Topic: Foos- be the greatest

[Licorice]

I watched FOOS on my day off and the only question I have at this point is: What Did Mr. Horton do to be banned for LIFE from Tornado, etc.  If this is a sacrilegious question never mind. 

Rock & Roll

[alaskan thunder]

Cocaine and trashing hotel rooms. Basically living the foosball dream....

[Licorice]

Banned for Life, for that??  Uncle!

[papafoos]

The list is a lot longer than that and more serious.  Johnny is trying to make a comeback and rid himself of some of the demons, so it's probably better not to discuss his problems in public.  This was about his third "lifetime" ban and all deserved.  Johnny can be one of the most entertaining players to watch.  Every young player should take the opportunity to watch and learn his game, but not his antics.  Who knows, maybe he'll be back. But I don't find fault with any promoter not wanting to take a chance.  It's like an unexploded artillery shell, liable to go off without warning.

[foozkillah]

Johnny Horton, the youngest ever worlds foosball champ (he beat out Todd Loffredo, who also won at 17, by a few days) did everything to the max. from the mid 80's to the mid 90's.

He grew up in the "wildcat" heydays of foosball, playing among a circle of neighbors and friends in a neighborhood of Bradenton (Tampa-Clearwater-St Pete area), which included worlds partner PM Mike Green, Mike's half-brother PM Rick Ino, 2time world champ PM Tom Yore, his brothers PM Mike Yore & Rog Yore, many times world champ PM Bobby Diaz, Tom's partner PM Casey Pruitt (RIP), PM Angela Sine, young PM Scott O'Hare, PM Chris "Starman" Starczeswki, PM turned world contract bridge officer & official Carl, and a slew of others, including notables who would stay in town at different times.  They included PM Tony Bacon & longtime partner PM Ricky Benitez, PM Thor Donovan, and yes, PM Todd Loffredo.  Except perhaps for the Smith brothers get-togethers in Houston and nearby Texas City, nothing anywhere else could match the almost un-imaginable worldclass level and intensity of play in "Tampa" DYP's, BYP's, or even silly garage parties.  NOTHING.  You could compare it to Tiger Woods and half the US Ryder Cup team having 2 or more weekly golf scrambles at his home course... for a decade.

Living on the road, and in multiple cities, back when Johnny won thousands every 1-3 months in some city or other.  Yes.. the foos dream.  But remember the period: mid 80's to mid 90's, the height of the cocaine & speed "me" generation, Miami Vice, Colombian cartels, Magnum PI "crippie" and Don Johnson, Cheech & Chong ... dozens of local full nude tittie-bars open til 6 or 7am, Indian card-gaming casinos ... Put them together and you have an idea of the lifestyle.

There was no Bible belt culture and background to even help slow things a bit, like there was in Texas & Oklahoma, no early AM riser surfer/skateboard culture to hold them back, like there was in California,  or blistering winters and a solid conservative midwest take like Minnesota and Chicago had, not even the Indian animal guides or Loggins & Messina singalongs for the redwoods & the environment, like there was in the Northwest.  Just the "Leave it to Beaver" seaside, seasonal, tittie-bar wealthy IBM PC & AT-fed resort culture of sunny western Florida.  And it wasn't Mayberry.

[gitablok]

..

[Alan Cribbs]

Brian,

Sometimes I describe that period of time as "Living the Lords of Dogtown with Foos".

AC

[Licorice]

Thank you all, my "only Question" has been answered.  I sure Dig Johnny's passion for the game.  I too know a guy who dropped out of high school to play foosball, he still plays in the bar, has a sweet pull Kick just as he did in 84-85 and has a coin op just off his kitchen.  This game doesn't just hook ya it treble hooks ya.

Regards

[Bless em]

Geez foozkillah, you make it sound like so much fun! Now I really resent Johnny!

[MJones]

Careful with this thread.  With the other board down, Johnny may inundate this board with unintelligible rants and the incessant cutting and pasting of rock lyrics.  !!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111!!!!!!!!!

