The Ocho on ESPN2 this Friday, Aug. 6, will also feature the Stern Heads-Up Pinball Invitational at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time. Other events scheduled to air on The Ocho this Friday include: The World Championship Rototiller Races, the 2021 Corgi Races at Emerald Downs and the 2021 U.S. Air Guitar Championships. Let’s not forget about the 2020 USA Mullet Championships – a true American pastime!
Author: Matt Harding
TikTok has quickly become the biggest thing in social media, but you certainly can’t take everything said there for truth. One viral claim recently suggested that comedian Dave Chappelle and rapper Busta Rhymes were the namesakes behind Dave & Buster’s. Snopes dismissed the claim, humorously saying “Dave Chappelle and Busta Rhymes may or may not have stepped inside a Dave & Buster’s before, at which point someone may have inevitably made this rather weak joke.” They also corrected the claim, noting that the chain was indeed founded by duo David Corriveau and James “Buster” Corley.
Deadline has reported that a movie based on the true story of writer and pinball wizard Roger Sharpe is in the works. Called Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game, Joel Courtney and Crystal Reed have signed on to star in the film. The dramatic comedy will be produced by MPI Original Films and chronicles Sharpe’s journey to overturn New York City’s 35-year ban on pinball. Roger Sharpe and Nick Reid are on board as executive producers; Austin and Meredith Bragg wrote and will direct; and Stacey Parks, Lana Link and Rob Pfaltzgraff will produce. The film goes into production…
Grand Station Entertainment, located in College Station, Texas, recently hosted a group from Avocation Therapy, a business offering home and community based recreational therapy. The bowling center accommodated the group by opening earlier, lowering the music and adjusting the lighting, reported KXXV. Alex Chizum, who has autism, was among those in attendance. He’s on the Special Olympics bowling team. “If you notice, he has his headphones on because he doesn’t like a lot of noise,” said Alex’s mother Veronica Chizum. “He’s a little extra sensitive to everything around him.” “Anything can be adaptive,” said Fiona Allen, the recreational therapist at…
AMI’s latest contest features the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The giveaway, open through Aug. 11 via the AMI Music app or on any participating AMI jukebox, includes two versions of the new box set ARETHA, along with a limited-edition print. The company says the new career-spanning box set is available in a 4-CD and digital collection featuring 81 tracks, including 19 previously unreleased alternate versions, demos, rarities and live performances, and a 2-LP highlights version. Music lovers are encouraged to check out a special playlist featuring Aretha Franklin that’s available for a limited time. Learn more at www.amientertainment.com.
Downtown Corbin, Kentucky is now home to The Pinball Museum of Corbin, which opened Aug. 1 at 1 p.m. with a grand opening ceremony. According to the Times-Tribune, Jim Bruso, the owner of Sweeties Ice Cream and Game King, opened the museum, which has a $15 admission charge for adults – no quarters necessary, since the games are set to free play. The museum features a range of old pinball machines and even a few new ones. All day, come and go passes are available for $20. Learn more on their Facebook page.
The latest resource from Party Center Software is their Arcade Profitability Toolkit, which promises to teach you about adding or upgrading an arcade to boost profits at your family entertainment center. Click here to download the free guide. In collaboration with Dave Wallace of Turfway Entertainment Management Group, the arcade profitability toolkit goes over tips for boosting profits via customer service, guest experience, operational standards and more. It also details how to determine potential arcade revenue based on square footage or the number of games needed to reach your revenue goals. Learn more at www.partycentersoftware.com.
AAMA members may now register for the Sept. 21-22 Annual Meeting in Lombard, Illinois. Each AAMA member company receives two complimentary badges, which allows access to all events. Full details are available on the association’s website, but additional badges will be invoiced at a rate of $200 per badge. Contact Tina Schwartz ([email protected]) about becoming a member. Click here to get the special $149 room rate for the host hotel. Click here to register, call the association at 847-290-9088 or email [email protected].
Gov. Phil Murphy recently strongly recommended that vaccinated and unvaccinated residents wear masks indoors when there is increased risk, a guidance in line with the Centers for Disease Control. As Covid cases rise in parts of the country, many areas are adopting the rules. Such situations of “increased risk” include: crowded indoor settings, indoor settings involving those who many not be vaccinated and where individuals are immunocompromised. “Our metrics are trending in the wrong direction, and new data suggests the Delta variant is more transmissible even among vaccinated individuals, which is why we are making this strong recommendation,” the governor…
Jerry Greenspan, whose family has operated boardwalk arcades in Ocean City, Maryland since 1970, recently upgraded the arcades with a hybrid cashless technology system from Intercard. According to the company, the installs were done at Sportland with its more than 200 video and redemption games and at nearby Fun City with its 140. Customers can now pay with cash or credit. Cash customers are still 40% of Greenspan’s business, he reports, so it was important that the option was available. “Not everybody uses credit cards, especially impulse players who are walking on the boardwalk and just want to play the…