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Episode 114: March Redness with Todd MacCulloch

Pinball Profile·podcast_episode·31m 6s·analyzed·Mar 15, 2018
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claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.029

TL;DR

Todd MacCulloch discusses basketball, pinball machines, and potential NHL game theme.

Summary

Pinball Profile Episode 114 features Todd MacCulloch, former NBA player and Canadian Basketball Hall of Famer, discussing March Madness basketball and his pinball collection. The episode covers his NCAA tournament experience, NBA draft perspective, recent pinball acquisitions (TNA, Guardians of the Galaxy), and includes speculation about a potential NHL hockey pinball game for the Seattle market.

Key Claims

  • TNA bridges the gap between casual players and enthusiasts, making non-pinheads want to become pinheads

    high confidence · Todd describes reactions from casual friends to TNA: 'People that really could care less about a basement full of modern machines are telling me that this is their new favorite game'

  • Guardians of the Galaxy has excellent shot geometry similar to Metallica and Iron Man

    high confidence · Todd praises John Borg's design: 'The shots are just so good, I don't mind hitting them over and over' and notes the Groot shot feels 'really solidly built'

  • Sports pinball games historically haven't performed as well as other themes

    medium confidence · Todd states: 'I think historically maybe the sports games haven't done that great. I know Stern NBA, they probably didn't sell as many of those as they would have liked to.'

  • Stern NBA has been unfairly judged and is actually a fun game to play

    medium confidence · Todd defends the game: 'I actually think that game has been unfairly judged by a lot of people, and I think it's really a fun game to play'

  • Scott (Spooky designer) is working on or has worked on a cooperative mode for TNA

    medium confidence · Todd mentions: 'I saw somewhere where maybe Scott is working on or has worked on a cooperative mode where maybe, you know, you can work together to try and destroy as many things'

Notable Quotes

  • “I put it in our outbuilding just so I could crank it whatever time of night and I can turn it to 11 and just jam on this thing and not disturb anybody except myself.”

    Todd MacCulloch @ ~32:00 — Enthusiastic endorsement of TNA's audio quality and fun factor; emphasizes the game's impact on his collection

  • “The frickin' game over music is so good that I have to wait like 30 seconds just to hear the end of the song because I don't want to cut it off by starting a new game.”

    Todd MacCulloch @ ~35:00 — Demonstrates the quality of Scott Denise's audio work on TNA and its emotional impact on gameplay experience

  • “I hope Spooky sells them forever. I hope they make 1,000 of those things and just keep going.”

    Todd MacCulloch @ ~37:00 — Strong endorsement of TNA's design philosophy and Spooky's decision not to limit production; contrasts with industry's typical LE scarcity model

  • “The Groot shot should be a makeable shot. It should be made for both flippers, but it can't be just a gimme, and it's a very solid thud.”

    Todd MacCulloch @ ~42:00 — Detailed analysis of John Borg's shot geometry design philosophy on Guardians of the Galaxy

  • “I don't really give an opinion until a game is up to full code, although you can see potential in games.”

    Jeff Teolis @ ~40:00 — Establishes responsible evaluation framework for new games; referenced by Host regarding Guardians of the Galaxy potential

Entities

Todd MacCullochpersonJeff TeolispersonSpooky PinballcompanyTNAgameGuardians of the GalaxygameScott DenisepersonJohn BorgpersonChristopher Franchiperson

Signals

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Positive reception of TNA's design approach and Spooky's manufacturing quality across multiple player demographics

    high · Todd describes enthusiasm from casual players, mentions game performing well on location, and reports widespread positive word-of-mouth

  • ?

    design_philosophy: John Borg's Guardians design refines mechanics from Metallica/Iron Man with sophisticated shot geometry

    high · Todd analyzes specific shots (Groot, War Machine kickback) and playfield flow; praises geometry knowledge and shot makability balance

  • ?

    manufacturing_signal: Spooky Pinball pursuing unlimited production of TNA rather than limited edition model

    high · Todd: 'I hope Spooky sells them forever. I hope they make 1,000 of those things and just keep going' and 'pretty smart of them not to limit it'

  • $

    market_signal: Sports-themed pinball historically underperformed but potential exists with right execution

    medium · Todd notes Stern NBA 'probably didn't sell as many as they would have liked' but defends game quality and suggests sports games viable with proper theme (hockey)

  • ?

    announcement: Scott Denise developing cooperative mode for TNA allowing collaborative instead of adversarial play

    medium · Todd mentions 'I saw somewhere where maybe Scott is working on or has worked on a cooperative mode' - indicates public discussion but not official announcement

  • ?

