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Episode 177: It’s Josh Sharpe Day (2/2/2019)

Pinball Profile·podcast_episode·44m 15s·analyzed·Feb 2, 2019
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claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.027

TL;DR

Josh Sharp interview covering tournament life, family, and IFPA rules enforcement issues.

Summary

Pinball Profile Episode 177 features an extended interview with Josh Sharp, a competitive pinball player ranked just outside the IFPA top 25. The conversation covers his upcoming third child, tournament schedule (including Stern Pro Circuit Final, Pin Masters in Vegas, and World Championship in Milan), and a detailed discussion about stuck ball rules in Attack from Mars and other games, highlighting the importance of TDs consulting official IFPA rules documentation.

Key Claims

  • Josh Sharp is expecting his third child and negotiated hall passes for tournament attendance including Stern Pro Circuit Final in Chicago, Pin Masters in Vegas, and World Championship in Milan.

    high confidence · Direct statement from Josh Sharp during interview

  • Attack from Mars has a 'dirty pool rule' specifically written in software to handle balls stuck behind the visor, meaning they should NOT be considered stuck and play should continue.

    high confidence · Josh Sharp reads official IFPA rules verbatim during discussion of rules enforcement

  • Spider-Man does NOT have software rules for balls stuck behind visors, so they ARE considered stuck balls requiring TD assistance.

    high confidence · IFPA rules documentation read aloud during episode

  • IFPA processed 5,768 tournament events in the previous year, requiring approximately 11,600 touches by Adam Becker (approvals on both calendar submission and result submission).

    high confidence · Josh Sharp cites specific IFPA event statistics from last year

  • Josh Sharp won the Stern Pro Circuit Final championship and is defending his title in the upcoming 2019 event.

    high confidence · Direct statement from Josh Sharp: 'I'm the defending champ'

  • Pin Masters Vegas tournament has a 72-player field with two tee-off times and a waiting list, with slots filling within two weeks of registration opening.

    high confidence · Josh Sharp explaining Pin Masters structure and demand

Notable Quotes

  • “If you're going to troll me, that's a pretty good slam-dunk trolling effort.”

    Josh Sharp @ early in episode — Responding to IFPA temporarily listing a top 26 instead of top 25 as a joke about him being just outside the rankings

  • “I come from the Lefkoff School of Hall Pass negotiations. There were some strong negotiations before that agreement was made for child number three to come into the world.”

    Josh Sharp @ mid-episode — Humorous reference to Adam Lefkoff's ability to negotiate tournament attendance with family obligations; implies this is a known pattern in the community

  • “I didn't know the rule on this... The visor comes up. I've got a trap ball in there. I immediately trapped up, called a TD.”

    Josh Sharp @ mid-episode — Demonstrates lack of knowledge of Attack from Mars dirty pool rule despite extensive play

  • “Did the tournament directors ever consider looking at the stuck ball rule verbiage? Just on the off chance that maybe, I don't know, this exact situation is explained in specific detail.”

    Josh Sharp @ rules discussion section — Critical commentary on TDs failing to consult official IFPA rules before making rulings

  • “Capital H-E double hockey stick, no. Nobody looked.”

    Josh Sharp @ rules discussion — Emphatic response to whether TDs consulted rules documentation before making stuck ball ruling

  • “Your first instinct should be, let me find and see if the current verbiage explains that situation away. And I feel like everyone's gut instinct is to just first make a decision that they feel is fair.”

    Josh Sharp @ late in episode — Statement of philosophy about proper rules enforcement procedure and common TD mistakes

  • “It's taking almost 20 years. Anyway, enough of that. You and I were talking about something interesting that might have happened in pinball to somebody else.”

    Jeff Teolis @ transition point — Pivot from extended Super Bowl/Rams discussion back to pinball topic; shows host getting off track

Entities

Josh SharppersonJeff TeolispersonZach SharppersonRoger SharppersonAdam BeckerpersonKeith ElwinpersonRed RichardsonpersonAdam Lefkoffperson

Signals

  • ?

    business_signal: IFPA administrative workload for Adam Becker is substantial and increasing annually; processed 5,768 events in prior year requiring ~11,600 individual touches for approvals.

    high · Josh cites specific IFPA statistics: 5,768 events, 11,600 touches annually, averaging 223 touches per week

  • ?

    community_signal: Josh Sharp Day (February 2) is an established tradition in pinball community with organized greetings from notable players and community figures.

    high · Multiple pre-recorded greeting segments from Colin McAlpine, Bruce Nightingale, Keith Elwin, Ryan C, and others; Jeff Teolis states 'some people reached out to wish you a happy Josh Sharp Day'

  • ?

    community_signal: Tournament directors frequently fail to consult official IFPA rules documentation before making rulings, even when situations are explicitly detailed in the ruleset.

    high · Josh Sharp describes TD making stuck ball ruling without checking rules; mentions Red Richardson (elite player) also unaware of rules; Josh emphasizes TDs should search rules before making gut decisions

  • ?

    competitive_signal: Attack from Mars dirty pool rule specifically written in software to handle stuck ball behind visor; players should continue play rather than call TD. Spider-Man lacks this rule and requires TD intervention for same situation.

    high · Josh Sharp reads official IFPA rules verbatim documenting Attack from Mars vs Spider-Man handling of stuck balls

  • ?

    community_signal: Josh Sharp as IFPA president emphasizing importance of rules documentation and education for tournament directors and state representatives before major events.

