Skee-Ballin'...

 

Since I had time off from work on Thursday evening, I decided to check out a Skee-Ball event and dust off my paintball skills. I teleported to the event grounds and was pleasantly surprised by how well everything was put together.

The A.I. signs were cool, the walking path was well marked, and the staff was great at explaining stuff and keeping everyone moving. I commented that it was like being at an amusement park, and braino worried aloud about his marksmanship skills. I had the exact same thoughts, and joked that the very high scores on the leaderboard made me feel like going home early!

It is cool that people are finding unique and creative ways to take advantage of free paintball on Thursdays. Paintball is something I've never really pursued in world, but events like this and Droopy's shooting gallery certainly make the activity more appealing.

A big shout-out and thank you to Tay, L0af, and Synergy for hosting a fun and well-planned event! Great job, guys.

While waiting in line for my turn to shoot, I started to imagine a big Halloween carnival being held on there...something similar to the Spring Fair but with rides and other attractions. I also have a list of horror movies I am planning to screen in the next couple weeks. Late Night With The Devil will be released on Tubi on October 19th, and this retro chiller will definitely be included.

The Origins of Skee-Ball

1. Invention and Early Days (1895–1900s)

Skee-Ball was invented in 1895 by J. Albert Ezack in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• Ezack wanted to create a game that combined elements of bowling and bocce.

• The original alleys were massive—often up to 36 feet long—making them difficult to transport and install widely.

• Players rolled hard wooden spheres up an inclined wooden lane (the "skeeway") over a hump—famously known as the "ski jump"—which launched the ball airborne toward a target area divided into numbered scoring rings.

2. Commercial Expansion and the "Skeeball King" (1910s–1930s)

In 1910, inventor and entrepreneur John W. Taylor purchased the patent and refined the design, shortening the alleys and making them more commercially viable for amusement parks and arcades.

• The Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) took over manufacturing in the 1920s, perfecting the mechanical scoring traps and heavy wooden balls.

• During this era, Skee-Ball became a staple of seaside boardwalks, most notably Atlantic City and Coney Island. Tournaments and leagues sprang up, making it a major spectator and participatory sport.

3. The Era of the Lighter Alley and Redemption (1930s–1970s)

In 1935, the rights were acquired by the Wurlitzer Company, famed for its jukeboxes.

• Wurlitzer completely redesigned the alleys using lighter plastics, automated ball-return systems, and electronic scoreboards, shrinking the footprint down to about 14 feet.

• This era birthed the iconic ticket-redemption system, where players traded high scores for prizes, cementing Skee-Ball's place in arcade culture.

4. Modern Evolution (1970s–Present)

• In 1977, the business was bought by QubicaAMF (then known as Ben Goldsmith & Associates), which continued production and introduced modern electronic scoring displays while preserving the classic feel.

• In 2016, Skee-Ball was acquired by Bay Tek Games, a major manufacturer of redemption games, who modernized the classic wood-and-plastic alleys with LED lighting, digital displays, and multi-player cabinet setups.

Today, Skee-Ball survives both as a nostalgic arcade staple and as a trendy bar-cade favorite for adults, keeping its century-old rolling tradition alive.

In Mango-Market Fantasy football news, Z_NEU_X has moved to the top of the standings. He is actually tied with Cazz-Luv at 3 wins and 1 loss, but NEU takes 1st place by virtue of scoring the most points in the league.

In fact, I have started to feel like his personal ATM machine by handing this manager Rowdi_Designs' 2k prize almost every week! I looked over NEU's line-up for the secret sauce and noticed a few things. NEU has Jahmyr Gibbs in his starting lineup, and this RB consistently puts up 30-point games like it is nothing special.

The Carolina Panthers have also had a hot start on offense, and NEU used QB Bryce Young in these games as well. Adding WR Deebo Samuel into the mix was also smart, as he's had two consecutive 15-point games.

It is still early in the season, and it is important to realize fantasy football is more of a marathon than a sprint. Yet I was a bit surprised to see some rookie managers not actually managing their teams by using bench players to replace injured players or those on bye weeks. I hate seeing any "zombie teams" in our league...but the best predictor of future behavior is usually past behavior. Prove me wrong, guys -- there is 100k worth of prizes on the table!

Thunderstruck by AC/DC