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: media.relations@radioshack.com

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.

14 teams competed in the 2014 PinBrawl World Team Pinball Championships, held Wednesday August 13th at PAPA HQ. After 3 qualifying rounds, IFPAPA (Sponsored by MPE), made up of [player]Doug Polka[/player] (ranked 1018th in the world), [player]Mark Steinman[/player] (ranked 215th in the world), [player]Zach Sharpe[/player] (ranked 3rd in the world) and [player]Josh Sharpe[/player] (ranked 20th in the world) earned a spot in the playoffs by winning POD #2.

In the Semifinal round IFPAPA (Sponsored by MPE) defeated Stoned Drunk! 70-47, and followed that up with a 64-53 victory in the Finals over the defending champion Beavis and the Pin-buttheads. [player]Zach Sharpe[/player] earned top honors as PinBrawl 2014's Most Valuable Player, earning 83 MVP points over the course of the tournament. Full results can be found HERE.

PinBrawl 2014 is underway! We have 14 teams battling for the four spots in the finals. Click HERE to follow the results live as the matches end.

​With the Flippin' With the Greats League and NFL Preseason officially underway, the IFPA and Gridiron Support are excited to announce that we will be filling the NFL Preseason with prizes that will be raffled off every week for FWTG League members.

The first prize to be raffled off on August 14th at 9pm CST will be a set of 3 Hall of Fame GGAF Medallions featuring players Dan Hampton, Steve Largent, and "Mean" Joe Greene, all with matching serial numbers. 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 [player]Tim Zollner[/player] leads the NFC West, 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.

​The IFPA and Gridiron Support are teaming up to host a series of pinball tournaments to raise money for Mike Ditka's Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, while giving the chance for players to compete for WPPR points and over $30,000 in prizes, including a BRAND NEW pinball machine.

This year we are taking things to the next level, with customized IFPA player medallions, a National Campaign of Flippin' With the Greats Tournaments, as well as the introduction of the Flippin' With the Greats League.

FLIPPIN' WITH THE GREATS will consist of both a league where IFPA members can support their favorite NFL team, as well as a nationwide campaign of tournaments held during December 2014.

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

For details on the FWTG tournament series including registration fees, 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.

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

We're halfway through the 2014 IFPA State Championship Series season, and we couldn't be more excited about the growth of interest compared to 2013. Last year the IFPA saw over 5200 players compete in the SCS, and this year is on pace to shatter that record with 4762 players having already competed within the first half of 2014.

We currently have 31 states included in the SCS, which will all culminate in the IFPA State Championship finals. These finals will all be held simultaneously on February 7th, 2015, with nearly 500 finalists competing for not only a State Championship title, but also a spot in the IFPA US National Pinball Championship.

View the current SCS standings HERE.

For those players north of the US border, the IFPA Canada Provincial Championship Series is also currently in progress. Current standings for the Canada PCS are available HERE. A reminder that the Provincial Champions will also qualify to participate in the US National Championship starting in the 2014 season.

We are also excited to announce that the official satellite spots for the IFPA12 World Pinball Championship will come from the 2014-15 IFPA US National Pinball Championship, and the 2014-15 IFPA European Pinball Championship. The highest finisher in each final that has not yet qualified for IFPA12 will win a free spot into the World Championship.

PinBrawl @ PAPA will be returning on Wednesday, August 13th, 2014, in conjunction with the PAPA 17 World Pinball Championships.

PinBrawl is the ultimate team pinball competition featuring teams of 4 players. Although the competition in PinBrawl is as fierce as any other tournament around, PinBrawl has always been about FUN first.

At the end of the day, PinBrawl is all about camaraderie. Competitive pinball is usually a solitary sport, and PinBrawl has made it possible to play in a group with your closest friends, and meet tons of other people throughout the matches during the tournament. Many players will say that it is the best tournament they’ve ever played in, so don't miss your chance to get in the action!

Jorian Engelbrektsson is the 2014 IFPA World Champion!