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.093

0:00
It's time for another Pinball Profile. I'm your host, Jeff Teoles. 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. March Madness is here, and there's no better person to talk to than former Washington Husky, former NBA star and member of the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, and fellow ginger. His biggest accomplishment, in my opinion. Hello again to Tom McCulloch. How are you doing, buddy? I'm doing great. How are you doing? This is, in the words of my friend Fred Paps, who's a pinball friend, he likes to say this is the most wonderful time of the year. It's the most wonderful time of the year. There's basketball on. It's just sun up to sundown, living on the West Coast. I mean, I start getting games at 9 o'clock in the morning, drop the kids off at school, get back down and watch games all day, all night. And it's sad when people get eliminated because then there's less basketball and there's only a few games to watch. But I don't think there's any sporting events on the planet quite like it. It's my favorite, and I'm glad I'm not the only one that enjoys it. Well, it makes sense for you being a former basketball star and someone who was in the dance and in the tournament. But Canadians like me who really admire the NCAA tournament from afar, it doesn't matter. I'm hooked. No work is getting done this Thursday and Friday because all I'm going to be doing is watching it online at my desk. It is the best time of the year. The NCAA tourney, the NBA playoffs are on the corner, even the NBA draft. And it's just so wonderful right now. You must be in heaven. I am. And when I got to the University of Washington, our whole goal, the coach's goal, the program, the whole goal was get to the NCAA tournament. The Washington Huskies had not been since about 1986 when Detlef Schrempf was playing. And it was our whole goal and our whole mission of our recruiting class. And it took us until my junior year, but we finally got it done. And I feel like it defined our, not only did we make it, but we went on a run and we made it to the Sweet 16 and just missed the Elite Eight by a shot. Rip Hamilton hit a buzzer beater that broke my heart. And so for us to be a team that had not been to the tournament in a long time, we had the longest drought in the Pac-10, just to break everyone's brackets. I can just imagine people saying, Washington, they're never in the tournaments. It's not like we were a Kentucky or an Indiana. And so just to break everybody's bracket and win one and then win the next one and then go into a game against UConn, the number two seed, we were in 11. And just to feel like, you know, there's no pressure. Let's have a good time. Nobody expected us to be here. We're having a blast. Let's just see how long our dream can last. And we took a lead with 20 seconds left in the game, our first lead of the game. We hit a three to put us up by one. We needed one more stop. And they got about four cracks at it. And I feel like that clock just ran forever. The buzzer would not go off, and they kept getting chances, and I did not do my defensive duty of getting a rebound, and then Rip Hamilton got a buzzer beater and just shattered my heart. At the time, you feel like you're the only one that's felt that kind of pain, and every year I watch all these other guys feel that exact feeling with all these buzzer beaters, and I think, welcome to the club, buddy. Welcome to the club. We will get to pinball in a little bit, but the reason I really want to talk to Todd is because it is so exciting, and you just talked about the emotion of it. That's why I find it even better than NBA, because this might be, for a lot of those players, their last kick at the cat, too. And it wasn't, obviously, for yourself, because as we talked about, you know, this time of year, you