I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A TRIBUTE TO mflers who are no longer with us.

HEY MY EF/MF FAMILY:
I WAS GOING THRU SOME OLD MIGGLE POSTS AND I CAME ACROSS SOME OF DOC Schemby's posts and I really felt cheated that I never had the op to meet such a great person and genius EF/MFeler, and Dirk Thomas and his skill always fascinates me. At one of the big tourneys or events i would love to see a tribute to those hobbyists who have passed on. its up to us to keep EF/MF alive as well as the memory of those who impacted the hobby with thier knowledge, skill and passion.

Stay Blessed

[Ray F]

Biglock: Your suggestion is already being worked by the MFCA Tweak writing staff. We plan to offer a regular column dedicated to “The Legends” of Miniature Football. You bring up two names already being researched. Thanks, Ray F.

[Shabby J]

Awesome idea Biglock! May they rest in peace, you know they are looking down smiling whenever they hear that familiar buzzing sound.

I like this and I am glad it's being done in the Tweak.

It will be 8yrs in June the passing of Dirk Thomas , Think about him all the time the road trips the playing and just being a friend . His memory will live on for ever as long as we keep playing and meeting new people . Befor there was decals it was Dirk painted teams he was the Best . I was showing some of his painted teams to Mike Jones and John Martin last night . Living in Akron Ohio with the best painter was a dream come true , had so meny teams i can't even to begin to tell you all of them .

I know this " LEGENDS OF MINIATURE FOOTBALL " will be Great just like the one's that passed on.



Pat Morris

[MplsTom]

I also miss the Doc. I was fortunate enough to meet him about a year before he passed away. I was in England on a business trip and came over a couple days early to get on the vibraturf with the famous Doc.

When I arrived in England, I found out that Doc was in the hospital. So I thought my train ride out to his city would be a hospital visit rather than a scrimmage.

When I arrived at his train station, I called and they let him out of the hospital for a few hours to be able to play some EF. We had a great time. I brought my Badgers and we did some scrimmaging.

I remember his rule set was more along the lines of Anthony's system with multi stops to, as he put it, "read the queues and adjust". He also had a sack rule where the defensive end didn't have to hit the QB, instead if they raced past a certain yard line before the QB turned off the switch, it was a sack.

He was very knowledgeable about football and I remember seeing pictures of him and Bill Cowher in his living room, among other football dignitaries.

We ended the day by going to McDonalds with his lovely wife and beautiful daughter. Then it was back to the hospital for Doc...leaving me with some wonderful memories. Rest in Peace Doc!!

One thing that made me smile was the site below...when looking at naming a baby, the name "Doc Smeby" is listed under famous "Docs" that are no longer with us.

http://gpeters.com/names/baby-names....fresh&name=Doc

I never met Dirk Thomas. He passed away a couple of months before I came on the scene. However I've heard a lot about the man from people like Patrick Morris, Jayboy Combs, and Reg Rutledge. Though I've never met Dirk I was invited to his house by Joyce Rogers (Dirk's better half), met various Akron coaches from the league Dirk founded, and played against Tony Mckinstry (Dirk's cousin) and Little Reggie (Dirk's Grandson).

The Akron league treated D.C. and myself respectfully and showed us great hospitality. I'd like to think the kindness and courtesy that was extended to us was a direct result of Dirk's influence. Because of the people that were closest to Dirk, I feel like I come to know the man himself.

We were very honored to be in the home where such greatness resided, and where his legacy still lives on through his family and friends.

Peace,

Don Smith

[WEIRDWOLF]

I just added Doc's 67 Time Warp League to the league links at www.miniaturefootball.org

[Coach K-LO]

Great post!!

Well, I guess I am lucky because I have met both of these greats. I met Dirk at my 2nd miggle convention in DC. He and his wife Joyce, plus all the Akron group at the time.

The thing about Dirk that made me was his attention to details on all the figures. He had these 2 teams with him that day - Cardinals and Jaguars..... The Cardinals are still being played by someone today. But it was his Jaguars that made me want to do a better job of painting teams. The details of the helmet logo would have made NFL won't to use it for their team..... all the way down to the teeth being right with the teal inside of it.

lastly, he was the first to have facemask on his players....no not the ones we use today - his were complete;y had made with string and looked Great!

I spent some time talking with Doc before he got real sick. We would discuss the history of the game, the many ways to play. I used to have so many leagues of teams that he played alone. We shared many strategey sessions on all the skill positions on the field.... allow Doc to use some of my concepts as they were being created at the time...zone, 3-4 vs. 4-3 .....


Thanks for helping us remember them.

[SmokeStack]

Great idea for a post Big Lock.

David was fixture in the hobby in the late 90's until his untimely passing at a young age.

David was not perfect. He had a lot of faults. Who could forget the resounding sound of 10 or more Shimano boxes slamming shut in unison when he walked in the room.

We still talk about Fox in the Philly circles. He left us with a legacy of concepts that we didn't quite understand. I am hard pressed to know with certainty that he did when he mouthed them - but later on reflection and through measured learning - we in Philly have only come to understand.

Simple words like - integrity, trust, love, respect, and my favorite "plain vanilla.." which he coined to describe his offensive and game strategy in a meaningless game before the playoffs began. Dave lost the plain vanilla game like 30-6. It was a classic line and one we always talk about - even today.