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.133

0:00
It's time for another Pinball Profile. I'm your host, Jeff Teels. You can find our group on Facebook. We're also on Twitter at Pinball Profile. Email us, pinballprofile at gmail.com. And please subscribe on either iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. I know you hear all the top 25 players in the world here on Pinball Profile. But what about those outside the top 25? Some of the lesser weights. Let's talk to one now here on the second month of the second day. It's Josh Sharp Day. Hello, Josh. It's got to be pretty upsetting for you to be bumped off the front page of IFPA's top 20. Whoa, wait a second here. What's this, a top 26?
1:08
Have you checked today? No. The Bride Shepherds trolling is over. It's back to the top 25 being listed. It was good. I laughed. He got me to laugh out loud at my desk when I saw it. I have a screenshot. I thought that is a little shady. It was pretty perfect. If you're going to troll me, that's a pretty good slam-dunk trolling effort. You had nothing to do with it? No, no. You know, it's a slippery slope. If any, I think it, oh, no way, man. If anything, I think it highlights that I'm off the front page more to show me as, like, the extra person other than just being able to sort of slide and see you piss. Do you walk in with the front page and show your wife and say, you did this? You did this. And then she points to her belly and says, you did this. My daughter's like, I did that.
1:58
Speaking of which, you're getting ready to be a dad again very, very soon. Baby number three on the way. We already know his name's going to be Jeff. It's pretty exciting. It's not off the table. Seriously? Not off the table. You've got to do it. I actually got, this past weekend, we've had two names. We settled on a name, and then my wife wakes up and hates the name. So then we take another week and we settle on another name. This past weekend, she hates the second name that we have settled on. So now we're back to nameless, and it's just driving me crazy. Because it's like even if we get another name together now in the next week, what's to stop her from hating it the next morning? It's going to be an interesting one. So Jeff is not off the table, man. Your child's going to be like the kids in Bird Box. Boy, girl. Right, we're going to name him Boy. Now, I know that this means so long, Josh. Thanks for coming out to any possible tournaments that you were at even now. As few and far between as they were, now just forget about it. No. See you, Josh. Good knowing you.

  • “They're probably done. And the only back nine is if Colin or Charlotte get into it.”

    Josh Sharp @ end of episode — Josh suggesting his competitive career at top ranking levels is likely over, but would continue if his children became involved in pinball

    • Colin McAlpine
    person
    Bruce Nightingaleperson
    Ryan Cperson
    Attack from Marsgame
    Spider-Mangame
    IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association)organization
    Stern Pro Circuit Finalevent
    Pin Mastersevent
    World Championshipevent
    Pinbergevent

    high · Josh describes warning state reps before NAACS and staff before nationals/pin masters to 'read the rules' and familiarize themselves

  • ?

    personnel_signal: Josh Sharp holds significant authority as IFPA president, involved in tournament organization, rules enforcement, and staff management including calendar/results approvers.

    high · Josh discussing role managing staff, warning state reps on rules, organizing Pin Masters event coordination with Zach and Roger Sharp

