The Wild Arcade Podcast

25/09/2023

04/09/2023

On Tim Weissman’s Historic Challenge Match Victory - Part 1

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Tim Weissman thought he would never play air hockey again. Now he’s ranked #3 in the world.

At age 53, the 10-time world champion became the oldest player to hold a Top 3 rank in air hockey history. He and his son Jacob became one of only two father-son combos to be ranked in the Top 5 together, while his daughter Sarah is the current women’s world champion.

Overcoming injuries, a recent surgery, and a general sense of age-related decline, Tim fought his way to a Pro-B bracket championship in the recent world championships, while being part of the sponsor and film crew that shot footage of the event. Service and achievement have always gone hand in hand for Tim.

Tim’s precision-flow game is tailor made to travel deep into any tournament, and his feel for the game is as strong as ever. Many players thought that Pete’s youth and relentless immersion in the sport would help him pull off the victory, some didn’t give Tim a chance.

Yet three former world champions who grew up in Tim’s era of dominance all disagreed in their predictions.

Billy Stubbs - Tim 4-1
Wil Upchurch - Tim 4-1
Robert Hernandez - "I do believe this could be an upset."

How did we know? We’ve seen things, man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnWs4qzfYp8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEbKhQm7bZM

In 1995, Billy Stubbs won his first world championship and I made my first finals. Along the way, we both beat Tim, who finished fourth.

Finishing higher than Tim in a tournament in the ‘90s meant his gaze would turn to you. The experience of playing Tim a tournament set was like hitting the puck against a brick wall. Playing Tim a match was like playing from under a brick wall, especially when the Young Wolf was hunting for revenge.

Tim immediately challenged us both, played us both, and beat us both. I believe he had done the same thing the prior year, after being beaten by Mark Robbins and Owen Giraldo in the ’94 Nationals.

He did the same thing to me after I won in ’97.

11-time world champion Jesse Douty tried to do it to Tim after Tim defeated him in the finals, which led to a career-defining victory for Tim that would go down in history as The Massacre at Greens.

For the first six years of my air hockey career, Tim never lost a tournament.

For the first fifteen years of Tim’s air hockey career, he never lost a challenge match.

Let me repeat: Tim won every challenge match he played for the first fifteen years of his career.

He won every major tournament between 1989 and 1994, against a murderer’s row of players including the Old Guard (Dubuisson, Douty, Robbins, Hernandez, Arnold) and next gen phenoms like Albert “Mr. Razzle Dazzle” Ortiz, Tarl Cabot, Fletcher, Yevish, Giraldo, Stubbs, and Upchurch.

His only challenge match loss was to Ehab Shoukry, sometime around 1998 or 1999.

So, were Billy and I suffering from PTSD when we made our predictions? Or did we know something about Tim (and air hockey) that younger players don’t?

I think it all boils down to experience.

*

Part 2 coming soon...

In 1995 a young up-and-coming player named Billy Stubbs shocked the Air Hockey world in Colorado by winning the Nationals, defeating Tim Weissman and Wil Upc...

24/07/2023

There will always be work to be done, improvements to be made, and change on the horizon.

That can coexist with feelings of pride at what HAS been accomplished, and gratitude to all of those who helped make it happen, even in whatever small way.

Every air hockey match is worthy of respect for this reason, because every face off, every cry of joy and disappointment, every click-clack-kuchunck of the puck is a part of the grand ecosystem that keeps our sport vital even through lean years.

Sending out positive vibes to everyone that plays and loves our sport.

❤

17/07/2023

Need some motivation to register for the upcoming World Championships? Listen to Brian and I talk about special memories of past tournaments and what we're looking forward to in Houston.

Radio Air Hockey #2 - Brian Accrocco, Tournament Memories, and the 50th Anniversary of Air Hockey

2023 Air Hockey World ChampionshipsHouston, TXAugust 4-6, 2023Find more info and register to play at http://www.airhockeyunited.com

28/06/2023

I just rewatched the entire fight between James "Buster" Douglas vs Mike Tyson.

The world remembers it as an upset and focuses on what Tyson lacked. But there is far more to learn from what Douglas brought. Champions like Tyson don't just go down one day.

Douglas overcame fear, sadness, and the emotions of the day, but he didn't fight like a robot.

