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Jesse Rhode Administrator Posts: 308
11/11/2017
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I have been experiencing a string of events that are making things incredibly difficult for me to maintain a civil attitude. People are opening tables own their own. Stuffing pockets. Bending mother fucking prongs on the ball mechanism to enable free play. These things are in addition to balls being stolen and someone outright breaking into a couple tables to take the funds.
I feel that I have been more than fair with everyone while trying to find a happy balance with expenses and free play. Why? Because I like free play, damn it! I didn't always own a table, and free play was incredible times for me. I often open up a table, or keep a "free" play table out from the tournament, for no other reason then to provide an opportunity to play and bring us all together. Plus, as Brian Hendricks pointed out to me, this can only help local foosball by increasing the amount of sales for the bar. Though, I must say, they all should be providing us some sort of fooser beer special...like all beer is free for Jesse or something similar.
Yet, these things are a risk for me...AND for you! If everyone keeps thinking that this shit is free, then the ability to perform upkeep on tables is severally compromised. Look, I am not in this business to "take" from you without giving back. I am, in no way, trying to get rich off of 8 foosball tables! I invite you to look online at the prices of foosball parts...PLEASE! Maybe then more people will begin to realize that this game is actually expensive! Hell, my time alone is more valuable to me then what I ever could make from foosball. It is NOT ABOUT THE MONEY!
It is about the chess match without the chessboard. It is about the eclectic group of foosers that I consider friends. Yet, I am starting to feel the same sort of pressure to simply shut down all forms of free play. I am a heartbeat away from padlocking every damn table simply to make it all stop. But, I know I can't. That it would bother me more than any of you. So, instead, I would rather ask you to watch out for all of us. I don't need you telling me anything gestapo style. I just want you to not take part. To stop the abuse if you see it. Nothing more. Nothing less.
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Slam Duncan Posts: 46
12/2/2017
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Absolutely amazing to see this on the Arizona Foosball website. I guess I'll just go ahead and add my two cents worth since I know everybody out there is dying to know my thoughts.....lol.
The Phoenix area foosball crowd is one of the biggest and best in the nation. Period. We have a large group, a lot of young players, numerous venues to play at with different formats for different players, starting with rank newbies and going up to Hall of Fame veterans and everything in between. Pretty much something for everyone.
This group has been grown from the Combined efforts of several people....Age and Gary, Kenny, Brad, Billy, Jesse, Bryan, and a few that left the scene before I started playing again. This is just the people that are promoting events, either leagues, tournaments, special events, etc. This isn't counting all the behind the scenes people that have also chipped in to help...The people that volunteer to run tourneys, clean tables, stay late to hand out winnings, tons of unseen and mostly unmentioned acts to contribute to the cause.
In my experience, a lot of the negative problems that have come to light with this series of posts are correct - There are issues with table maintenance, lights that are broken or barely functioning, and tables that aren't brand spanking new. My choice to handle those situations has been to either jump in and help maintain the tables or stop going to the venues that constantly have lousy tables to play on. The Loft does a great job with table maintenance, as does Dukes. I have no idea how much Mary would charge for 4 new tables. I'm guessing around $5,500 to $6,000, not counting the shipping. Kinda steep price to pay so that the dozen people or so that are going to major tourneys will have decent tables to play on and tune up their game before the big events. There are also issues with the various personalities involved among the promoters and the way they choose to promote our sport. Different ways of running the tourneys, enforcing start/stop times, rules, payouts, etc.
There have been a lot of new ideas presented recently which may or may not improve the scene here in Arizona. The things that will ABSOLUTELY NOT improve foosball in Arizona are the things that were mentioned in these posts...fighting, lying, stealing, cheating (which was actually brought up on Facebook and not in these posts), character assassination, name calling, and complete and a TOTAL lack of professionalism. Really disgusting that our community is portrayed in this manner on a website that can be viewed by anyone in the country.
I can't speak for anyone else, but, in my opinion, all of these grievances should have been brought up at an in person, face to face meeting between the parties with the grievances and maybe an arbitrator or referee or three....They weren't. So, our dirty laundry is hanging on the clothesline for everyone to see.
Ok, what's the solution to the problem? Phoenix Metro has roughly six million people living in it. Tons of places to put foosball tables and grow a player base. If you want to grow a player base, find venues to put brand new tables and sponsors to help pay for them, find owners and develop relationships that will help promote the sport, implement new and innovative ways to create revenue, increase payouts, by all means get after it. That's what makes this country great...freedom to develop whatever you are capable of developing. The promoters that started in Phoenix have done a really good job, even though it has the problems that it does. Most businesses fail due to a lack of a plan. A plan to grow the business, make changes as needed that won't destroy the customer base if they don't pan out, a plan that looks at all the repercussions of decisions...and a plan that is well defined. If you have ideas and dreams without a timeline, you don't have a plan, you have a wish list. They also fail from infighting, sabotage, and greed. Not to mention personality conflicts of the major players involved.
I'm not sure what the solution should be...all I know is that the fighting and name calling has to stop....it's immature, non-productive, and does nothing to improve the situation...
Sorry for the rambling nature of this post, just putting thoughts on paper without a lot of sleep. So, take it for what it's worth....this post and 4 quarters will get you a pick-up game somewhere.....
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