know, people are already doing their mock drafts for the NBA draft. Your draft experience, it kind of bummed you out a little bit, didn't it, too? It did, and it's all a matter of perspective. You know, it all depends on how you see it. And if you tell somebody, hey, you're drafting the NBA, then on the surface you would think, well, okay, that's a huge honor, which it is. And there's only 60 people on the planet. And, you know, all the time I'm watching all these games and all these great players and just thinking, you know, how lucky I was to be one of the, you know, .08 percentage of, you know, the chances of getting into the NBA, even as a D1 college player, are so slim. The longer time goes on, the more fortunate I am to have just been in the right place at the right time and to have had that opportunity. and for things to fall into place. But, you know, that being said, I was looking at it with some blinders on, and I really wanted to be a first-round pick. There's a financial difference. There's a security difference. If you're a draft in the first round, you're guaranteed three years to be on a team, you know, with the associated, you know, salary. With that, with, you know, the option for a team to give you a fourth year. And if you're a second-round pick, there's a decent chance, you know, some of the second-round picks make their teams. Other ones end up being, you know, your name gets recorded in the record books, and that's about all you have to show for it. So, you know, being, you know, the 29th or 30th pick or the 31st, there's a huge difference. And I thought that my body of work that I'd done at the University of Washington was enough to be drafted in the first round. I thought having an excellent field goal percentage throughout my career, and by the time I was a senior, I was the second leading rebounder in the nation. So in my mind, I thought if I'm, you know, the most accurate shooter and the second best rebounder, How is that not a first-round selection? But you start to see things as there was a perception that I wasn't my style of play and maybe my lack of quickness or that agility might not transfer to the NBA game. So some of the things that I was looking at are very important factors, weren't necessarily translating to the way general managers were looking at how I would fit in. So I went in the second round, and I was devastated, and I lost my confidence. And then, fortunately, the team allowed me to go play with Team Canada, which was something I did every summer and something I really enjoyed. And now I'm playing with Steve Nash and all these other great Canadian players, and we're having success and I'm having fun. And I realized, like, you know what? I'm, you know, just because I was a second-round pick, that doesn't mean that I'm a bad player. And I quickly got over that. I just had so much fun playing with Nash and the boys. I ended up having success in the tournament leading up to the Olympics, which happened to be against the dream team, the U.S. team, that was coached by Larry Brown, who ironically was also the coach of the Sixers and had drafted me a month before. So now he sees this player he's drafted with a renewed sense of confidence. Anytime you play with a guy like Nash, you can't not have fun on the court. He's just going to make you a better version of whatever you are. And so all of a sudden, I think their idea of my abilities changed, and all of a sudden they signed me to a two-year contract, and that was the start of my NBA career. So I guess the draft day turned out to be okay, in hindsight. Let's call it what it was. There was a bias because you were Canadian and a ginger. I said it.
Stern Pinball
company
Stern NBAgame
World Cup Soccergame
Head-to-Head Pinball Podcastorganization
Texas Pinball Festivalevent
Ed Robertsonperson
Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castlegame

