To read about Glenn Anderson and his career go to: http://oilers.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=403923&page=NewsPage&service=page or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Anderson , or to his personal website http://www.glennsglobalgames.com/main.php

By the way, if you have about 10 minutes and you want to listen to a really great heartfelt HHOF Induction speech....his family, the Russians, Father Bauer, Gretzky, growing up and other strong influences, then this is for you! http://www.glennsglobalgames.com/main.php?/categories/40-Larionov

Winners Announced by Video:

Rookie Writer of the Year -- http://www.hockeybarn.com/videos/view.htm?video=252&sort=date_down

Hockey Mom/Dad Writer of the Year -- http://www.hockeybarn.com/videos/view.htm?video=251&sort=date_down

Unsung Hero Award -- http://www.hockeybarn.com/videos/view.htm?video=253&sort=date_down

Glenn Anderson Leadership Award -- http://www.hockeybarn.com/videos/view.htm?video=250&sort=date_down

Hockey Writer of the Year -- http://www.hockeybarn.com/videos/view.htm?video=255&sort=date_down[/b]

LTHL's “Shark Tank Shootout”, Lemont (Chicago) Illinois

Within the past two years since my return to table hockey, I’ve played in one American and three Canadian Coleco-based tournaments. There are four Coleco-based tournaments in Canada: Brampton, ON; Quebec, QU; Montreal; QU and Sherbrooke, QU. The Canadian Coleco-based tournaments have standardized boards to the Labelle Coleco #5380, i.e. boards hand-made by Martin Labelle of Sherbrooke, Quebec.

In the USA, there are three Coleco-based tournaments, but each USA tournament uses a slightly different game. Las Vegas uses stock Coleco #5385, New York uses both stock Coleco’s and Labelle Coleco’s (and now has available Leclerc Coleco’s), however, Chicago uses not only a larger modified Coleco board #5340, but also uses “banana blade” left and right wingmen on offense.

I played in the NYC “Original Six” Tournament in September 2006 and signed up for the Las Vegas “Coleco Classic Cup” in January 31, 2007. Having a weekend open and finding a really inexpensive airplane ticket to Chicago, I took the opportunity to shoot out to the mid-west on December 2, 2006.

The Shark Tank Shootout tournament promoter and organizer, Jim Rzonca, sought a volunteer from their Lemont Table Hockey League (LTHL) to pick me up from the airport. Joe Salazar volunteered. It was a long ride to Lemont from Chicago’s Midway airport. Joe and I spent the time getting to know one another. He told me of how he stumbled into learning about the existence of their table hockey league in Chicago and of a few other players who did the same.

I had a similar experience learning of tournaments. I couldn’t help wonder how we could better or best reach out to the whole public to let them know that table hockey players, leagues, and tournaments exist.

Once in Lemont, we stopped by the venue, which was a military veterans association, like VFW or American Legion. It has a bar in the front and a large back room where the large 5340 games were already set up along with one Stiga and a Labelle.

It was still early, so we decided to eat breakfast over at a diner. Mind you, Lemont is a quaint seemingly small town. We ate a little place on Main Street like you’d see in any small town in the US or Canada. (see photo of street). I was fortunate to meet Joe, a family guy and all around nice guy.

While there Carlo Bossio telephoned. Carlo and I talked for awhile until I decided I should put the phone on speakerphone to include Joe on the conversation. It was nice for Joe, myself and Carlo to chat for awhile, to span the miles between all of us. What is nice about TH is that it spans all walks of life, nations and shortens the miles and differences.

Back at the venue, I met the rest of the players. I needed to wash up. The restroom didn’t have a lock, so (the youngest) Thill, quite well mannered offered to stand guard outside until I was done. Later, I found we had some similar taste in music as I keep up on the tunes, but no longer with the bands/names.

