods, even a quote of sorts from Mary saying so. I know you love the play of Warrior  and hope you are right about them not changing. I'll never forget how it felt to walk into the Playboy club in Lake Genieva, Wisconsin in 197? and seeing those brown top TS tables with the huge handles. I felt so cheated as I had a lot of time invested on the bluetops. Well this old dog don't like getting kicked and hopefully learned enough to avoid it.  I had Brendan's back in my appreciation for what he has done and the direction of it. The rod change just put me off. So I hope what you say is true, I really do.

[the spray]

O.M.

I will keep you up to date as a matter a fact Zoeller is in town and I will be seeing Flair and Evan tonight. I could be wrong, but I'm not lol. Remember with Flair it's business and from what I know he's very passionate and enjoys having these tourny's with GOOD prize $$$ 
for the players with plans for even better $$$ in 2011!!! Can you imagine this generation's top players getting what Wiz and Furry and others got paid. Even today pretty good and they deserve it. I mean ask Pappas, Moore, Loffredo, Spredaman, Ferdinand, Fernando if they would like to make $70,000 in a year. Just came back so probably miss spelled and forgot some of the players. Up to the players to get to his events again I could be wrong, but I'm not. I just dont see Tornado putting out $$$ since Ive been back or in the future.
Anyway I want that O.M. back to the rods. Last word the hollow rods were alot more as far as cost and with the coin opp mandatory
and also costly Flair's goal is to sell tables and want's to have a table thats affordable. Today $600 retail $300 all day long because of the giveaways but let's say the coin opp cost is $200 and rods $200 that would bring the cost to $1200 minimum maybe even as high as Tornado LOL

                                                               The Spray AKA Bankshot