[foozkillah]

Geez foozkillah, you make it sound like so much fun! Now I really resent Johnny! 

Dunno about fun, coz I came to So Florida near the tail-end of that era... Same time PM Mike Cody from Michigan and PM Mike Green from Bradenton settled in SoFlo and by the end in 94-95 we'd have a solid group of about 40 serious foosers and the beginnings of the Orlando and Jacksonville fooser groups.  Driving 4 hours and going to Rudy's (which Bobby Diaz now owns) in the middle, Largo, between Tampa, Clearwater & St. Pete's as a rookie for even their weekly BYPs was more like an assassination party.  They'd have a 18-26 team field with at least 5-8 PM's and the rest were Pro's and high SP's.  Not to mention their tour buddy visitors.

Nothing like trying to warm up for the tour and getting unfamiliar out-of-towners Chris Cavalier and Booger Bates in the first round, then playing Thibo and Russ King in the losers.  And those were the "lucky" non Florida team draws!!!  We felt like stray dogs waiting in the quiet corner of the dog pound.  It was fun hanging out at the hotel with ML Allstar Colorado Rockie Dante Bichette, who was one of us, from Palm Beach Gardens, and listening to his favorite partner during season at Pinky's, Todd Loffredo.  And other visitors in the hotel like Terry Rue, Ted Scott, Liz Hill and Don Swan, too.  Zoller, Terry Moore often showed, too, like Thor Donovan, but they were pretty quiet.  Then the next day to get asssassinated again.  At least Rudy's had a great breakfast buffet to go with their horrible coffee.

[foozkillah]

Careful with this thread.  With the other board down, Johnny may inundate this board with unintelligible rants and the incessant cutting and pasting of rock lyrics.  !!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111!!!!!!!!! 

ROFL, LMAO !!!!

Interesting thought, ........  nahhhh .... not g'nna happen..  TrickeyDickey loves his own forum on FuhBubba too much.

Unless you think Jim & Daniel might give him his own ultra-adventist post-isolationist neo-narcissistic forum on here. y'think?

[MJones]

Unless you think Jim & Daniel might give him his own ultra-adventist post-isolationist neo-narcissistic forum on here. y'think?

Gotta make a move to a
town that's right for me
Town to keep me movin'
Keep me gvoovin' with some
energy.
Won't you take me to
Funkytown.
Won't you take me to
Funkytown.
The telephone is ringing
I say, "Hi, it's me. Who is it there on the line?"
A voice says, "Hi, hello, how are you
Well, I guess I'm doin' fine"
He says, "It's three a.m., there's too much noise
Don't you people ever wanna go to bed?
Just 'cause you feel so good, do you have
To drive me out of my head?"
I said, Hey! You! Get off of my cloud
Hey! You! Get off of my cloud
Hey! You! Get off of my cloud
Don't hang around 'cause two's a crowd
On my cloud, baby

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111111111111111111111       

[foozkillah]

Marty, OMG!!!   

Did you kiss TrickeyDickey full on the lips and get infected?  Oh no!!!!  

Are there federal aid programs for this?  At least a support group? Like:

myLythiumIsDope.com, or TheySpikedMyDietPepsiAndEverclear.org

You have to get some treatment ASAP, before the infection gets fully embedded !!!

[MJones]

Marty, OMG!!! ...
You have to get some treatment ASAP, before the infection gets fully embedded !!!

Too Late.......
Welcome to the jungle
We got fun 'n' games
We got everything you want
Honey we know the names
We are the people that can find
Whatever you may need
If you got the money honey
We got your disease

Sloopy lives in a very
bad part of town.
All the little girls
there are trying to
put poor sloopy down.
Sloopy, I don't care what
you're daddy do.
You know little girl,
I'm in love with you.
All together now,
Hang on sloopy,
Sloopy, hang on.

Wild thing...you make my heart sing...
You make everything
Groovy
I said wild thing...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111!!!!!!!!!11111111