blog post courtesy of Norbert Snicer

Video from the Pinball HQ Marathon at Coogee Diggers in Australia – Click HERE to watch.

Pinball HQ Marathon, August 9, 2014, IFPA endorsed tournament
Duration: SAT 11AM to SUN 1:15AM
Number of players: 52
Number of competition machines: 11
Game's List: Elvis, Metallica, 24, Mustang, Star Trek, Getaway, Fun House, Dirty Harry, Who Dunnit, Creature From the Black Lagoon, Revenge From Mars
Number of games played in qualifying rounds: 572
Number of games played in final rounds: 64
Interstate participation: NSW, VIC, S.A. QLD, ACT
Prize Pool: $1000
Winner: Richard Rhodes (RGR)

The Flippin' With the Greats League, preseason Week 4 winner is Curtis Baker (playing for the Patriots). Curtis will be receiving an autographed photo of Coach Ditka, a Bronze Ditka "Hall of Fame" Medallion, and a congratulatory letter from the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, naming him the "Honorary Captain"  of the 2014 Flippin' With the Greats competitive Pinball campaign.

Now that the NFL season is officially underway, we are stepping up the prize packages!
 

This time around, we will be awarding a Vintage Casino Slot Machine (courtesy of Peters Billiards) to one lucky player selected from the fastest growing division, beginning now and ending Thursday Sept 18th at 9pm CST.

Starting right now, we will be tallying new entrants into each division. All players within the fastest growing division will be eligible to win the Vintage Slot Machine! Winning player will be responsible any shipping charges (we will help line up a wholesale carrier), or the machine can be available for pick in the Minneapolis or Chicago areas. As an alternative prize, Gridiron Support is offering a set of 5 GGAF medallions with matching numbers if the winner declines the slot machine as their prize.

We currently have 22 members of the FWTG League. Updated standings are available HERE.

For details on the FWTG LEAGUE, including how to register, format, prizes and more, click HERE.

The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund (GGAF) is a non-stock, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing financial grants and ‘pro bono’ medical assistance to retired NFL players in dire need. The organization focuses on the humanitarian side of post-football related issues, which include coordination of social services to retired players who are in need due to a variety of reasons including inadequate disability and/or pensions.

Get behind Coach Ditka's Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund and "LIKE" Gridiron Support on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gridironsupport.org.

With the kickoff of the NFL regular season last night, the FWTG League is excited to announce the Preseason MVP's for 2014.

The player that was leading each division as of last night's cutoff won the Preseason MVP award. These MVP's each have earned a spot into the Grand Final to be held early next year, and will be playing for a chance to win a NIB pinball machine.

Congratulations to the following MVP's:

AFC North – [player]Trent Augenstein[/player] (Bengals)
AFC South – [player]Zach Sharpe[/player] (Titans)
AFC West – [player]Brian Shepherd[/player] (Chiefs)
AFC East – [player]Chris Basler[/player] (Dolphins)
NFC West – [player]Kevin Birrell[/player] (Seahawks)
NFC North – [player]Josh Sharpe[/player] (Bears)
NFC South – [player]Damien Charlety[/player] (Saints)
NFC East – [player]Jon Drew[/player] (Cowboys)

The FWTG League will continue through the rest of 2014, and we have some pretty great raffle prizes lined up during the course of the season, including a few actual pinball machines that will be given away.

Updated FWTG standings are available HERE. For details on the FWTG LEAGUE, including how to register, format, prizes and more, click HERE.

Gridiron Support is currently offering a Preseason 10% discount on "Tier 1" and "Tier 2" IFPA/FWTG personalized League Medallions. In addition, Gridiron Support is offering special "group" sales discounts on Medallion orders of 3 or more. Call Vicki (Gridiron Support) at  612-999-FWTG (3984) for more information!

The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund (GGAF) is a non-stock, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing financial grants and ‘pro bono’ medical assistance to retired NFL players in dire need. The organization focuses on the humanitarian side of post-football related issues, which include coordination of social services to retired players who are in need due to a variety of reasons including inadequate disability and/or pensions.

Get behind Coach Ditka's Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund and "LIKE" Gridiron Support on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gridironsupport.org.