He fought like someone who had supremely prepared for this moment his entire life. He devised a strategy, practiced that strategy, and then executed it (almost) flawlessly while staring down the barrel of a knockout punch every few seconds.

Douglas was present, focused, and fully in command of himself. He was not defined by Mike Tyson on that day, but he did define himself against the champ.

Very few people get a chance to knock down the king on the biggest stage. Even fewer become kings themselves.

What does that moment mean in the days, months, and years afterward? That's one thing The Wild Arcade Podcast is about.

24/06/2023

Tournament Recap - 2001 Jillians Swiss-Style World Championship
by Wil Upchurch
(First published on the USAA email listserv May 24, 2001)

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First, I would like to cast my thanks to Tim Leach for working with Jillian’s in hosting this event. They have a wonderful facility and I truly hope we can hold future tournaments at the location. Tim was a nice guy the whole tournament.

Thanks also go to Brian Accrocco for his dedication to the sport of Air Hockey and the USAA. I think he had the courage to do things that many could not, and though he sees his loss in the elections as a failure I know that he will find a way to make it into a positive experience in his life. I hope he continues to be a force for change in our sport, even as he turns his attention to his two healthy, young boys.

Darrell Hess did a great job running the tournament, and Dave Gray helped everything run smoothly as a fine Head Referee.

Tim Weissman, Marc Sandlin, Theon Karabatsos and anyone else that helped with charts and administration, great job guys.

Congratulations go out to Danny Hynes( #10) for playing one of the most impressive weekends of Air Hockey I have ever seen. I’m happy to see you as champion and I think the sport will benefit from it as well.

Congratulations to Niki Jaquette for her latest women’s title. Not only did she have to repeat her excellent performance against Claudia Magana, but she had to endure the re-emergence of one of Air Hockey’s greatest women’s champions of all time, Barbara Marquis. It was a pleasure to finally meet Barbara, and I hope we see much more of her in the future. Niki, I’m sure you’ll remember this victory for a long, long time.

Congratulations also to all of the bracket winners.

• Anthony Marino (Pro-A)
• Paul Marshall (Pro-B)
• Vincent Sauceda (Expert)
• Zack Zakem (Amateur)
• Saul Maddux (Novice)

They all played their hearts out and came out on top. Being #1 means something, no matter what bracket you are in.

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Next I would like to talk about my impressions of the tournament format. I’ve played in several Swiss events now, but never one this large of course. I was a big proponent of Swiss coming into this event and I didn’t see anything to make me change my mind. Were there flaws? Yes. Were there more flaws than our seeded double-elim? Not at all.

I enjoyed the increased amount of sets that everyone got to play. I heard favorable comments along this line, especially from some of the lower ranked players who have never gotten to play this much at a Nationals. There was also a greater amount of play between the higher and lower ranks. There was a lot more opportunity for lower ranked players to be exposed to championship caliber games. In my book, that is a big plus.

Time issues are probably the biggest complaint I heard all weekend, as the tournament lasted very late both Saturday and Sunday nights. I played after midnight on both nights, and was therefore affected by this. Normally time issues are due to late players, seeding issues, organizer error and improper procedures. In this case, we had an incredible tournament director who kept things running smoothly at all times. Darrell Hess deserves congratulations for his job, as well as all those who helped him. Despite this and a record 13 tables available, we still played after midnight all three nights.

On to the tournament.

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Doubles was the only competition that I had planned to participate in when I flew down from Chicago, so I was pumped to play. I think my lack of practice really showed during that tournament, as I was unable to dig down and improve my play when it counted. Brian played very well, but I was unable to help him much. So, Chaos was unable to defend their doubles title this year. That doesn’t mean we won’t be back.

Congratulations to Tim and Don, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, on their latest doubles title. We had the privilege of playing them in the second round of the winner’s bracket, and I must say that they were both playing better than I have seen them play in years. I knew then that Tim had an excellent shot at making the finals this year.

I’d also like to congratulate Danny and Ehab on another strong showing. I know what its like to lose in the finals year after year, your day will come.

The other team that beat us was The Sith, Darth Fletch and Darth Niz. You guys played outstanding all weekend and you both are inspirations to anyone that plays and loves the game. I wish we could have spent more time chatting over the weekend.