    • 3:09
    No. Dude, I come from the Lefkoff School of Hall Pass negotiations. There were some strong negotiations before that agreement was made for child number three to come into the world. So I got, I'm going to be okay. The tournament that I really want to go to, I've negotiated my pass to include less bitching about said pass every year now. So it's, I'm in a good spot. We're going to find out soon because I think I've gone for more of March than I've owned. So we're certainly going to find out quick when I leave like a two-day old at home. You're going to come back and that kid's going to be looking at you like, who's this? Or the doors are going to be locked and I'm going to have to go stay at my parents or something. I like the sound of it. I do know that in March, yes, you're going to be going to Las Vegas. So I assume some of your hall passes include work-related things for what you do with Rothwell. So that would put you at IAPA, therefore Freeplay Florida likely. You're going to Pin Masters, too, in Vegas because there's a show there as well? Yes.
    4:12
    Although, you know, obviously that stretches into the weekend. And so my wife knows that it's not work on the weekend. But, yes, that's part of my hall pass for that week. It's definitely not work on the weekend. You're not even going to be playing in the national championship because you didn't seem to get very far in that one, did you? I did all right, man. I won a couple rounds. Where did you get knocked out? I thought your brother knocked you out early. No, in the semis. Oh, all right. Well, that's all right. That's okay. Come on. Okay, fine. Come on, man. I'm pretty sure my wife doesn't know about the Stearns Pro Circuit Final yet, and I keep trying to figure out a good day to remind her that I'm gone that weekend for that heads up, but I haven't picked the time yet to remind her of that. You're the defending champ. You have to be there. Oh, yeah, I wouldn't miss it, man. I'm bringing my belt. I'm just going to wear it. That's in Chicago. You'll be home at night, so that's fine.
    5:10
    I'm going to tell my wife the same exact thing. We'll see what her response is to that. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. And you've got to run the big heads-up challenge the next day, which now is a three-strike tournament? Or how do you do it? It's three strikes. It's going to be a long one. I guess. We'll see. It goes quick. I think when I'm working with Zach, we're going to try to get an extra set of games just to try to keep it going. So we'll see. I feel pretty good about the fact that as we dwindle down the field size, the matches go really quick when you're left with really good people. Any idea what the games may be? I assume obviously the newest games that we see from Stern? Yeah, that's on Zach's to-do list to figure that out. But I would anticipate his answer to, because the Papa guys have the same question about the final in terms of how they're going to set up the games and stuff for the SPC final. And Zach's response is always, you know, what's in production? What we have in stock, that's what we're going to use. So I think you're going to see a lot of, you know, go to their website and see what's in production. It's probably going to be a lot of those. And what he's playing well at the Stern Factory, that's a factor, too. That's right. Whatever he's played the most, we'll be in. Him and Keith, whatever they've practiced on the ball, we'll use that. Wow, that's funny. All eight games, the four matches, all made, and how did that happen? Right, right. So that's the second weekend in March, and then we're talking later in March that Pin Masters, and the waiting list for Pin Masters is ridiculous. Now, you've got 72 players playing a nine-hole course, a first tee-off time, if you will, and then a second tee-off time. You have enough almost for a third tee-off time, but you said, I'm not going to do it. You know, even as the IFPA president and with all your IFPA members waiting, longing to play in this special circuit event, you're saying, sorry, can't do it. You know, I'd feel more guilt if people didn't have like 45 seconds to sign up for Pinberg. Pinmasters sold out in like two weeks. So everyone can blame themselves for not getting in in that initial when registration was opened. I feel no guilt. Myself included, too. I was on the waiting list for a while, but then I guess a bunch of people were hedging their bets, thinking, oh, if I win states, maybe I'll get a spot there. and then they bowed out. Is that why so many spots opened up? There was a mass exodus on January 19th throughout the day. Really? As people got knocked out of state. I think they were, yeah, they were just booking there in case I win state and want to go to nationals, I want my pin masters weekend as well. But again, no guilt for you to add a third tee off time or expand to get some more people in there. Wow. You're in. That's all that matters. Well, it's not just me. There's a lot of people involved. They're not my games. It's not my facility. Zach Sharpson, Roger Sharpson. We've got everyone covered. Shepardson, Beckerson. We're good. That's all you need. We've got our group. I'll see everyone at dinner.
    8:17
    And where is the best place for dinner in Vegas for you? Now, you're an expert when it comes to Chicago with Lou Maldonado. We have a tradition, at least with my dad, just going back to just having the trade show out there. But we made sure every year we would eat at the steakhouse at Circus Circus. What? And, right, that's the reaction that everyone gets. This comes from my dad, who obviously was going years before we were going out to the trade show. But Circus Circus has an excellent steakhouse. It's called The Steakhouse. And you walk through, you know, the crazy floor that is Circus Circus with, like, it's sort of run down and crappy. and the midway is crazy and there's kids running around everywhere. And then the steakhouse is just in a row. It's like across from the crazy gift shop or whatever. But you walk in down this long hallway, and it's sort of transformed into this old-school, really nice steakhouse. And we eat there every year. It's not near the horse stalls for the circus animals that just can't cut it anymore? No, no, it's not. It is not. I'm a fan. Best Caesar salad I've ever had, too, in my life. And you're coming from Chicago where there's good food there. There is. Yeah, yeah. I am a big fan of Batista's Hole in the Wall. It's kind of the block behind Flamingo. So just off the strip there. Great restaurant. Good Italian. Very nice. Oh, good to know. Tons. By the way, the wine just keeps coming and coming and coming. Love it. That's a place you might want to check out. But you can't go wrong in Vegas. So you're making sure that you are enjoying this perhaps last holiday. What else is on your calendar as far as your hall pass is concerned for 2019?