The Flippin' With the Greats League raffled off the third prize of the preseason, with [player]Jon Drew[/player] winning a limited "proof" (stamped in coin) struck Rich Gannon 2002 MVP Medallion with color fill trim, along with an autographed action photo.

To cap off our final week of preseason FWTG recruiting we will be giving away a Super prize combination from Da Coach himself!

The winner of this week's drawing will receive an autographed photo of Coach Ditka, a Ditka Hall of Fame Medallion, and a "Thank you" letter from Ditka's Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund naming the winner the "Honorary Captain" of the 2014 Flippin With the Greats / IFPA pinball campaign.

The week #4 prize will be raffled off on September 4th at 9pm CST. All FWTG League members at that time will be eligible for the prize.

A reminder also that the player leading each division at the end of the preseason will win the "Preseason MVP award" and earn a spot into the Grand Final and play for a NIB Pinball Machine. Currently Andrei Massenkoff leads the NFC West, Damien Charlety leads the NFC South, Jon Drew leads the NFC East, Zach Sharpe leads the AFC South, Josh Sharpe leads the NFL North, Rob Ferullo leads the AFC East and Trent Augenstein leads the AFC North. The AFC West is still up for grabs. Updated FWTG standings are available HERE.

For details on the FWTG LEAGUE, including how to register, format, prizes and more, click HERE.

Gridiron Support is currently offering a Preseason 10% discount on "Tier 1" and "Tier 2" IFPA/FWTG personalized League Medallions. In addition, Gridiron Support is offering special "group" sales discounts on Medallion orders of 3 or more. Call Vicki (Gridiron Support) at  612-999-FWTG (3984) for more information!

The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund (GGAF) is a non-stock, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing financial grants and ‘pro bono’ medical assistance to retired NFL players in dire need. The organization focuses on the humanitarian side of post-football related issues, which include coordination of social services to retired players who are in need due to a variety of reasons including inadequate disability and/or pensions.

Get behind Coach Ditka's Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund and "LIKE" Gridiron Support on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gridironsupport.org.

​blog post courtesy of Nicole Anne Reik

IFPA and Pinball Outreach Project Team Up For Charity Tournaments

Pinball Outreach Project (POP) is pleased to announce that October will be POP month at the International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA)! Tournament directors around the country will be holding events to benefit POP and its mission of sharing the joy of pinball with children in need. The funds raised in October will be used by POP to purchase games and bring them to as many children at as many locations around the country as possible.

IFPA charity events are worth full World Pinball Player Ranking (WPPR) points, with all money raised going directly back to the charity. These events can also have associated side tournaments worth half points. Typical restrictions on number or type of events at specific location will be waived for these charity tournaments. The 30 day rule is in effect for this campaign.

“POP is thrilled to be partnering with IFPA for these tournaments.” said Executive Director Nicole Anne Reik. “Having just coming off back to back children’s hospital visits in Southern California, this money will help us build on that success and take our organization to the next level.”

“After partnering with POP for our official Charity Challenge at this year's IFPA11 World Pinball Championship, we're excited to team up again by officially making October 2014 Pinball Outreach Project month.” said Josh Sharpe, President of the IFPA. “The ability to help improve the lives of children through our passion for competitive pinball was something we couldn't help but want to support.”

If you would like to run a tournament in your area, you can submit the details to the IFPA at http://www.ifpapinball.com/calendar/submit.php. If you have never run a tournament before, or are interested in assistance promoting your event, we are happy to help in whatever ways possible. We understand that these events can be somewhat intimidating, but we have run a very large number of tournaments and we’ll do everything we can to make yours a success. We are also happy to answer any questions about our organization, our mission, and how we are going to use the money we raise.

About Pinball Outreach Project (POP)

Pinball Outreach Project is a 501(c)3 charity that was created to improve the lives of children by sharing the history and excitement of the game of pinball. We do this by bringing the game of pinball directly to children in hospitals, schools and community centers. We also spread awareness of our mission by hosting fundraisers and tournaments. To learn more visit http://www.pinballoutreach.org, find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PinballOutreachProject, or call us at (415) 857-1POP.

As the month long tournament for the Iron Man Vault Edition kicks off, we wanted to share some additional coverage that’s hit for the RadioShack pinball promotion.

Organic coverage continues to spread with placements in The Contra Costa Times, SFGate.com, San Jose Mercury News, and Consumerist, with impressions reaching almost 75 million.