People, Operations, Technology & Systems (POTS)

Technology. The 5340 boards were as advertised, very smooth, large and well maintained. On one board the puck glided across more smooth and more gracefully than on any board I’d seen before or since. The Thills brought a board with a bottom that sat on a square base that had opening like the change return on a vending machine. So, regardless of which goal the puck went into it would come out down below on one side of the board. Rzonca and other game owners did a fantastic job on these boards. You should track down the photos of these boards online at LTHL or Table Hockey Heaven to see how they secured the boards down such that you can rock’em sock’em with all your might, but the boards don’t budge and the boards can be kept smooth by manual adjustors underneath.

Operation. A bit hectic. I'm spoiled as I have thrice witness the hi-tech smooth operation of the Canadian's Classic tournaments. At Shark Tank, the players were divided up into two divisions. All three Thills, dad and two sons and some other players were in one division. I never got to play them. I would prefer playing everyone in a preliminary round robin. We had about 15 players so it was do-able. That said, and to be fair, we played two five minute periods each game, whereas all other coleco classic tournaments are only five minutes. What is nice about two five minute periods is that you get to know the other player's capabilities and have the opportunity to come back from a deficit or further exploit and extend your lead. In any case, we ended up playing into the evening. Not every operation posts the individual game scores and I typically don’t write mine, so I don't have all of the scores from all of the day's games.

People. The players were very nice, regular people, however not as energetic as Jim. Not to say they are not energetic, but if anyone has interacted with Jim they’d realize he’s working at some futuristic warp speed and the rest of us on more traditional speeds.

I met people whom I’d heard or read about in the 1970s. Some I may have met or been in the room with at a tournament in Burlington, Ontario about 1978. It was like not only meeting but playing against NHL Hall of Fame’ers, but a veritable who’s who of table hockey players from the 1970s and 80s, Lord, March, etc. It would be great to have one big international tournament to get these and other great players from the past out to play against the players of today. It would be a great link, a passing of the baton type of tournament.

Tournament. A few things about Chicago (CTHL) style, in and out goals count. And, the wingers on offense have banana blades, which affect the trueness of your passing. The latter takes some getting used to.

Lucky me, for my first game, I drew Dan Lord, last year’s 2006 Vegas Coleco Cup Champion.

Scoma vs. Lord - The first half score was about 4-1, but I lost 4-12 !

Scoma vs. Salazar - I led at the half 4-1, but Salazar came back in the second half, Salazar took the lead, but I later tied it Final 6-6 tie

Scoma vs. March - Losing 1-4, I came back with four goals, then I led going up 5-4, but a fluke goal tied it and I lost 6-8

Scoma vs. Miller - I won 15-3 

Scoma vs. Rzonca - I’m down 1-3 or four, I came back scoring a few unanswered goals and kept within one goal, but I lost 7-9

Scoma vs. Pytlewski - I won, but don't have the score.

My Preliminary record - WLT, 2-3-1

Playoffs - Later I faced, Eric Kroll, in the playoffs. He was in the other preliminary round division. I don’t recall, nor do I have the statistics, but I lost the series. I think I went the distance?

I'd brought my photo camera and video camera, so I've both some good photos and video to eventually move to DVD.

At the end of the night, having no place to stay for the night, John Medema (ICECHEXX) volunteered to bring me back to his home far across Chicago, but close to Midway airport. Wow! You should see John’s house. First, his wife has done a great job decorating. Everything is color coordinated well. I mean if there were splashes of red around the room, then any item was exactly that color red. Do you know how hard that is to do?! Anyhow, John had sway over decorating the family room/den. Either his wife helped or he’s got the same gene. That area had all this neat sports memorabilia, autographs and table hockey stuff. Heck, he’s even got a refrigerator with the front panel of the door as one large sports logo. It is laid out very, very nice. The restroom off the den also has a sports theme, baseball as I recall.

We stayed up late talking until I was incoherent I was so tired from the long day. John knocked on the door to wake me up the next morning. His wife had prepared some breakfast and coffee. We chatted for a little while then it was off to the airport.

I will get to moving the video to DVD and finding my records from the 1970s for March.  I really enjoyed my time on our dinner break as it provided time for us to sit down, share stories, and get to know one another. Thank you to everyone in Chicago!!! I had a great time.

 

Sabre_in_Virginia