    9:58
    That, I get Pinberg if I get in, and I think that's it. I get Expo because it's at home. But outside of that, I mean, yeah, Free Play Florida, you covered pretty much it, man. That's all I get. That's why I'm not on the front page anymore. Well, one little code change there from Shepard, and that can fix all that. Right. I feel like you should have just kept it going as I drop it in the 30s. The front page would just be like 31, 33, 37. Smaller fonts.
    10:29
    You know, it is Josh Sharp Day, and some people reached out to me to wish you a happy Josh Sharp Day, so let's play those now. I thought who better to talk to about his son than the father. Roger Sharp joins us right now. Hi, Roger. Thanks for doing this. Oh, Jeff, hey, it's my pleasure. Are you kidding? It's always wonderful to be brought into the picture when it's about my son. You're a man of many words, so I know you've probably got some great things to say about your son. Yeah and I appreciate the fact that yes I have been known to be somewhat long but when it comes to my son there not too much that I can think of that I not so proud of in terms of what he been able to accomplish and how great he is. He is really, really special and, again, very blessed and very proud. Tell me, Roger, what's your favorite memory?
    11:21
    God, you know, I've never been disappointed about him. He's just a real sensitive, sincere, great guy. And for those people in the pinball community, he's an exceptional player. What more can I say? I guess it's genetic. So, again, it brings a smile to my face whenever I think about it and whenever I talk about it. He is really very, very special to me. What more can I say? It is a pleasure and amazing and astounding to have a son like Zach. You know, he really is one of a kind. Whoa, whoa, whoa, Roger, we're talking about Josh today. It's February 2nd, the second day of the second month. We're talking about Josh. Josh? Oh, then forget it. I mean, forget it all.
    12:10
    Roger? Oh, well. Hey, it's Colin McAlpine, 2017 Pinnberg champ. I just wanted to take a second to tell you, keep trying, Josh. Maybe someday you could even be in a final With Keith and Kaylee and me Take care, see you in Vegas Hey Schmeff, it's Mrs. Pin It's the second day of the second month of the year And I hear today is Josh Sharp Day But you know, I'm kind of new to pinball And I've just never heard of this Schmecklehead Who is Josh Sharp? You know, I've only studied up on the really great, amazing players So I must have missed him Anyways, I hope you have a great day today And I'll talk to you soon Peace Hey Josh, it's your brother Zach Well first Josh, I'm slightly disappointed That you didn't really commit to this You couldn't have come out with this In 2022 It has to be in 2019 But Josh The split throughout the years has been great I know you've gotten a lot of my First place winnings, but your second place Winnings have been pretty good There's a lot of major tournaments And those second place prize purses Have been outstanding So thank you, Benson, thank you Crystal, thanks, you. You're the best, big bro. Hi, my name is Bruce Nightingale from the Slam Hill Podcast and co-owner of the Silver Ball Saloon. And everyone who orders seconds at the bar will get a hat on the back and a side of maybe next year, champ. Happy Josh Sharp Day. We love you, killer. This is Keith Elwin. I wish I could congratulate Josh in person and say not like this, but he'll take what he can get. G'day, everybody. It's Ryan C. from the Head to Head Pinball Podcast in Australia. Due to time zone differences, I'm actually calling you from the future, and I have already experienced Josh Sharp Day. And let me tell you, it is absolutely just another average day. The Josh Sharp Days of the 90s were a lot better. These days, all hype, no substance. See you next year. Thanks, everybody. I feel so much better about myself. It's a big day. It should be a national holiday. I know the Super Bowl is tomorrow, but it's all about Josh Sharp weekend. By the way, who do you have winning the Super Bowl? That's important. I mean, it's tough to bet against the GOAT, right? It's like not picking Elwin in a tournament. At some point, you're picking Tom Brady is probably the smart, safe bet. So that's where my money would go. I am going to hang up on you right now. And the Bears beat the Rams.
    14:45
    Listen. How good are they? If the Bears kicker decided to use his other foot, maybe they would have been in the Super Bowl. But here's the thing. I'm a massive, massive Rams fan.
    15:01
    Really? Since I was 11 years old. And you followed them no matter where they moved? Little Teolas just followed the Rams everywhere? I started off in L.A. So going to St. Louis was like, all right, I'll do this or whatever. Wow. And back to L.A., I'm like, okay, good. So I have been eating a bunch of crow this week about, oh, you know, the pass interference call that wasn't. Of course that should have been called. No question about that. But sorry, football fans. Talking a little sports here. Sports alert. There were other plays in that game that also changed the outcome of the game. Like the four times Drew Brees threw with zero seconds on the play clock. No penalty called there. How about the two blatant face masks that happened? No penalty there, automatic first down and some yardage. That never happened. How about the fact that Sean Payton, call a run play, run down the clock, kick a field goal, win the game. No, no, I've got to pass. So Saints fans, blame yourselves. By the way, the Saints security allowing all those whistles into the stadium, that's against the NFL policy. Even Troy Aikman made comment about that too. So you know what? Boo, frickity-hoo, Saints fans. You have a good team, the better team won. NFL karma. Hashtag. You're not making yourself some fans with that. I don't care. Listen, wow, someone's going to hate me because I want the Rams to win? How big, okay, how is the New Orleans, how is the New Orleans pinball scene? You got the Church of the Silver Ball down there, probably access denied for you forever. And you know what? It's one of my favorite cities, too. It is. I've been there. I love the city. The people are extremely nice. But here's what it is. And I've said, again, it should have been called. No question about it. It should have been called. But there are 59 other minutes in the game in which things happen. So, again, it's not just one play. That one's the blatant one. But, again, win the game. It was a good game. As a Bears diehard, a Bears or bust kind of guy, it was entertaining to watch, call or non-call.