product_strategy: TNA positioned as accessible entry point while maintaining depth through lock-stealing, trash talk, and emerging cooperative mode

high · Todd praises 'approachability,' 'trash talking,' and mentions Scott working on cooperative mode; contrasts simplicity of mission with challenge of execution

  • ?

    product_concern: TNA demonstrates strong appeal to casual/non-pinball players, bridging gap between accessibility and depth

    high · Todd reports non-pinheads asking how to get TNA after playing it; describes it as bridging gap to casual players and making non-enthusiasts want to become pinheads

  • ?

    licensing_signal: Potential NHL hockey pinball game emerging as viable concept for Seattle market

    low · Speculative discussion between Todd and Jeff about whether sports games can work; Todd suggests 'maybe you take that goalie out and put a hockey goalie in there' referencing World Cup Soccer conversion potential

    • 6:40
    Yeah, there's I think when I was on the Nets, there was myself as a ginger and then Brian Scalabrini. I think it's got to be the first time in NBA history when there were two redheads on one NBA team. It's got to be some kind of a record. Okay, Todd, I'm going to give you some quick questions here. I'm going to put 30 seconds on the shot clock. From the time I asked the question, 30 second best answer. Here we go. Ready? Rapid fire. What happened to your Washington Huskies this year, and how did Arizona State get an attorney? Oh, good question. I think we kind of faltered down the stretch, had some big wins, but you've also got to take care of the opponents that you're supposed to beat, and you've got to protect home court. And unfortunately, Huskies weren't able to do that down the stretch, but they certainly kind of put themselves on the map, and hopefully they'll be able to build into the future, and hopefully they'll win the NIT. I think they can use this as a stepping stone to build up to it. What school got the biggest snub in the tournament? Was it St. Mary's who beat Gonzaga? I think it was USC. I think with them finishing second in the Pac and second in the conference tournament having the highest RPI that has never made the tournament I mean they got snubbed It looks like St Mary did as well So it was a tough tough year for sure and I know what that like I've been on the bubble. I've been twice. We missed it and played in the NIT, and then we were on the bubble, and then we made it, and that was better.
    8:01
    Is Xavier overrated as number one? I believe that they are. I have Xavier as a team that we took down. We were in 11th seed. They were sixth. So in my mind, I mean, I'm going off the team from 1998. So I have them winning a couple of games. I do not have them in the Final Four. I think they're a good team, and I've got them going to the Elite Eight, but I don't think they're going to be playing in the Final Four.
    8:25
    Why doesn't Michigan State get respect? Number three, is it because they play in the Big Ten? I'm glad they don't get respect. I've got them going to the Final Four, and I think a lot of people look at that number and think that that means something. So I think that's going to hurt people. So I've got them going to the Final Four. They've just got such a good program. They know how to play in the big stage. They've got a coach that knows how to coach in big games. They play great defense. They've got a system. So they should get more respect. But I'm glad they don't because I've got them going and everyone in my pool doesn't. So that should make me the winner, which it never works out that way.
    8:57
    Will the ACC have anyone in the Final Four? I think so. I've got North Carolina going. I love those guys. I love Roy Williams and the program that he's got good degree. and I think the guys that go there, they expect to win championships, ACC championships, NCAA championships. So I've got them going to the Final Four. So, yes, I believe they will have representation.
    9:20
    Finally, what do you think about the big announcement with Ice Cube as the new commissioner of the Big Three? I think it's a pretty cool idea when you've got guys like Iverson playing in that. And I think when Cube was talking about it, he said, you know, I watched Kobe Bryant drop 60 in his final game. you can't tell me that that guy can't still play. And I think there's a lot of guys that have a lot of talent that maybe can't go up and down the court for 82 games and play back-to-backs, but I think they have a lot to show for it and a lot of athleticism left. So I like the league. I think it's good for a lot of my former teammates.
    9:54
    Let's switch gears to pinball. Come on back for everyone who isn't a big basketball fan, although watch the tournament and you'll easily become one. And by the way, the best way to become a fan, do a bracket, gamble on the thing, instantly hook. Skin in the game. So I heard you grabbed a few new games since we last talked, and the one that jumps out right away, TNA. I love it. I think it's genius, and I think it harkens back to a time when I fell in love with pinball and probably a time when you fell in love with pinball. And in some ways, maybe pinball has gotten too complicated, but at the same time, it's not like TNA is the only game I'm buying. I still love these complicated rule sets and Lyman rule sets and Keith Johnson. So I love it all, but I do have people over here that are non-pinheads, and the reaction to TNA has been pretty amazing. People that really could care less about a basement full of modern machines are telling me that this is their new favorite game, and they love this game, and how do they get one? And so it's been