WELCOME FROM THE PRESIDENT An exciting new era in Miniature goods and making identical replicas work towards Football has just begun! of their favorite players down to the p r e s e r v a t i o n I am happy to announce the smallest details. The timing is finally of Miniature official organization of the Miniature right for the Miniature Football Coach Football history Football Coaches Association and Hobbyist to come together under and creation of (The MFCA). one banner, the MFCA. the Miniature Football Hall of Fame. The idea of an association has The MFCA represents all the All these things can be done been around since Miggle created the history as well as the advancements in individually. Many have attempted it first online electric football message the hobby including debated items such but there is strength in numbers. An board years ago. One by one, each as boiled bases, weighted figures, types association such as the MFCA needs of us found one another through the of rules and figure size. The MFCA to be there financially and physically to message board and shared the stories recognizes all of them as being integral support the large effort that it will take that we all know so well. Stories of parts of Miniature Football. to accomplish the many goals that the how we played as kids, maybe put the So what are the goals of the MFCA has set for itself. game aside through our teens and then MFCA and what does it hope to bring Ultimately, this is your suddenly rediscovered it years later and to the Miniature Football game table? Association and the people you elect to found that we were not alone. My first answer is unity. A serve as your representatives must carry As time went by we got to know chance for all of us to say that no the shield forward and carry out the each other online and through various matter what style of play we choose wishes of the MFCA membership. The league and national tournaments. It or how detailed our teams and fields goals that we see as important now will became obvious that there was interest are or what differences we have as change as the Association does. It will in a nationally organized association individuals, we can say that we are part take the involvement and dedication of but in our newness there was little of a grander scheme which is dedicated the Miniature Football community to opportunity to start something of this to supporting the coaches and leagues make this effort a success. scope. that make up Miniature Football. As interim president of the Here we are today, with The second part to my answer MFCA, I look forward to the challenge thousands of electric football games would be that as an association, we of creating and developing what I see sold across the world, hundred’s can better provide education to the as an important step in the growth and of solitaire, city, state and national public, promote greater opportunities preservation of the Miniature Football coaches and hobbyists in every corner for promoting the hobby and establish hobby. of the country. A number of companies friendly and competitive competitions are creating everything from custom based around creativity and specific Lynn Schmidt, MFCA President stadiums to face masks. Creative skills. hobbyists are taking the manufacturers Lastly, the MFCA will The Tweak is your magazine! We are currently looking for stories, articles, league news and any ideas for the Fall 2007 issue. If you would like to join our staff of writers or if you have something you would like to see in the next issue, please call editor Matthew Culp at 574-722-1204 or e-mail: [email protected]. Any and all suggestions are welcome ! The Tweak Fall edition ad submission deadline is August 1, 2007 2 SUMMER 2007 THE TWEAK THE TWEAK OFFICIAL MAGAZINE O F THE Table of Contents MFCA Summer 2007 Issue One Editor and Publishing Director 2 Welcome From The President by Lynn Schmidt Matt Culp 4 Letters from the Editors by Matt Culp and Al Dunham Assistant Editor Father of the Fab 5 by Ray Fanara Al Dunham 5 6 The Dirty Dozen compiled by Al Dunham Contributing Writers Jimbo Dunagen 10 Interrogations by Al Dunham Norbert Revels 12 The Kid Inside All Of Us Lives On by Matt Culp Kelvin Lomax Ray Fanara 13 Solo Mio by Al Dunham Design and Graphic Artist 14 The National League Directory compiled by Matt Culp Lynn Schmidt 18 Miniature Arena Football by Jimbo Dunagan Cover Photo 20 Tweaking Clinic 911 by Norbert Revels Custom figures by Mike Guttmann X’s and O’s by Kelvin Lomax Photo by Lynn Schmidt 22 25 Product Review by Al Dunham MFCA Startup Committee Lynn Schmidt, President 26 Off The Bench Will Travers, Vice President Mike Guttmann, Treasurer John Merida, Assistant Treasurer Al Dunham Andre Cognell Bryan Nutt Corey Johnson Jamal Lockhart John Oubre Matt Culp Steve Martin Photographers Lynn Schmidt Editorial Advisor Caryn Day Subscriptions www.miniaturefootball.org Customer Service Call 816-891-0802 The MFCA is a not-for-profit organization the purpose of which is to promote the hobby of miniature football and to encourage participation of coaches across the country. The To Join the MFCA MFCA shall not be responsible for or in any way liable for the content of images, articles www.miniaturefootball.org or any other information furnished by its advertisers. Said liability to include defamation in any form, copyright, trademark or patent infringement, license violations or other legal theories. THE TWEAK SUMMER 2007 3 Letters from the Editors take all of us to make it an overwhelming I remember it now, that’s where all the success. If anyone would like to join our guys run around in little circles, right?” staff of writers to write articles for future And so it is, we have entered the dark issues, please do not be shy. Contact us side of the hobby. We spend the next few we would love to have you as a part of our minutes trying to reeducate them, but team and…long live miniature football!! deep inside they are still thinking ‘little circles’. When the founding members of the MFCA were looking for a name, we wanted to use electric football. Because of its trademark, it was decided to go a different direction. It became apparent by Matthew Culp that we needed to find something else that would be instantly identifiable with It is with the greatest excitement and players moving on a vibrating field. joy that I say greetings to all miniature No matter how hard we tried, nothing football coaches from around the measured up to electric football. We country. This first issue of The Tweak is finally decided on miniature football. It the beginning of a new era in the history is as close as we’re going to get. But you of our hobby and I would like to give know, the more I thought about it, the more everyone my thanks and gratitude for I liked it. In fact, I think I actually prefer their support of the Miniature Football it to electric football. Why? For one, it Coaches Association. This newsletter is by Al Dunham isn’t a phrase owned by anyone. It stands alone, proud and tall. It encompasses going to by our vehicle to making our lectric football. You say the phrase and E everything that our hobby has come to be. hobby much more than it has ever been. instantly you think of a vibrating board with Big boards, little boards, custom or stock I would like to let the entire miniature little plastic players moving around. It’s the players, stadiums, it covers them all. football community know that myself essence of our hobby.It is our hobby. It is And secondly, it carries no stigma with and the entire startup committee is what we have been playing for the last 20, it. When you mention miniature football committed to making this organization 30, 40, and for some, 50 years or more. to a stranger, they’re not sure what it is a success, but more important…we are The phrase has become so that you’re talking about. Now you have committed to serving you. One goal of ingrained with this hobby, that it has the chance to educate them about how the the newsletter is to help coaches reach joined other words that have transcended hobby has changed and evolved. You can out to newcomers and give them the their product, and simply represent explain that it is different than when they everything that has to do with what they resources and information to help leagues were young. The figures don’t just spin in are. Words like Coke. How many of us go expand with more coaches. The league circles, you have control over them. You into a restaurant and just order a Coke? It directory in this issue is meant for the coach them to run plays, or to play gaps doesn’t mean that we want a Coca Cola sole purpose of getting people in contact on defense. You have the chance to show Coke. No, we just want a cola flavored with each other, especially potential new them that miniature football is just that, beverage, but instead we say Coke, because coaches. It is our goal, in the MFCA, to football played in miniature. it has become synonymous with any cola go to events outside miniature football I ask you all, now, to take that flavored soft drink.