Vince Schappell, it was great to see you out playing again. Don’t be a stranger.

Saturday
Saturday came around and there was just no way I could sit by and not play, despite several reservations. I signed up and got in a warm up game just before the button was pushed for the round one draw. Swiss is an exciting event because each round players are randomly matched up according to their Win-Loss record. Round 1 all bets are off because everyone in the tournament has the same record.

Theon Karabatsos, the 2001 World Championships Official Button Pusher, pressed the button and we were off. Players excitedly crowded the wall where Marc Sandlin hung the printout as the first matches were called.

In Round 1, I drew Bil Fitzgerald, a player from San Antonio who I have known for quite a long time. I was fortunate enough to be the victor this day.

Other interesting draws in Round 1 included:

• Vincent Sauceda def. Phil Arnold
• Jesse Douty def. Albert Ortiz
• Tim Leach def. Peter Swenceski
• Billy Stubbs def. Paul Marshall (Paul was up 2-0!)
• Andy Yevish def. Mark Robbins

Excitement had not waned going into Round 2, which saw just as many interesting matchups as Round 1. I drew Mike Barry, and my tough Swiss draw was really starting to kick in. Again, I was fortunate enough to get a victory. It is always a pleasure to play Mike, what a style he has!

Other matches included:

• Jesse Douty def. Andy Yevish (Andy had a tough draw right off the bat!)
• Pedro Ramirez def. Robert Hernandez
• Mark Nizzi def. Niki Jaquette (Mark wins the long-awaited Dress Match)

Going into Round 3, tensions were already high. The undefeated ranks were being halved each Round, and at the same time matches were getting more difficult. When the draw came out, I had drawn one of my long-time nemeses, Pedro Otero.

I had played Pedro twice before in tournaments and once in a challenge match, all of which I had lost. I had a definite game plan in mind after consulting my playbook, and I was pumped and ready to go. I was again fortunate enough to win the match, and I was able to finally defeat an opponent that had been a thorn in my side for quite a long time. What Mark Nizzi has dubbed my Revenge Tour had begun.

Other matches include:

• Don James def. George Anderson
• Andy Yevish def. Phil Arnold (A 3rd difficult match for Andy!)
• Mark Nizzi def. Keith Fletcher
• Tim Leach def. Syed Rahman

Round 4 I drew Don James, who along with Tim Weissman had defeated Brian Accrocco and I in doubles. I was aching for revenge as I went into the match. We played during the Hynes/Mora match and the crowd was very large and wild, causing interference repeatedly in both matches. I was able to overcome Don, leaving me with a 4-0 record.

Other interesting matches included:

• Jose Mora def. Danny Hynes
• Pedro Ramirez def. Joe Campbell (He keeps beating up on the old-timers)
• Owen Giraldo def. Jesse Douty (Matchup of National Champions early on Saturday!)
• Billy Stubbs def. Jimmy Heilander (Finally!)
• Mark Nizzi def. Thomas Cook (Nizzi performs under pressure, he could be the real deal)
• Tim Weissman def. Ehab Shoukry (The Egyptian Magician lost his wand after this match.)

So far so good, 4-0 after 4 rounds. I felt myself getting fatigued, however, and I knew that the matches didn’t get any easier from here on out. I drew Pedro Ramirez in Round 5 and I knew he was looking for revenge for my earlier defeat of his mentor Pedro Otero. Experience carried me through this match as Pedro made a few mistakes early on and never recovered.

Meanwhile, some classic matchups were happening around us.

• Brian Accrocco def. Mark Nizzi (More revenge from our doubles loss!)
• George Anderson def. Jesse Douty (California on the rise?)
• Robert Hernandez def. Joe Campbell (over a decade since either was ranked #1)
• Tim Weissman def. Owen Giraldo (more Championship caliber play)
• Peter Swenceski def. Jimmy Heilander
• Jose Mora def. Billy Stubbs (This level of play is rarely seen before Sunday)

Going into Round 6 there were only 4 undefeated players: Weissman, Mora, Accrocco, and Upchurch. Three national champions and a player motivated to beat each of them for different reasons. I drew my doubles partner, Brian, and Weissman drew Mora.