AOL News put together a great video, and the New York Post included the tournament news in their “Weird But True” column.

The Flippin' With the Greats League raffled off the second prize of the preseason, with [player]Tim Zollner[/player] winning a set of 3 Hall of Fame GGAF Medallions featuring players Dan Hampton, Steve Largent, and "Mean" Joe Greene, all with matching serial numbers, along with a set of Penn State medallions from a past Limited Edition promotional strike.

This coming week's random draw prize package for registered FWTG League participants is really special (and valuable!). Gridiron Support and Rich Gannon are showing their appreciation with a VERY limited "proof" (stamped in coin) struck Rich Gannon 2002 MVP Medallion with color fill trim. Only a handful of these Gannon "proof" Medallions were produced, so you want to get your hands on this. None have ever been sold. In addition, Rich has provided us with an autographed action photo. After the winner is drawn, Rich will also be sending along a personal handwritten "thank you" note to the lucky FWTG League player.

Don't sit on the fence…Get in on a shot at this valuable package!

The week #3 prize will be raffled off on August 28th at 9pm CST. All FWTG League members at that time will be eligible for the prize.

A reminder also that the player leading each division at the end of the preseason will win the "Preseason MVP award" and earn a spot into the Grand Final and play for a NIB Pinball Machine. Currently Andrei Massenkoff leads the NFC West, Damien Charlety leads the NFC South, Jon Drew leads the NFC East, Zach Sharpe leads the AFC South and Josh Sharpe leads the NFL North. Updated FWTG standings are available HERE.

For details on the FWTG LEAGUE, including how to register, format, prizes and more, click HERE.

Gridiron Support is currently offering a Preseason 10% discount on "Tier 1" and "Tier 2" IFPA/FWTG personalized League Medallions. In addition, Gridiron Support is offering special "group" sales discounts on Medallion orders of 3 or more. Call Vicki (Gridiron Support) at  612-999-FWTG (3984) for more information!

The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund (GGAF) is a non-stock, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing financial grants and ‘pro bono’ medical assistance to retired NFL players in dire need. The organization focuses on the humanitarian side of post-football related issues, which include coordination of social services to retired players who are in need due to a variety of reasons including inadequate disability and/or pensions.

Get behind Coach Ditka's Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund and "LIKE" Gridiron Support on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gridironsupport.org.

Wired Magazine just released an article on the month long IFPA tournament beign held at Radio Shack to celebrate the end of the 80-year pinball ban in the city. Sponsored by Radio Shack, Stern Pinball and the IFPA, players will have all month to compete for a chance to win an Iron Man Vault Editiion machine plus $2500 in cash. Click HERE to check out the article.

Iron Man Pro Vault Edition Pinball Machine Ready for Play at Local RadioShack Store–High Score Wins Machine 

OAKLAND, Calif. – August 20, 2014 – For 80 long years, residents of Oakland were banned from playing pinball because the game was viewed as illegal gambling. All that changed last month when the city’s long prohibition on pinball was finally lifted. To celebrate this momentous occasion, RadioShack and Stern Pinball are teaming up to host a month-long pinball tournament inside RadioShack’s new Interactive Remodeled store in Oakland. 

Kicking off on August 20, RadioShack will place a brand new Iron Man Pro Vault Edition machine in its Fruitvale Station store location, with help from Stern Pinball and the International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA). Participants are welcome to play for free and test their skills, no quarters required and no purchase necessary. More than mere bragging rights are on the line; whoever wins the tournament, wins the machine as a grand prize.  Here’s how the tournament will work:

·         Tournament begins on August 20, 2014 and ends on September 19^th at 9:30 p.m. PT

·         Players (must be 18 years or older) have 30 days to qualify for the finals and can visit the store Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. as many times as they like to try to set the highest score, at no charge and no purchase necessary

·         To qualify, players must score 50,000,000 points or more

·         16 top-scoring qualifiers are invited back for the finals on September 20, 2014

·         Finalists will enter a bracket tournament until one winner emerges

“Friends in the Maker community and other loyal customers inspired us to celebrate the return of pinball in Oakland. The pinball resurgence is a perfect combination of the best of retro and future technology. We thought this tournament would be a fun way to help celebrate our opening of 21 interactive remodel stores in the San Francisco and Oakland area,” said Mike DeFazio, senior vice president of store concepts at RadioShack. “The game is legendary and has appeal for experts and novices alike. While you are in the store enjoying our new interactive elements like the speaker wall and 3D printer, take the time to play a game with us!” 

