| As the sun dawned upon a new day somewhere in New York, three young men hadn't any idea that they were about to make history. Nick Earnhart, Jeff Blackburn, and Mike Metzger all gathered on this day at the Metzger residence for no damn reason at all. But they stumbled upon Mike's air hockey table, set up a crude scoring system (first to 10 goals wins), and the Short-Changed Air Hockey Tournament was conceived (not yet born, birth is messy). As the weeks wore on, Daniel Hunter Zapf was introduced and brough with him The Swashbuckle, a revolutionary new playing style of which all players now use a modified version of. The Tournament was in full swing. In the early days of The Tournament, its future was uncertain. No one knew if it was just another fad that would disappear like a fart in the wind. After several tournaments that didn't go in the books, The Tournament appeared to die. However, in the summer of 2002, Jeff and Mike made a collective effort to revive and expand The Tournament. They saw that it had potential, and a few minor rule changes were put into effect. Official stat keeping began sometime during this period, as Aaron Strusienski and Jim Waterman began competetion. With The Tournament expanded to six participants, more frequently played games were now possible. The tournament remained in this state through the end of 2002, and into May of 2003. Jeff and Mike assessed the state of The Tournament, and both agreed that it was a complete success. The summer of 2003 brought wild, unexpected expansion to the league, as it ballooned from the original six to around 12 participants. Mike Billotti's rise to the top of the league ranks would begin in the summer of 2003, as he now is among one of the most respected members of The Tournament. In early 2004, The Tournament expanded yet again with the addition of three female participants, thanks to The Tournament's official "Ladies' Man," Andy Frank. The current state of The Tournament shows that it's as healthy as ever, with a defined superstar, young talent, and overwhelming approval from all participants. Could Jeff and Mike have envisioned such a blossoming of The Tournament? No, back in 2001, it was simply a way to get together, drink some Gatorade, make horrible racial jokes, and play a little air hockey. Three years later, it's still an excuse to stay up late, not do homework, and be tired for work the next morning. Long live The Tournament. |