First up was Brian and I. I was feeling a little tired, but I hadn’t had much trouble with him in the past. I was confident going into the match, but Brian had nothing to lose. He came out on fire and never let up. He flat outplayed me in every facet of the game. Loose pucks were his, my mallet went where he wanted, and his was magnetically attached to every puck I hit.

It was over before I knew what happened, and my perfect record was gone. With a tough 7th round ahead of me, what had looked like a walk in the park suddenly turned into the possibility that I wouldn’t even make it to Sunday. Many other matches in the round were just as exciting.

• Tim Weissman def. Jose Mora (The old champ is definitely back in form)
• Mark Nizzi def. Billy Stubbs (This match establishes Nizzi as a force)

In Round 7 I had to get psyched up for Keith Fletcher, a player in great practice with a lot to prove this tournament. He had owned me in doubles the night before, and after my loss to my doubles partner I was taking nothing for granted. I can only take partial credit for my victory, as Darth Fletch learned the dark side has its disadvantages. He scored 11 of my 21 points as I took down a 3-0 victory. This put him in the 5-2 playoff, and me sitting pretty at 6-1.

Other matches were:

• Tim Weissman def. Brian Accrocco (Tim goes 7-0 for the top seed!)
• Pedro Ramirez def. Phil Arnold (Pedro had his way with the Old Guard)
• Mike Barry def. Paul Marshall (Mike’s first victory over Paul ever!)
• Danny Hynes def. Owen Giraldo (ex-champ had 2 match points, new champ took both)
• Mark Nizzi def. Don James (the draw was done, so Niz got a bye and a 6-1 record)
• Pedro Otero def. Andy Yevish
• Ehab Shoukry def. Mark Robbins (the ownership is over)

Saturday night we slumped back to the hotel, as the 5-2 18-man round robin playoff had been postponed until 10am Sunday. We ate some Whataburger and put in for a few hours of sleep. It took watching 10 minutes of Point Break with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze for me to crash, and when I woke up it didn’t feel like I had gotten much sleep at all. I went over to Dave Gray’s room, and he, Billy, and I all drove over to Jillian’s after a quick stop at McDonalds.

Sunday
Sunday morning at the tournament felt like walking in a field the day after a great battle had been waged. Some were still fighting, trying to win their way into the Top 16 playoff. Others were there, refereeing the playoff and trying to shake the grogginess out of their heads. Each of us knew that at the end of the day, one of us would be crowned champion, and we regarded each other with the muted graciousness of gladiators awaiting the trumpets’ call to combat.

Being seeded 2nd due to my record in the Swiss and the difficulty of my draw, I was feeling confident that I would have at the very least a non-threatening match in the first round. After all, there were plenty of easily defeatable players vying for the 9 spots yet to be determined. I was amiss in my prediction, however, as Jimmy Heilander drew the 15th seed. He had defeated me in our previous meetings, including a complete destruction on the road to his 3rd place finish at Arlington. He must not have been on his game to be coming in so low, but it appeared my tough road was not going to get any easier this day.

I came out with a burst of energy in our match, I was hitting my shots crisply and accurately. With a variety of straights and punishing left wall unders, I took a commanding 3-0 lead in our best of seven set. Deciding to save some energy, I began to relax on defense. Jimmy’s scoring picked up, and his confidence on defense finally materialized. The next two games saw a terrible reversal, and I found myself on my heels, sucking air as if I were on the endless drop of a roller coaster to hell.

Unhappy with the prospect of digging deep so early on Sunday, I put forth a burst of defensive energy in the 6th game of the set. Blocking much better than I had been, I needed to start putting the puck in the goal. My shots were missing by millimeters, and I realized that I was losing the possession game. So, I began to interfere a little better and reclaimed some possessions as well as some points off chase shots. I barely squeaked out the game and the set, happy to have defeated yet another of my nemeses on the weekend.

After resting a bit, I went to watch the Hynes/Giraldo match, wherein my next opponent would be determined. I watched Game 7 of their match, Owen having come back from an 0-3 deficit. Owen’s right wall overs were brutalizing the Fireman (he scored 5 in the game), while Danny was smashing wicked under banks and perfect timing shots. The seventh point was hard to come by for either player, but Danny finally put it in. Owen had the chance to change the outcome of the entire tournament, but instead he would be facing his old charge Jimmy in a match to determine who would be falling into the Bearden Bracket (13-16).