    17:19
    I'm hoping just for a good game while I continue to double-doink my way to sorrow. You think I've ticked off New Orleans fans? How about all the diehard Patriot fans, like the Eric Stones, I'm sure Bowen, the New England guy, probably likes them too, and Jeff Parsons and all these guys, they're all Patriots rah-rah-rah. Some of my best friends are. I have a son named Brady for crying out loud. So he has a Brady jersey, in fact. But it's Rams time, baby. This is revenge for 2001 when Bill Belichick cheated and watched the Rams practice and learned all their plays. This is revenge. It's taken almost 20 years. Anyway, enough of that. You and I were talking about something interesting that might have happened in pinball to somebody else. And I think I've been playing long enough. I've certainly played a lot of tournaments. But I don't know, A, the rules to games, and B, the rules to maybe some leagues. I don't know why I TD sometimes. So here's what happened. You and I talked about this earlier, and you enjoyed my mistake. So I will relay this right now. The game, Attack from Mars, I'm playing in a league. And one thing I do know, when I play in tournaments or a league, whenever you get a stuck ball in multiball, the goal, correct me if I'm wrong, is to cradle up and call a TD. Yes. So I don't think it's stupid me. I think it's ignorant me. I didn't know the rule on this. I'm in multi-ball. I'm going for jackpots. I shoot the saucer, kill the saucer, throw another one in there. The visor comes up. I've got a trap ball in there. I immediately trapped up, called a TD. I said, what do I do? And, in fact, think of all the times I've played AFM. I've never had that happen. Sure. So I didn't really know what's the software, what's going on. I've had that happen in Spider-Man. And I remember in Spider-Man, they took the ball out, as they should. So I'm assuming, I guess it's the same thing. Not right. Correct me now, Josh. I'm going to read the rules. I don't want to tell you what the rule is. I want to read the rule verbiage, and then you tell me. You make the ruling, okay? I can't rule on my own game. Well, you can explain what the rule is. Here we go. Ready? Yep. In multiball, some games offer the opportunity to stick a ball in an area that can only be freed. I feel like I need Gentleman John's voice here. Maybe you can have him overdub this. Stick a ball in an area that can only be freed if the player uses another ball to free it. Examples include getting a ball stuck behind a visor on games including Attack from Mars, Jackpot, and Spider-Man. The ruling in this situation is based on whether the game has software written into it to specifically address the mode or situation. On Attack from Mars and Jackpot, the dirty pool rule is specifically written for that situation. In these cases, the ball behind the visor would not be considered stuck, and players would continue to play on. On Spider-Man, however, since there is no game rule written for that situation, this would be considered a stuck ball, and the player should attempt to trap the other balls in play and request assistance. No attempt should be made by the player to continue shooting shots around the playfield, trying to free the stuck ball if that ball is deemed to be stuck under this rule. The end. So, I should have just kept playing away, ripping jackpots, which would have been super easy with one ball and one trap ball, but I didn't. So they said, this is what they ruled, shoot the visor and then pop the ball into the saucer, which I did one shot. I mean, if you can't hit the center, I should have quit pinball right there. So I did it. My question to you, and this is why I asked you this when we were talking privately, but I'll ask you again on the show, is did the tournament directors ever consider looking at the stuck ball rule verbiage? Just on the off chance that maybe, I don't know, this exact situation is explained in specific detail. Did anyone think about using these rules that are at every TD's disposal on our website? We have the easiest link ever, ifpatimball.com slash rules. And it goes to the IFPA pop-up rule set, and it's there for you to enjoy. Nobody thought to, like, look at the rules? I'll answer it like this. Capital H-E double hockey stick, no.
    21:43
    Nobody looked. And in fact, the funny thing is, the guy who owned the game, and he's owned it for a long time, if not a few of the versions, I don't think any of us have had that happen. Like I said, I've never had that happen to me, and I didn't purposely try to pop one in there. So I've only ever had it happen once on Spider-Man. It was a tournament in December and we took the ball out I never had it happen on Jack Black Well was the ball taken out because you guys read the rules that said it should be taken out and freed or did you just like everyone just came to the conclusion of like you know what I think is the most fair is I think we just need to pull that ball. Like, how does that decision get made? Okay, let's relive it. So the first time I asked somebody, I cradled up and I asked the TD, the homeowner, the guy who owned the game, and the president of the league, I said, hey, what do I do? And he said, I guess play on. And I said, do you want to double-check that? Because I don't want an unfair advantage if that is not the rule. So he got somebody else, and somebody said, why not shoot the visor, which I also know is not the rule either. I definitely know that's not it. I guess, like, why wouldn't your response have been, shall we look at the rule? Ah, good point. See what it says? Because that would have been the right thing to do. But it's amazing. It seems to be. And you know what? I got a text message from someone whose name rhymes with Red Richardson over the weekend with the same scenario on a game with a stuck ball being stuck behind a visor. And he was asking me what the rule was. And I was like, I don't know, maybe just do what the rule says specifically. And he had never bothered to see it or read it. Or it's like, yeah, it's a big pet peeve of mine of people that like this resource is there to sort of answer most rulings questions. Like, yeah, there's tons of times where you can read the verbiage and it's still kind of a judgment call on where something falls. But in this attack from Mars dirty pool situation, there's literally