really cool to see it sort of bridge the gap to my friends that aren't pinheads and making them want to be pinheads, and I think it's just the approachability of it. I think it's obviously the music. I can't help but bob my head and just want to dance and just feel the beat. People understand the mission, what they're supposed to do, and then doing it is another challenge. And I think people love lock stealing, and so I just love telling people, like, yep, thank you for locking one. Go ahead and put another one there. It's going to be great when I steal those. So it just leads to trash talking. And I think I saw somewhere where maybe Scott is working on or has worked on a cooperative mode where maybe, you know, you can work together to try and destroy as many things. And so now all of a sudden you could be playing with a couple of your friends, and you're working together, and you're rooting for them rather than against them. So he's just such a hardworking guy, such a talented guy, and it's pretty cool that he had a vision for what he thought would be fun, and it turns out that much of the pinball country agrees with his vision of fun. And that's got to be very rewarding and satisfying to know that, you know, you made this for yourself, you made this for your friends, but you're willing to share it with other people. and I think it's been great for the partnership with Spooky Pinball and the quality of the build and just how good it sounds and the siren going off. I put it in our outbuilding just so I could crank it whatever time of night and I can turn it to 11 and just jam on this thing and not disturb anybody except myself. 11? I haven't heard it that high. I think I've heard it as high as 5 and it's still... I keep it at 11.
    12:23
    It just... I mean, my friend came over and he could hear it down the driveway just thumping. So it's a party in a box. It's great. And it's such a great multiplayer game, too. You mentioned the lock stealing and the new co-op mode, but I think those people that have never played it hear all this hype and are like, wait a minute, I'm looking at it, I don't get it. And then once you play it, it's just something else. Did you kind of wonder what it was going to be like before you played it? Did you kind of believe the hype? I did because I played it at Texas Pinball Festival when it was a Whitewood, and then I think I played it again at Expo when it was a Whitewood. So I had a chance to play it in its infancy and, you know, wait in line for it and talk to people like Ed Robertson about it, just about how cool the game was and that even without the artwork and without the, you know, the graphics that the game was just so fun to battle against. It was adversarial. It had elements of Steve Ritchie fighting back. It had, you know, some flow shots and just some brutal shots. And it's just amazing sound effects where so much is happening and it's hitting you on so many levels. And then the music, I mean, I drain and die, and Scott will tell me I failed. And then people talk about that one more game thing where you just want to hit the start button. But the frickin' game over music is so good that I have to wait like 30 seconds just to hear the end of the song because I don't want to cut it off by starting a new game. And so even though I know it's coming, I want to hear it because I just think he's put so much thought into it and has such a good sense for audio and the light show, I mean, the whole thing. So I hope Spooky sells them forever. I hope they make 1,000 of those things and just keep going. So I think it's pretty smart of them not to limit it and just to let the game do the talking as it's going around the country. People are having fun with their friends, and apparently it's doing well on locations for people as well. So now you're going to have a whole other group of people that are going to want it for pinball-slash-financial reasons because the game's kind of turning into a proven winner and hitting people on different levels. Todd, I was talking to my buddies Martin and Ryan from the Head-to-Head Pinball Podcast in Australia, and they were talking about new games. And I told them, I said, I don't really give an opinion until a game is up to full code, although you can see potential in games. And one of those games I really like is one of the ones you just bought, Guardians of the Galaxy. I love the shots in that game, so once the code becomes up to speed, it's only going to be better. I totally agree. And, you know, people would say, oh, it's a combination of Metallica and Iron Man. But I'm like, those games are amazing. I love those. So if the shots are anywhere near that and the geometry is like it, you know, it's not like they say it's a combination of two, you know, terrible games. And so I love John Borg's games. I love John Borg. You know, maybe it's even further refined. So you've got the war machine kickback from Iron Man in there with Rocket. And then, you know, the shot to Groot, I think he knows exactly when you need a double shot, a shot or a shot and a half. So his geometry is so good to know that, you know, the Groot shot should be a makeable shot. It should be made for both flippers, but it can't be just a gimme, and it's a very solid thud. When I hit Groot in the chin and he drops his chin, it just feels really solidly built, and I love the way he can sort of keep the ramps in the same place where they familiar and you know you can hit them but they go behind you know it a long swooping ramp shot the way they go behind the play field and then loop around in interesting ways And it looks like the post in the upper right-hand corner is used in interesting ways to change the flow so it doesn't always loop around. So I love playing the game. And even though maybe some of the modes aren't as differentiated as some other games, the shots are just so good, I don't mind hitting them over and over. and I think with some shots all the way to the left, there's a character shot all the way to the left, and then you've got that scoop all the way on the right. You've got so many shots to go with, and you've got double in lanes.
