Columbus, Ohio Foosball Memories
Dan S.
let me know. This is a history of foosball in Columbus, Ohio,
as I remember it. I remember a lot of names, but since I'm
not sure if it would be appropriate to list them, I won't, except
for Steve Beine, whose name is everywhere anyway.
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I began playing foosball in about 1975. My brother and I would go
play at some crumby table at O.S.U., in their bowling alley I think.
We also played on Deutcher-Meister (sp?) tables at the Golden Eight
Ball at University City Shopping Center. A year or so later,
a game room opened up in Hilliard, with Tournament Soccer green,
Quarter Million Dollar tables, which were great compared to what
we were used to. There were also two tables at a game room over
behind Westland Shopping Center. I'm 99% sure that that is
where I first started playing against Steve Beine.
Soon, I began going to tournaments. There were tournaments in
Hilliard, a bowling alley in Hilliard, a game room below The Ohio
Stater Inn on High St., at the Soccer House in Upper Arlington,
in Delaware, in Springfield, in Heath, and some place way on the
west side.
There was a bar near the corner of Lane and High called the Library
that was a great bar to play. Two other bars on campus were good;
Papa Joes and the Travel Agengy. Foosball was so popular with
bar-goers, that you could play all night and there would always be
quarters on deck.
There were foosball tables practically everywhere.
The Soccer House was the very best place to play that I've ever
seen. It was the hangout of all the good area players. It was
all foosball tables, with an occasional pinball or video game
thrown in - cool atmosphere and a lot of tournaments. When they
closed up, in the late seventies, it was devastating to Columbus's
foosing population. Within a few years, there were no places to
play anymore. Even the bars took them out.
What caused foosball to die? I know it didn't completely lose a
pulse, but it was severly suffocate.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Rocky Willson
(muck-a-muck-a-muck-a-muck-a-muck)
When the Pac Man machine would make a minumum of $150/week, and the most
a foosball table would do is $40/week and you could get 3-4 Pac Man
machines in where a single foosball table used to be, the economics of
getting rid of Foosball were clear.
...................................Rocky Willson
Cptm
all that...at 15 I was in the Library Bar on campus playing...it was great when
Beine, Frankie G., Mark V, Steve and Ron Parker, and all those guys were
playing..I wish it was still that way...
Pat Myers
Worn-Out Horn
I'm curious to meet you, because I'm sure we'll recognize
each other, although I can't recall your name. I also
forgot about Frankie, and that reminds me of another place
that had tournaments, because I thought that that was in
Frankie's part of town. I think it was on Morse Rd. or 161
near 270. I do remember Mark V. who used to play goalie a
lot, and Steve Parker with his pull kick, and I think Ron
had a push kick.
As long as we're throwing out names, I also remember Matt
and Jerry Albert, Perry Case, someone named Fred who used
to play at the Ohio Stater Inn, Lisa Pride's partner who
was named Julie I think, Greg Lisheid (sp?) from the Soccer
House, Jerry Reynolds, and myself, Dan Sarafin. At the time
I was about 5' 10", thin-build, brown hair, and either did
a pull shop or a pull wrist-kick, but the most unusual part
of my game is my 5-man passing on the *far* wall. 99% of
players pass on the near wall, which may be better, it's
just not the way I decided to learn.
Yes, the Library was great. They had two great TS tables
for a bar, on a raised platform, surrounded by a wooden corral.
The Soccer House was neat because, if I remember correctly, it
was in a house, and there were tables in different rooms, each
having stereo speakers. It was a shame it all had to end.
Dan S.
realto...@my-deja.com
> bar-goers, that you could play all night and there would always be
> quarters on deck.
>
> There were foosball tables practically everywhere.
I remember playing in the mid-70's in Boulder, Co. at a place I think
was called the Dark Horse. There were two tables, I seem to remember
them as Deuster Meister. They were in a sunken pit with great
lighting and bleachers all the way around. What a cool place to play.
The other weird thing about the place were the bathrooms. The men's and
women's bathrooms were beside each other. There was a sign by one door
that read "Men", but you had to look closely because there was a small
arrow pointing to the other door. Same way on the other door which had
a sign that said "Women" but a very small arrow pointing to the other
door!!! Once the place really got rocking it was kind of a free for
all. Did I mention there were also foosball tables in this pit with
bleachers...............................................................
........................
Cptm
Perry Case is still around, Greg Lasheid, I am not sure wher ehe is..Lisa's
ex-partner was Judy Temple, not sure where she is...Steve Parker shows up drunk
about every 6 months...Reynolds was playing for a while last year, and we
snapped him, because he could not beat us...Kojak is still around, but close to
snapping...Matt Albert, I am not sure where he is?...do you remember Turtle or
Butch Vaughn..How about Wally Hudson..
I think I remember you...I am going to Canton next Saturday, you? Byt he way
you are talking about WIZARDS Arcade..
Dan S.
I think I remember Wizards. It was a house, converted to a game
room, right? But that's not the same place that had the tourneys
where I thought Frankie resided. I think it was in a small
shopping center or something, in a single room, rather large,
well-lit room with a lot of pool tables and several foostables.
I remember it being on the south side of Morse Rd or 161, where
Wizards was on the north side of 161, in a more deserted area
closer to 270.
Greg Lasheid I originally knew from being in Junior Achievements
in 1974 0r 1975, and then about a year later, I worked with him
at the BBF (Borden Burger) at the corner of Fishinger Rd. and 33
(Riverside Dr.), which was before I ever played foos. I remember
he used to ride his motor-scooter to the Soccer House because
he lived in the area.
What do you mean by "snapping"? I think you mean you PO'd them.
Kojak was quite a character. When I went to the House of Billiards
about a year ago, which was the only tournament I've gone to in the
last 10 years, I played against someone who reminded me so much
of Kojak I couldn't believe it. He not only looked sort of like
him, he had the same attitude. I beat him the first match, then
lost the second. It was a combination of me having a second
Wild-Turkey (from the neighboring Red Lobster) and being tired,
and him getting motivated to kick my butt (he did play much
better the second game - do you know of a Cincinnati player who
reminds you of Kojak?).
Judy Temple; you are correct. Turtle, Butch Vaughn, Wally Hudson
all sound familiar, especially Butch and Wally, although I don't
have any clear memories of what they look like.
If you used to go to the Ohio Stater Inn, I used to go there
with my brother Tom.
Canton? I doubt it, but maybe. I hear there are no motels
within easy walking distance. Is that true?
I might even show up at Slammer's Monday. Do you ever go there?
Cptm
working in Cincinnati, and would stay the night every Monday..I was there every
Mondy for a long time..nice people, and helped my game a lot to play those
tourneys every week...My son was born 6/2/00, so I am no longer traveling for
work, so have not been down there in a while...from what Kyle Stall says, they
still get good crowds..
You are probably talking about "Big City" Gameroom...that was the place I
trully learned the game at a young age...Frankie, Mark Venneti, Butch Vaughn,
Rick Pomeroy (Turtle), and all were always there...
Talk to yo soon..email if you want to hear more updates on the gang from
Columbus...
Pat Myers
John Davis
remember going and playing there on my 21st birthday. I didn't play very
well as it was my last stop after a LONG day of free drinks. My sister did
hold me up however so we did win throughout the night.
I played there in the mid 70's but the good action was at Doc's (Just for
Kicks) and Tommy's on the hill.
The Dark Horse became a major Air Hockey place for awhile as it was home to
Two World-National Champions over a five year period.
jd
gypf...@gmail.com
> jd