no room for ambiguity. If someone just wants to look at the rules that we have published at any given time. Two things here, all right? And remember, you're probably one of the guys who contributed to those rules or certainly adapted them from Papa. So two things. One, how many pinball players are bookworms? All right, give me the Coles notes. Give me the pin tips. Give me something 140 characters or less, not let's try to find and file through Attack from Mars. So that's maybe the defense of that. Hold on, hold on. And by the way, if a guy like Red Richardson also doesn't know, He's been playing for a long time and is one of the best players in the world. If he doesn't know, I don't feel so bad. Or one could argue that maybe he was trying to take advantage of the situation. And, you know, sometimes ignorance is bliss if there's a potential for the ruling to fall in your favor. I'm just saying. If I do a search on the rules page for the word attack, it comes up twice, both in that paragraph. There's no need to read 220 pages of rules. you know maybe this is covered in this giant document I'm just going to search for attack I think he searched for the word from and there were too many choices but anyway it's a lesson for all UTEs out there and it's the same thing that I warned all the state reps before NAACS day and it's the same thing I warned my staff, you know Beckard and Brian Woodard and Zach you know before we get down for nationals and pinmasters is read the rules. Just read it again and get re-familiarize yourself with them and just know that you never have to make a gut call. Your first instinct should be, let me find and see if the current verbiage explains that situation away. And I feel like everyone's gut instinct is to just first make a decision that they feel is fair. And that should be second if the rules don't cover a situation. But so many times, it's like the answer's right there in front of you you just got to find it and if you're a tv and you sort of read up i mean it doesn't take you that the we can joke that the rules are 200 pages they're not there may be like 10 but if you have you know 10 minutes to sit and read you'll at least get a sense of like oh yeah stuck balls that's in paragraph seven so i just know that i only have to go there i don't have to worry about like i wonder if these rules cover stuck balls It's like you kind of, if you familiarize yourself with them, you'll know that, like, yes, there is a paragraph on stuck balls. Let me give it a read and see if it covers this stuck ball situation. Read for 10 minutes. Do you know the attention span of kids today? And God bless them because now I can adapt it. You know what? Bedtime stories tonight. I am reading my kids. No more goodnight gorilla. We're going full. No shut the F up asleep. We'll see if it works You could be unlocking the key to some future success here Listen, I love pinball Obviously, I do this podcast I play in tournaments, I play in leagues If I started reading that to a young child First thing is, why am I reading that to a young child When my kids are too old Secondly, is I would fall asleep before they did Because I'd be like, gone I'm out, boring But that's just me I need bookworms like yourself I need brilliant people in my life like Ian Harrow, or I need great people who know all the rules like Bowen, like Adam Lefkoff, and all these people. These are the people I count on. I have some breaking news for you. You want some breaking news? Yes, please. Adam Becker is on vacation through February 8th.
    27:22
    So whoever, well, I'm sure we'll have a notice up on our website, but for whoever ignores our website and is wondering why their results are not in this week as they listen to your podcast, it's because Adam is on vacation. That's all. And good for him, because did you see some of the comments that happened when he was away last time? I know. I just was like, are you kidding? Poor guy. I hope he gave back his huge IFPA salary. Right, I know. For entering in, what, 10,000 tournaments plus probably a year? I don't know. Not that many. What did you do? Well, actually, you know what? Let's see what the final numbers were last year. Events by year. So last year was 5768. So he had to, he approved the calendar submission and the result submission. So he touches everything twice. So that's like 11,600 touches.
    28:18
    Divided by 52 weeks, man, 223 a week. So glad I got him involved these last three years rather than the, man,
    28:29
    three years before that. It's easy. I didn't know what I was complaining about back then. Not because he's on vacation, but just because of the volume, and it only increases every year. Why doesn't somebody else help? No one else offered? Have you been asked? Yeah, we've had plenty of people that have volunteered to help when Adam cries mercy. But I think, you know, we like to bitch a lot publicly about it, but we love doing it. We're doing our part, right? Everyone does their part. You do your part with your podcast. we feel like this is us doing our part for the sport. And for Adam, him doing the approvals on the calendar side and the results side, he really feels good about doing his part for the hobby. When he cries mercy, we'll reach into the bullpen and try to pull anyone else that has some interest in dabbling in such things. So Joshua, do you think this is the last hurrah for you as you approach 40 this year? and a father of three young children, and the number of tournaments keep decreasing. I mean, unless you do very, very well at them, do you think this is the last hurrah of Josh Sharp? Do you think that chance to get back in the top 25, top 20, top 10, are those days done? They're probably done.
    29:46
    And the only back nine is if Colin or Charlotte get into it. Yeah, yeah. And I can bring them with and start earning the left cough. When he was able to bring Escher, it was like doing his wife a favor of like, hey, I'm going to go to this and I'm going to take Escher, so you're welcome. If I can get into that area where I can relieve my son driving my wife crazy and he wants to come with me, then we're talking win-win. But outside of that, dude, it's hard. There's too many good events. Yeah, it's just the pressure that I would have to put on myself to finish top ten in all the majors and everything that I'm playing in. It's just at some point it's not likely. It is amazing. Which is okay, man. It's okay. Well, for some of us who really try to do as well as we can, I mean, certainly having fun is the most important thing. But, you know, when you're somewhat decent, you try your best. And one of the great perks of doing your best is that opportunity, whether earned or not, whether Herbert from Austria shows up or not, is getting into the World Championship, which this year takes place in Milan, Italy, in June. And, you know, I looked at where I was last year, and I got in, I think, 85th. And again, that's day of one person not showing up, although I was the first person on the wait list. And I got in. So I'm thinking, okay, I'm actually ahead of last year, just by a few points. By a lot more points, but a few more standing points. Sure. I got a shot at this. Not a shot at all, because everybody seems to be going to Italy, including, as of right now, Keith Elwin for his first ever European trip, which I think is great. He's going to regret whatever February 2nd message he left you about me.