Despite my excellent record against Danny in the past, I was dreading the amount of energy it would take to play him. He was playing better than I’ve ever seen him, and my first round match had taken a lot out of me. Much as Brian had done the night before, Danny dominated me in every phase of the game. I found myself amazed at the things he was doing, and wishing that I could still do the same. Danny rolled over me 4-0, I never felt like I was in the match at all. This put me into the loser’s bracket, but I was guaranteed Top 12, which was my goal coming into the weekend.

Next up was Jesse Douty, a player I felt confident playing even though I knew our matches were always close. As usual our match was a seven game battle, with neither player able to win two games in a row due to our ability to adjust to each other. I was playing to Jesse’s pace the entire time, since I knew I would need all the energy I could get in later rounds. With some encouraging words from Mark Robbins, I came out on fire in the 5th game and played like I haven’t for years. Every puck was mine, chase shots out of nowhere, grabbing any puck that came near me. Jesse didn’t have time to react and I went up 3-2.

More than taking a lead in the set, this game pumped me up and I didn’t have any energy problems the rest of the day. Jesse very shrewdly delayed the sixth game as long as possible with water and quarter delays. He didn’t manage to take me out of my rhythm, as he had hoped, but he had adjusted his play to match my sudden frenetic style. He won the game 7-5 and forced a game 7 situation.

Most of our matches have gone to game seven, with me taking the majority. This was no different, as I put everything I had learned together and broke it open early. Unable to recover from my onslaught, Jesse’s comeback attempt never really materialized. I took the game 7-3, and things were starting to look up.

My next opponent would be Ehab Shoukry, the final thorn in my side that I had been wanting to face in the tournament. I didn’t find the conditions ideal, as I had expended quite a bit of energy going into the match and Ehab was in far better practice. Ignoring everything, I was determined to win this long-brewing grudge match just as I had the matches before. With some technical advice from Billy Stubbs, I entered the match ready to play.

My match with Jesse had tuned my defense, and it turned out that defending Ehab was a very similar enterprise. I was able to open up an offensive barrage that the Magician had trouble defending, while at the same time I was able to disallow his own attempts to establish a game plan. Like my match with Jimmy before I jumped out to a commanding 3-0 lead in this match. Ehab, like Jimmy, would not give up.

He began to drill hard left wall unders and delicate overs and he took the lead in the game. I fought back with a little roll to make it match point-5. He angrily shot his Magic Dust off-speed, the first one that he was able to score. He looked at me and snarled viciously, taunting me as he put in the 7th point to stay alive.

Earlier in the match, he had called a perfectly executed chase shot “lucky”, which I took particular offense to. I decided that in the 5th game I was going to show him just how “lucky” I could be. I kept the puck moving for the first half of the game, which seemed to throw him off a bit. Finally, I closed the game out by focusing on what had gotten me there: solid defense and conservative, powerful shots. I was propelled into the Top 6 and had completed my Revenge Tour.

My next match took place parallel in the same round that Jose Mora was playing Pedro Otero, a rematch of the last three Finals. For the first time in over three years one of them would not be in the Finals of the World Championships. It looked for a good portion of their match that it would be Jose, as Pedro came out on fire and looked determined not to relinquish control.

After Pedro went up 2-0, Jose was able to pull out a victory to make it 2-1. He then tied it at 2-2 and people were saying that it was over. Jose simply had beaten Pedro too many times. Pedro stunned the doubters, however, pushing Jose to the limits. Pedro took the 5th game and went on to have match point against Jose in the 6th game, but he was unable to put it away. This broke Pedro’s back, and Jose went on to take the final game and relegate his long-time rival to the 5/6 spinoff.

Next I had Billy Stubbs, a player who I go back and forth with. Billy was in worse practice than I was, though he had certainly picked up the level of his game by this late in the tournament. I was by no means confident going into the match.

I went to my playbook on Billy which seemed to help. I had little trouble scoring on him, and for the first couple of games was able to stop him. He soon pushed back, however, and started hitting me with his double-threat attack. His defense can become rock solid at times and I didn’t want him to get me into his rhythm. So, I reached into my bag of tricks and started hitting him with all manner of timing shots, which threw off his out of practice defense. In the end I was able to take the set, 4-2, and propel myself into the Final 4.