We went to his funeral and tried to keep the spirit alive through memorials, plaques, and putting his beloved Colts franchise on the shelf. You know what? All that stuff is important.

Some of his dear friends and fellow hobbyist's have expressed an interest about returning to the game to either watch or play exhibitions. Paul David Daniels; John "Big Men Trader" Bullock; James "He's so strong.." Crews; Marc "Deep Sea Corral" Thompson and Mark Spivey come to mind. So, I look forward to seeing these guys around the table.

When I see them - I will see David once again... RIP OPB (Other People's Bases...)

Da Stack

[Reginald Rutledge]

One of the "Original Road Warriors" was Jon Thomas. Jon Thomas was going places with me, Dirk, Joyce Rogers, Jim Jackson, Mike Landsman, Frank Johnson, and Edgar Downs in the early days of trying to promote this thing through the midwest.

Jonny Thomas, Dirk Thomas, Jim Jackson, and I were always scheming to do things to bring notice to the game. Jon played Vince Peatros in Texas Shootout 1. At the time, Jon Thomas was among the greatest passers in the game. I credit him for the "Look Back Receiver". I remember seeing his Oilers and salivating over some of his custom figures he created. Right there is when I got the buzz to customize.

His death was untimely. I was talking with him one day and he was telling me it was time for him to play in the DFW. Weeks later, one of his co-workers told me he had passed away. I still have a hard time dealing with that one.

Dirk Thomas and I became so close so fast. I remember the second Miggle tourney walking around and seeing this older guy and lady with Cardinals paraphanelia on. I remember telling Rose "Let's follow them and see where they are going". I never thought anyone else played the game. By the time I got to them, they had went up the elevator. They came back down later as I was setting up my Metrodome. They came by (Dirk and Joyce). We began to talk. We exchanged numbers. The next thing I know, we began spending countless hours on the phone discussing the game. I saw his Cardinals he had painted. Unbelievable! Ahead of his time! He painted me a team! He came to my first Shootout. Could not pass a lick! Very ********ed off about how other guys could. Instead of using excuses, he told me, "I am going back to Ohio and learn how to pass". Next year, Dirk came back and played Frank Johnson in a defensive struggle. Hit enough passes to win. A few years later, Joyce revealed to me he was gravely ill. He would pass. And again, untimely for me. Our friendship had grown so much. He had traveled across the country with me helping promote the game. We went to Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, DC, and Texas hyping the game. He was as class of a guy as I ever came across in the hobby. Probably the greatest painter I have ever seen and one of the legendary coaches.

Another one is Annette Jackson, wife of Jim Jackson. A great EFLer who got her husband back into the game. Annette was very supportive of Jim and his EFL dreams. Annette rolled with the Cowboys back in the day. She was always willing, competitive and loved playing. She was a great wife and wonderful mother. Her kid, Bree, looks just like her. When I hear her on the telephone, I hear Annette and it makes me kind of happy knowing there is still a piece of this brave, wonderful lady still walking around and breathing on this earth of ours. Her death was a tragic loss in my home as we always looked at her and Jim as family.

There was Doc Smeby who I use to talk with quite often. Smeby and I had a long distance football friendship. Sometimes when Doc called, I would think he was crazy. He had his views on the game and I had mine. We would discuss. We always respected each other views. He started a HOF and put me in every category. I remember it well because that is how controversy on my impact to the game started. I told him "Doc, why the hell you do that?" He said "Reginald, I am looking from afar and that's how I see who is who in the game". A couple of years later, his wife wrote me and told me "Doc wanted me to let you know". She told me he had passed away. I remember I had told him that I would make a promise to get to England in the future and play him in a game of electric football. I hate I could never keep that promise.

Another person that passed was a young kid name Chris. This happened going on two years now. His father still plays in the league. He use to spend the night at our house. Rose and myself would take him out to eat. Chris was a great kid who absorbed everything. One day, his father, Pep and I, were working on 308s for the Shootout. Chris wanted to "shoot hookie" and stay home to help us. Pep let him and he came to my house to help. I remember Chris and I going out to Home Depot to pick up supplies. He told me he had been on home suspension for fighting. We talked about how to resolve fighting issues over "pride" at school, especially at a young age (14 years old). He always listened to me. I remember telling him if he needed to come to my house and chill out for a few days, he knew Rose and I loved him dearly and we had a room for him. A few days later, I get a call that Chris had shot himself. Devastated to say they least! I wish I would have gotten to him before this would have happened. We loved Chris because he had so much passion and energy to play the game. He had the Panthers. I had given him a team of them and he was kickin' butt in the league. He was a good kid who just got caught up dealing with issues that was hard to deal with. I just remember him always telling Rhianna and Reginald, "Y'all don't know how good y'all got it".

There was a customer of mine in LA name Randolph Jackson. We use to talk from time to time. He always supported what I did. His death was untimely too. I remember speaking to Al Clegg about Randolph one day, telling him how nice he was and I wish to meet him one day. I think Al told me, Randolph had passed away. My jaw dropped and I thought, "Why?"

There are great guys and gals who have graced us with their presence. Sometimes we never know we are walking in the midst of greatness because they seem so common in their demeanor and approach to life. These were some of those type of people who were ordinary people living extraordinary lives. They have been missed.

Reg