    31:35
    So, yeah, everyone's going, and of course a lot of people from Europe. And I don't know if I have fans in Romania and Slovenia, but you guys are sending four people? Are you kidding me? You've got 22 different countries. Wow, I need a country. Although you changed it this year. You have to live in the country, right? Correct. You can't just... No, there's no more. The Damien Charlaty rule and the Marcello rule, those days are over. I don't know Marcello. I do know Damien. Damien's a good player. He was just outside of it. Yeah, he got a free France buy from that. Yep, and Marcello got a Brazil spot. So are you seeing different growth this year? Like I talked to my good buddies Martin and Ryan from Head to Head Pinball, and apparently Australia is just going through the roof. Is that one of the big growth areas for IFPA? And as you had this success with the state and provincial championships, with the dollar money that went out, and again for the nationals, what's the next thing? Where's the next level? Is it more money into the pot? What is it? No, I don't know. I feel like, you know, we successfully round-tripped the dollar for year one. I feel like, you know, the media pieces were, there was better messaging this time around from, you know, Zach pushing out, you know, and stressing the amount of money that we're giving away. Like, it just takes time. Like I like to see a couple of years and see if we can change the narrative for pinball to be taken seriously by you know outside world people We see if the coverage that we get in Vegas if there anything that will linger you know will the people that won their states and provinces, will there be an interest in maybe the news people that covered them locally to do a follow-up piece? Because maybe this is a more serious deal than absolutely not doing a follow-up piece because it was kind of just a fluff whatever. Like, I think it's tough to really extrapolate what all this means yet. And we don't make decisions quickly. So I think we're just going to stay the course. I think you're more likely to see something like with Australia at the local level in terms of, like, is it a good time for them to look into a dollar fee to try to raise the profile of, you know, that national championship? You know, maybe. I asked, you know, Martin his feedback on that. I think they're in the process of figuring it out. I think, you know, at some point the dollar fee for women's events is going to be something that we have to figure out. I know that, you know, we're obviously giving away a pinball machine at the Women's World Championship out in Vegas, but outside of that, you know, the prize money is 24 ladies putting in 50 bucks each, 1,200 bucks. It's not the sexiest prize package ever. You know, we're happy that we're able to increase the prize package and have a 600% payout or whatever. You had some sponsorship last year for it because I know I donated to it. We did. We did. So that and that word, the connotation of that word of people donating, I don't pretend to speak for the women that are participating in this thing, so I actually reached out to them about their preference of, hey, what do you guys think about me reaching back out for, you know, quote-unquote sponsorship through really donations rather than it really being a sponsorship? and everyone felt like it almost cheapened the championship to be playing with people's donated funds. So their preference was to not actively raise funds through donations this year, which I can respect. And so that's what I did. Okay. I will bring three things to your attention as you try to grow pinball. One, pinball was named into the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York. So that's a big deal. Secondly, as you try to grow pinball, I will remind you that at one time, ballroom dancing was an Olympic sport. Wow. Sure, it's very physical, but some could say the same about pinball, especially when you're karate kicking like Josh Sharp, not like this. And the third thing, too, as pinball tries to grow, there's this little petition going on, change.org, presented by Joe Cherovino. Is this the National Pinball Day? August 1st, your father's birthday, National Pinball Day. So, again, that's on change.org. Those are three big things to think about. Any thoughts on those? I've attempted to fill out the Olympic application in the past. It was not fun. And I think I threw the application in the garbage when we had to outline what our drug testing policy was and how we enforced, you know, whatever rules we enforced. See you later. Forget it. Right. It was like, okay, so at least I don't have to go through the other 78 pages of this application. We're just done. especially in Canada. It's legal now, so a lot of people are, yeah, you'll never see a representative from Canada. I say that jokingly. For me, you know, I get excited about, you know, there's some exciting announcements coming, Stern Pro Circuit related that I can't get into yet, but I'm excited about the ability for that to raise awareness for the sport. So, you know, you'll see some of that when the time comes. Good stuff's happening, man. It's just happening at a pace that I'm very comfortable with because I sort of live that world on the buck hunter side, but probably a pace that most people aren't patient enough to have. But I'm all smiles over here. And, of course, you'll hear that breaking news right here on the official Josh Sharp station, your podcast of choice, pinball profile, where you get all the information and everything IFPA. So we'll say yes, Jeff. Yes, Jeff. That's our agreement. I will not tell anyone else any of this information before telling you first. As long as you keep the checks coming. I've done all right there. Hey, what did you win for Illinois? What did I win? I won maybe like $100, and then I won half