    16:10
    So I'm really digging it. The artwork is great. The theme is fantastic, and so I'm digging it. And then, you know, some of my casual friends, too, are just, they're jumping on it, and then they love the theme right away. It's just fun. It's got some good colors. Bad art doesn't really necessarily bother me on a game, But when it's great like what Christopher has done, I agree. It only makes it that much better. Now, there have been a lot of rock pinball games that have come out recently. Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle being released at Texas Pinball Festival. The rumors of Iron Maiden by Stern. A lot of famous movies. We just mentioned Guardians and TV shows that have come out. Are we due for a sports pinball machine? And, Todd, if you get to pick, which one do we need? I think we need a hockey game. I think we are due. I think historically maybe the sports games haven't done that great. I know Stern NBA, they probably didn't sell as many of those as they would have liked to. And I think sometimes sports games have suffered. That being said, World Cup Soccer is a great game. I just added one of those to my collection, and I think that's timeless. So I think it can be done, and I think maybe you take that goalie out and put a hockey goalie in there. But I think we might be due for an NHL game, and whether the world audience is there or not, maybe you'd sell enough to just the Canadian collectors. So I love the sports. I actually love Stern NBA. A friend of mine just gave me a really nice gift where I've got it on location, and they called me over to the location, and they handed me my old Translight back, and I unrolled it, and I was like, this is my Translight. What's in the game? And I looked, and they had Photoshopped and put a picture of Big Todd McCulloch up there. They'd moved Dwight Howard over and created his face and then put my ugly mug up there. So unfortunately, the patrons of this location have to play pinball looking at me, but I'm super proud of it, and I actually think that game has been unfairly judged by a lot of people, and I think it's really a fun game to play. And so I think a sports game can definitely work, and I think hockey's the way to go. Are you saying that because you're in the Northwest right now and Seattle's about to get a hockey team? That's some big news. What are the names they're coming out with, the Cougars, the Kraken? I don't know.
    18:20
    There's a lot of excitement here, and I remember when I got to Philadelphia, Obviously, with the Eagles winning the Super Bowl championship, they are the talk of the town, and they probably will be, deservedly so. The Phillies won the World Series maybe a decade ago. Sixers had a championship back in, I think, 82, 83. Flyers got it done in the 70s. Some people used to joke that there was only 20,000 Flyer fans in Philadelphia, but they all went to every game. And so I guess that's all it really takes is having that stadium full of people with excitement. And that's obviously not true. There's way more fans than that. But I guess in Seattle, there's plenty of fans that are willing to put down some money for season tickets, and I think they're sort of passing every test and every checklist. So I will be very excited to have an NHL team here and start a rivalry with the Canucks. And hockey, if you have not had a chance to see it live at that level, see it live. It just, for whatever reason, doesn't translate to TV quite as well as some of their sports, but live it really shines, and there's nothing more exciting than an overtime hockey game, especially playoff hockey. I don't know much about Seattle sports. I know the Seahawks were great, and they promote the 12th man big time. I went to a Mariners game, had a fantastic time there at Safeco. What a beautiful park. So now hockey's going to be there. But they lost to the Supersonics not too long ago, including KD, which would have been great as he's become a huge superstar. But what happened with the Supersonics? Why did Seattle not support that team, or was it something else? I mean, the city has always supported them. I feel like they were here for decades, and they did win a championship in their history with Coach Lenny Wilkins. And I was actually teammates with a bunch of players whose fathers were on the Sonic Time. And they were a beloved team, and those guys' names are still spoken with a lot of great memory. So they were always supported by the fan base, and it's obviously a good media market, and it's got to be continuing to grow with all of the influx of Amazon and other companies that are doing well here in Seattle. I would think that our market is growing. I think it may have had to do with difficulty to get an arena deal done at that time. And so I think there were some political things and maybe some funding issues for who was going to – we needed a new stadium and where was it going to go and how was it going to get done. And unfortunately, it seemed like Oklahoma City, they had a taste of NBA basketball during Katrina. And I think they wanted a team there. and ours just happened to be the one that was available, unfortunately. But there's a lot of people that really want an NBA team here back, and hopefully we can start with hockey and then get an NBA team here back in