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#1
02-17-2010, 12:39 PM
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The Evolution of the Shootout Rules:Thanks for Trying Them
I remember some 17 years ago when Mike Landsman asked me to do a promotion with him in the Chicago area. At the time, Miggle had just had a convention and I had met a group of guys just eager to play electric football. Guys like Jim Jackson, Frank Johnson, Edgar Downs, Terry Anderson, Jon Thomas, Dirk Thomas, and Joyce Rogers would galavant across the Midwest having training camps. I would teach them a style of play that was foreign to them but I knew at the time, there were no standards or weight restrictions or anything other than Tudor figures. We'd help Landsman promote the game. I would give away stadiums to generate interest in the game. My wife and I would travel the country making appearances and showing people the Shootout methods.
I always told people, "Just try it. Give it a chance." I try to do everything in a logical manner. It's the engineer in me I guess. But I remember a time when every word I mentioned on this style was mocked throughout the country! Anyone with lesser convictions would have just stopped trying. I almost gave up on the game a few years ago but two guys, Mozeek and Biglock brought me back to the game. I had been having Shootout tournaments since 1996. Many times you have things for people with no appreciation for what you do. It's only when it is not around anymore do people come to appreciate it. Texas was a hotspot on the miniature football circuit and the Shootout style was one of those styles that few would venture here to play. A good year would be 30-40 people but you spent so much time helping people understand that if you have the ability to be creative, throw the ball, and handle stacking, it was as exciting of a style as there was. Every time I spoke in terms of these things, there were ridicule from some parts. There were many stories of misinformation on this style of play. I always have said, "Let every style be a part of a weekend and let people play what they like". Unfortunately, that seems will never happen but I am happy I believed in my convictions. Now that I see the emergence of leagues using this style of play, I can truly say that I am grateful that guys like Al Clegg and Vince Peatros took the game back west to LA and taught it. And Frank Johnson and LeRon King were willing to come here and be Road Warriors. And Jim Davis and Norbert Revels went back to Detroit with the right information and JEasy took the time and taught each coach individually. I am glad that JoelP planted seeds down in South Carolina. And that Mozeek and Joe Greco loved the rules enough to clean them up. It has been great to see Artlax take the hype to where it needs to be. Guys like Brian Healey were some of my biggest supporters of this style by coming here to Texas and being a part of this style. It was a great inspiration having JBoy come to Texas as often as he did and telling Lundy and DLegend to come play in the Shootout to learn the style. It's good to see RAFIYQ and KingATL and the guys down ATL way come aboard and be a part of this league. I have a great friend down in the Bayou named John Oubre who whenever I called upon him to come up to Texas and play, he was there. He always tried to spread the style down in Cajun land. The seeds were planted some 17 years ago by starting a league in the DFW area. For many years, it powered what we do in the game. Guys in Texas learned under this style so they saw all the intensity and pressure first hand. Only now, are people starting to understand what I had been saying for so many years. You can run practically any play that you see during the course of a real game in this system. As more coaches come into the CBSMF, the net gets larger and larger. I've worked probably harder than most in promoting the game and this style of play. So I humbly thank all that have tried it and hope that many more will try it in the years to come. Reg 
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