of Zach's pot. So it was good, man. It was a good day. 4-12 for this guy, baby. I think you won more than me or Zach. I think I won more than most states. Yeah. What did you think? How was the, I mean, you tell me as being on the other end of the dollar, how did the feel? And you guys are 24 people, right? Yes. For Ontario? Super state, yes. Everyone feel pretty good about getting paid out? How was the receipt of those funds, that other end? It was great. It was fantastic. You know, it's cash money. I don't know how we claim it when it comes time for CRA or your version of IRS, but, you know, it was good. And I think those people that all won money knew what it was going into all calendar year. Those people that weren't interested in that probably dropped off a few tournaments, but I think those people were less than there were people that were interested in it. I don't play pinball for money ever, ever, ever. Sure, me neither. Unless I'm playing LTDs, loony throwdowns here in Canada, the dollar games. That's the only time I do it. And even then, it's not even really serious pinball because you and I will be playing, and all of a sudden I'll turn the lights off and turn them on, turn them off, or, you know, kick in the back of the leg. Things like that happen in dollar games, but not in real competitions. You know, you play kind of arcade rules. Stuck ball, keep going, you know, all that kind of stuff. Again, it was a nice bonus. I'm sure I contributed that and then some to pinball in 2018, so it was nice to get a little bit of it back, but it was fun. It's a good format. The only complaint I did hear, and I heard this from a few other people. Yeah, bring it, man. I love complaints. Well, this isn't a complaint for me because I think you have to do it the way you're doing it. It was the bracket system. Sure. Because I did get people who said, you know, I had the easier path to get there. Probably, maybe, who knows. All I know is the people I played were tough as hell and they beat me all the time, so maybe. But again, other people were saying, you know, what was it? I can't, I don't want to give the person's name, but they had a weird path where they were playing in, say, the quarters. And you pretty much knew whoever won that was going to win the finals. or at least they were the best two people ranked in the quarters, and now one of them's gone. So is the bracket the best way to do it? You know what I like about it? You've got to win. Look at a guy like you in the Stern Pro Circuit final. You stunk. You came third and second in almost every game, but it was just enough to get by. You know, Steve Bowden got screwed on free fall by having three house balls, and that made you advance, and all you had to do was win the final game. That's right, man. I think, you know, for us, we do it as part of our talking points for the media, like March Madness, March Madness. Yeah. You know, the volatility of March Madness, that's something that's very easily understandable by someone on the other end, and that's only been reinforced with the interviews that I've had. It's just like, well, if you know March Madness, they put all the teams in a bracket, and you either win or go home. It's like, oh, yeah, yeah. It's like, we just do exactly that. Oh, okay, that's great. So two people playing against each other, and then there's like a winner, and it's like, yes, someone wins, and the other person, get out of there, you're done. It just makes sense. Yeah, don't change it. Out of the, I think, four years I've been in the Ontario Championships, this was my favorite, not even because of the dollars. The reason I liked it the best was because it was based on your top 20 tournaments, not how many tournaments you can possibly get in. So, yes, volume is a bit of a factor, but it's capped. Yeah, and I mean, I think, you know, for those that complain about, you know, the seating, it's not supposed to, you know, the seating, the qualifying for it is no different than any other tournament, right? So, you know, when Pinberg has qualifying, if that first round, one of your quarterfinal groups is Elwin, Raymond, Bowen, and Zach, like, is that fair? It's like, well, it sucks for that group. It's great for everyone else. That's just the way the standings shook out. The goal of a tournament qualifying system isn't meant to give the highest-ranked players the best opportunity. The qualifying system is supposed to seed players based on the qualifying data only. Again, almost a year ago, I flew to Chicago to play a four-game match where the only top two people went on, and my group was Trent Augenstein, the number one player in the pro circuit standings, some guy named Keith Elwin, a retired guy who was coming back, and Bowen Cairns and myself. And I was up for the challenge. Did I know I was going to lose? Of course. But anything I did that was successful was gravy. So that was the experience for me going, okay, can I play with these guys? If I'm at my best and they're at their worst, is there a chance? Or just whatever the case may be. And that experience, even though I lost, meant the world to me and it helped me know, okay, and same with the Ontarios, okay, when I play my best, I can play with not anyone, but a lot of people. So that was the good thing about that. And I think we've talked about this before. It's like when you're on a golf course. If you're playing with three hacks, you're probably going to have a bad game. If you're playing with three lights-out players, you will elevate your game. Yeah, man. So that's the nice thing about these things. I loved it. Don't change a thing. We won't. We're sticking it out. And there's something nice with when we get to nationals and the format's the same. It's very easy for people to get used to this single elimination bracket. Like the intro meeting, it's like, hey, so the format for today is, hey, you guys all won this format. So you guys should be plenty experienced with how it's going to go. Josh, it's always fun to talk to you, especially on Josh Sharp Day. Go have yourself some cake and don't be afraid to have some seconds.
    43:23
    Thanks, Jeff. That was a good one. All right, time for your song. Thanks, Josh. Have a good one. See you in Vegas. Thank you, sir. Take care. See you out there. This has been your Pinball Profile. You can find our group on Facebook. We're also on Twitter at Pinball Profile. Email us pinballprofile at gmail.com. And please subscribe on either iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. I'm Jeff Teolis.
    43:46
    My wife won't let me play. I'll never win a major. Lemon, idiot. Lemon, idiot. Lemon, idiot.