the Northwest because there's a proven track record of support and love for that franchise. You know, a lot of people ask me which my favorite teams are, and I really don't have any favorites anymore because years in the media and sports media, I kind of cheer less for teams and more for the players. Sports is a big business, and if you're a player on a team, you might be gone the next day. You know that firsthand after signing that six-year deal with the Nets. Yes, the times have changed in sports. And I used to watch games with my father, whether it was Hockey Night in Canada, and you rooted for a team and you knew who the guys were. And you knew that the Celtics were going to have Parrish and they were going to have Bird and they were going to have McHale and the Lakers were going to have Kareem and they were going to have Magic and the Bulls were going to have Jordan, and that was not going to change. And I think there was something to be said as a fan really investing in a city and a franchise and growing with them. And, you know, maybe going through some heartache at the time. But a lot of those guys earned their stripes and they eventually had to get over, you know, defeat a team to make it beyond. And obviously it has changed. But I guess, you know, from a selfish perspective as an athlete, it certainly was nice to have some options to be able to choose, you know, what was best for my family financially and geographically to have some freedom as a player. so I can see it from a fan perspective. But as a player, I certainly benefited from free agency and kind of see it through a different set of goggles. It's been really fun to watch the Seahawks become a championship-caliber team here and then also sort of feel an allegiance and a real love for the Eagles and the time that I spent in Philadelphia. So I've moved around a lot and have been able to embrace different teams. And now I'm kind of jumping on the Winnipeg Jets bandwagon with the season they're having, and I couldn't imagine how excited that city would be if they could bring a Stanley Cup to the pig. Well, I know you've lived in the Northwest for some time, but let's edumacate some of those American and Australian listeners we have on Pinball Profile about your hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba. You've been in the Northwest for a little while, but I'm sure you remember your roots. Todd, can you tell me which city was the first in the world to develop the 911 emergency number? Winnipeg, Manitoba. Did you not know that? I did not know that, but I figured you'd kind of thrown me a softball there and set me up, and that was the only logical answer. But I did not know that, but I know that now. So that's a good thing. That's helping people all over the world. So you're welcome. That's a Winnipeg feather in your cap. I mean it also makes me wonder was there a big need in Winnipeg for 911 or what Maybe Maybe It cold People are freezing They need to get warmed up Speaking of cold Todd can you tell me where you would find the longest skating rink in the world It's over five miles long.
    23:36
    Winnipeg on the river? Have you ever skated it? It is. It's over five miles long. It's 5.2 miles. I think I have. There was a snowman triathlon, and there was a skating portion, there was a skiing portion, I think there was a running portion, and I was the skater for my team of triathletes, and I'm pretty sure that a good chunk of that was on that river. So I have been a part of that. Last question, maybe or maybe not a softball question. Before Vegas came into the NHL, which team had the smallest market yet sold the most merchandise? That would be the Winnipeg Jets. I had heard that it was the highest maybe per capita seat. There was great sight lines there. It was an arena that I think was built sort of with the Manitoba Moose in mind, and then it became an NHL city again, and those seats became extremely valuable and coveted. I think you had to buy three years of season tickets if you wanted to get in at the beginning. And when I've been to a couple of games there, and I was the only one there that did not have a Jets jersey, So they got to keep the Jets' name, and they redesigned the logo, updated it, maybe changed the colors to darken the blue a little bit. I've seen a lot of fan support in the place I've been, but I haven't seen an arena where everyone there had that jersey on. I think they had a projection when they first were like, we would hope to sell this much merchandise and this many jerseys, and I guess they blew all of that out of the water. So the city was so glad to have them back, and they're really showing their support. and to have the team be so successful this year I think really has been great for that fan base. God bless the Peg in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Todd, you mentioned about buying tickets at that game. Buying tickets, is that your specialty? Because I noticed when I looked at the Pinberg list, there was somebody on the waiting list. Yeah. Just wondering what the hell happened there. Well, I was on vacation in the islands of Hawaii, and it was really early in the morning. It was 7 o'clock my time. I'd set an alarm, two alarms for 6.30 and was on there and just started hitting refresh at 7 and then, oh, there they are. They're available. So I clicked on two tickets for me and a buddy and then it was just the way my eye, I'm going to not blame myself even though I am to blame. I just couldn't find, once I had selected those, I knew once I got them into my cart, I was going to have plenty of time to check out at my leisure. But for the life of me, I couldn't find, And, you know, I needed to scroll down a little bit, and I sort of