Next I had to play Jose Mora, a player who I have only beaten one competition game. I readily admit that I have absolutely no clue how to play Jose. He is one of the few players that I have not been able to study on tape, and at the level he plays that is a vital part of being able to be successful against him. I stepped up to the table with a tenuous game plan, hoping that inspiration would strike while playing. Yet again, however, my game was easily readable by Jose and he had no trouble scoring on me. One of the most embarrassing losses of my career was handed to me, a 28-8 point route in 4 games. I will never quit trying to figure it out.

I went back to the banquet room to chat with Darrell and George as Danny handed it to Jose yet again, and made a preliminary visit to the excellent food buffet Tim Leach provided for us, and awaited the announcement of the finals.

The finals turned out to be incredible, I haven’t seen that level of Air Hockey in years. Danny closing out the second game of the first set with an off-speed, forehand left wall over was purely magical. He won the first set 4-2, and things were looking very interesting.

Tim came out in the second set with a new gameplan, and the way looked clear to his 11th National title. Down 1-6 in the first game, Danny looked like he had given his all in the first set. Then Danny scored another point, then another, and another. Suddenly, at 6-4 Tim looked a bit lost. He turned the puck over a couple of times and Danny had brought the game back to game point either way. Tim managed to put in an incredible left wall under, but he looked shaken. Many in the crowd wondered if Danny had just wasted his last bit of energy, but the opposite seemed the case.

Danny came out on fire in the next game, and Tim seemed to have lost all of the momentum he gained in the first game. Tim found himself on his heels against a rolling player, and Danny kept the pressure on like no one had before. Tim didn’t win another game, and Danny took the game, set, and match to become the 10th National Champion in USAA history.

The banquet was sadly short, they were halfway through the names before I abandoned the post-match interviews to go get my seat. I always look forward to the banquets as a time to relax with friends, relive the weekend, and make promises for the future. We all come into the tournament competitors, so it is always nice to leave as friends.

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On Monday, I ended up riding to the airport with Dave Gray so we could catch up on the conversations we could never seem to have during the weekend. Dave was busy well-executing his duties as Head Referee. After a fine lunch, we parted ways and I went off to wait for my plane.

As I reflect on yet another year of Air Hockey, there are a few perceptions that I have. Like any family, we have quarrels and quibbles. Many are justified, many are not. Every year we play the sport we love, and we enjoy competing against the best in the world.

I think it is fine that we have disagreements. Our sport is not perfect, and without those that have the courage to disagree we would never move forward. I think Brian Accrocco has that courage, and the sport is better for having had him as a leader. I think there are many others in the sport with that courage as well. Let’s keep fighting to create a wonderful arena in which to do battle, and let’s never forget that we are at our best when we are motivated by love.

Wil

22/06/2023

Radio Air Hockey broadcast is on hiatus while I prepare for the upcoming tournament and refocus on writing and creating The Wild Arcade Podcast. The rhythm wasn't right, but we'll get there.

If you want to collaborate on bringing the broadcast back to life, shoot me a message. It's entirely an issue with time and trying to learn and do everything alone.

18/06/2023

Going live at 12pm CST to talk about hitchhiking to an air hockey tournament, the early development of my game, and (hopefully) the growth of North Carolina air hockey.

Come talk about and learn about the history of air hockey, as well as the explosive competitive environment that’s growing across the country.

15/06/2023

Worlds is coming, are you ready?

Chloe Brennan, with one of the most incredible feats of strength this weekend, lifted the 733LB Rogue Replica Dinnie Stones and set a new Rogue Record. ...

14/06/2023

The first livestream and soft launch of Radio Air Hockey is tonight at 4pm Houston time!

https://www.podbean.com/lsw/x81ggS7gupo?lsid=bVl1gt2jI7p

Come say hello, help me work out the glitches and let me know what kinds of content you'd like to hear or see!

- Live match commentary - Stories about growing up in the Wild Arcade - Player profiles and interviews - Audience Q&A - Historical archives spotlight - High Weirdness by TCP/IP

12/06/2023

1992

5 seconds · Clipped by The Wild Arcade Podcast · Original video "1992 Air Hockey National Finals - Weissman vs Hernandez" by AirHockey7

11/06/2023

Air Hockey turns 50 this year!