“Along with our friends at RadioShack, we’re obviously psyched to see pinball prohibition end in Oakland,” said Gary Stern, CEO, Stern Pinball. “Our company has origins in the pinball industry that date back to the ban’s enactment itself. We’re both honored and amazed to see brands like RadioShack embrace pinball, and help make it more accessible to a new generation of fans.”

If you want to showcase your pinball skills for a chance to win your own pinball machine, simply visit RadioShack starting August 20 at 3040 East 9^th Street, Suite A. The tournament runs for 30 days, with the last chance to qualify on Friday, September 19 by 9:30 p.m. PT and a Grand Finale on Saturday, September 20 at the same location. The highest scorer on the machine in the Grand Finale will have the honor of taking it home. For more details and rules, visit the RadioShack TechSpecs blog, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About RadioShack Corporation

RadioShack (NYSE: RSH)  is a leading retailer with more than 27,000 knowledgeable associates focused on connecting consumers with personalized solutions and discovering what’s possible through the latest in consumer electronics. The company’s updated product assortment incorporates national brands, industry-leading private brand products, mobile devices and wireless carriers. Customers can shop leading brands in headphones and speakers, wearable technology, smart toys and DIY supplies, connected home, power accessories and home entertainment at www.radioshack.com, or at one of the more than 5,000 locations in 26 countries. Find RadioShack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Stern Pinball, Inc.

Stern Pinball, Inc., headquartered just outside Chicago, Illinois, is the oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games in the world. Stern’s highly talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and manufacture a full line of popular pinball games. Recent Stern titles include Mustang, Star Trek, Metallica, Avengers, X-Men, AC/ DC, Tron, Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman and many more. All of Stern’s pinball games are crafted by hand and assembled by Stern’s expert team. Both pinball enthusiasts and casual players around the globe enjoy Stern’s games. For more information, please visit www.sternpinball.com. 

For further information please contact:

RadioShack Media Relations

Phone: 817-415-3300

eMail: [email protected]

The Flippin' With the Greats League raffled off the first prize of the preseason, with [player]Andrei Massenkoff[/player] winning a set of 3 Hall of Fame GGAF Medallions featuring players Dan Hampton, Steve Largent, and "Mean" Joe Greene, all with matching serial numbers.

The prize for week #2 will not only be the same set of 3 Hall of Fame GGAF Medallions featuring players Dan Hampton, Steve Largent, and "Mean" Joe Greene, all with matching serial numbers. In addition, Gridiron Support dug deep into their medallion archives and is offering up these rare Penn State medallions from a past Limited Edition promotional strike. These valuable quality medallions are no longer available anywhere. They were snapped up by Penn State fans shortly after their release.

The week #2 prize will be raffled off on August 21st at 9pm CST. All FWTG League members at that time will be eligible for the prize.

Detailed pictures of these medallions along with the custom IFPA medallions can be viewed HERE.

A reminder also that the player leading each division at the end of the preseason will win the "Preseason MVP award" and earn a spot into the Grand Final and play for a NIB Pinball Machine. Currently Andrei Massenkoff leads the NFC West, Damien Charlety leads the NFC South and Jon Drew leads the NFC East, with all other divisions currently up for grabs. Updated FWTG standings are available HERE.

For details on the FWTG LEAGUE, including how to register, format, prizes and more, click HERE.

Gridiron Support is currently offering a Preseason 10% discount on "Tier 1" and "Tier 2" IFPA/FWTG personalized League Medallions. In addition, Gridiron Support is offering special "group" sales discounts on Medallion orders of 3 or more. Call Vicki (Gridiron Support) at  612-999-FWTG (3984) for more information!

The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund (GGAF) is a non-stock, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing financial grants and ‘pro bono’ medical assistance to retired NFL players in dire need. The organization focuses on the humanitarian side of post-football related issues, which include coordination of social services to retired players who are in need due to a variety of reasons including inadequate disability and/or pensions.

Get behind Coach Ditka's Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund and "LIKE" Gridiron Support on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/gridironsupport.org.