panicked and scrolled all the way down to the bottom of the page and didn't see the next tab, like, here are your tickets, put them in your cart. And so I kind of thought I'd have more than 45 seconds to do this. And by the time I noticed that tab, like, oh, there it is, it's been there the whole time, still not 701 yet, I hit, you know, select, and it would say, oh, your Pinbird tickets are no longer available, and it says sold out. And I just thought there was some glitch in the system. Maybe it hadn't really gone live yet that the tickets were going to be available. So I just kind of twiddled my thumb and realized, like, oh, my gosh, they are gone. I better jump on this wait list. And I thought I got on the wait list earlier than I did. So I'm encouraged by the fact that it sounds like in past years they have gone deep into the wait list. And so I hope that I'm not so far down that I'll be passed over because it didn't ruin my Hawaiian vacation, but it sure put a damper on it. And I was not Mr. Chipper for the rest of that trip after not having secured a spot at my favorite tournament, which apparently I'm not the only one that that's the favorite tournament of. So I'm going to have to be a little more ready next year to not miss that tab. That's too bad. You know, I've heard a few stories, and yours is one, too. People who are trying to get into the tournament for the first time and didn't know what to click, maybe they clicked the four-day week pass or the weekend pass, and that obviously just gets you into replay effects, but it's not the tournament. and that happened to a few people, or I guess doing it on a cell phone, too. I can see your frustrations, and that's too bad. I wish that wasn't the case, but fingers crossed something good will happen to you. So you're in, so I'm going to have to bet on you. I'm going to have to have you win it all, then. Yeah, I bought 45 tickets. I'm in. Sorry, Todd. Okay, I will give you $120 for one of those right now. Okay, I have two. My son Carson and I are going. But I am bringing Shane and Brady, too, and my other boys, and they're just going to play in the video games and Intergalactic and all that other stuff too. So I'm excited. There's only going to be 400 other games for them to dabble on. What will they do? How will they pass the time? I have no idea. I hope they'll be okay. But young Brady, he's 12, he's like, Dad, what if I need to find you? And I told him how to find me and stuff. He'll never look for me once. I'll be looking for him. Yeah, you're going to have to drag him out of there. So I got a feeling that hopefully we'll get further down the wait list and I'll be able to see you there. That would be nice. Lots of action in the Northwest this summer. Are you going to be going to a few events? I'll go to the Northwest show, and then we'll see from there. It's getting harder to get to this stuff with the kiddos growing up and having activities of their own, but I still love the game as much as always and got to really value the few events that I do get to. Yeah, it certainly is tough. I know they moved the dates for the Vancouver flip out, and that's now earlier in September. Is that one you've been to before? I haven't, but I need to try and get up to that one because geographically it's pretty close, and I think Tommy runs a great show, so that's one that I've always wanted to get to, and so hopefully this year it'll work out. Find a way. We need to see you at those tournaments, and it's been great talking to you once again. I feel sorry for those alarms, but this was supposed to be recorded last night too, and what happened there, Todd?
    29:06
    It's exhausting being a parent and put one of my children to bed and sat in a chair, and I just feel like an old man. I'm 42 now. I just fell asleep in the chair. So like an NCAA tournament to you, I guess I'm a sleeper. I guess you'd call me sleeper. Maybe a Cinderella where I'm turning into a pumpkin. So I set alarms tonight, and I did not miss it. So I figured I wanted to be friends again. I didn't want you to hate me, so I had to make it right. Never hated you. In fact, I appreciate you coming on. I appreciate the invite to your place and all that other good stuff that comes with it. I do hope you get into Pinnberg as well. Thank you very much. Always nice talking with you, and I look forward to you visiting me out here. I know we'll have hours and hours of pinball fun. By the way, who did you pick to win it all? I didn't even ask you. Virginia. Yeah, I am in several pools, and one of them was just like five of my friends. Nobody picked Virginia. I'm thinking, all right, well, this could be easy money. So I went with the favorite, and hopefully I'm the smart one that probably not. I never do too well at these, and I think maybe I have this false sense of security that because I have been an active participant in it twice that somehow I know how to pick these. Do I want Patrick Dempsey from Grey's Anatomy operating on me because he's played a doctor? I don't think so. So it doesn't necessarily make me that much more qualified. In fact, I'm probably less qualified because I overthink it. Yeah, so then I'm entering these other pools that have way more people, and I'm sure everyone else picked Virginia, and I'll probably get my butt kicked. But it's certainly fun, and as of right now, I'm perfect so far. So we'll see how long I can keep that going. You've also got the pinball profile, Karma, for you too, so I think you'll do very, very well. That's all I need. I'm good to go. Todd, great to talk to you. We'll do it again. Sounds good. I'll try not to sleep through the next one.
    30:43
    Thanks. 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 Teow.