March 2005: Todd Loffredo Named as Newest Hall of Famer

Rule Change Opens The Door For Newest Hall of Famer

Nineteen time World Champion Todd Loffredo became the latest legendary name to be added to the prestigious list of Table Soccer Hall of Famers in a ceremony held at the season-opening International Championship event in Las Vegas. Due to a recent rule change allowing active players with more than fifteen years of pro tour play to be eligible for induction, Loffredo, in his first year of eligibility, came out on top of the Hall of Fame Commitee voting by the widest margin ever, earning eighty percent of the first place votes on his way to an overwhelming win over runner-up Cindy Head.

In a vote of the Veteran's Commitee, German star Dieter Thiele was also announced as 2005 inductee. Thiele was unable to attend but will be recognized in a ceremony at this year's World Championships in Dallas.

Generally recognized as the greatest player in the history of American foosball, Todd Loffredo has earned more than seventy major titles during the course of his nearly three-decade-long career. Still considered one of the sports best, Todd has teamed with partner Frederic Collignon to win six of the last seven world doubles titles. Since 1990 Loffredo has won an amazing ten of the fifteen World Open Doubles Championships that have been held,playing with three different partners, Gus Trevino (1990, '92), Scotty Wydman (1994, '95), and of course Collignon (1998-'02, 2004).

Todd burst onto the scene back in 1977 when he and partner Gil Jackson shocked the foosball world by winning the World Open Doubles Championship in St. Louis on the Tournament Soccer table. Since then Todd has become a true table soccer icon, using his unparalleled skills to claim victories in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, while playing both positions. His legendary pull-shot and remarkable all around table sense, along with an uncanny ability to make the right play at the right time, have earned Loffredo the reputation of being perhaps the most intimidting player in the history of the sport.

"He is fearless", said one long time Loffredo opponent. "The guy was born to play foosball!" Although he held the title as the game's top forward for many years, Loffredo, now 44 years old, has evolved into one of the sport's most effective goalies, earning a total of ten major titles since becoming Collignon's regular partner in 1998.

In his acceptance speech, Todd thanked several of the individuals who had helped him early in his career, including Hall of Famer Mike Bowers who was in attendance at the historic ceremony. Another longtime Loffredo opponent (and partner) Steve Murray, a 2002 inductee, was also in the crowd, after having flown in that afternoon just to see Loffredo inducted. "It's about time!", declared Murray. "It's not a true Hall of Fame without him!"

The new rule changes open the door for other hugely successful active players to be considered for induction in the next few years. Names like Head, Spear and Moore will certainly receive plenty of voter attention in coming elections. But for this weekend in March, and for the year 2005, the title of Hall of Famer deservingly goes to perhaps the greatest table soccer player ever, "the guy who was born to play foosball", Todd Loffredo.