Author: skquinn

It’s now July, and not a whole lot has changed. Arcades have re-opened at reduced capacity, bars were open for a while but have since been ordered to close again. Perhaps most importantly, the IFPA has not reinstated endorsement of tournament and league play, and has started up something else called the IFPA Challenge Rankings to fill in the void. That we have been without IFPA-endorsed tournaments for this long and that the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be nowhere near over both suggest we could be in for a rather long wait for competitive pinball in general to return to normality, let alone for BCPL to finally officially launch.

At minimum, I’m waiting for arcades and bars to return to operating at 100% capacity. Meanwhile, with the downtime, I have been working on the league’s rulebook, which I will finalize and put online at least a couple of weeks before our first tournaments and/or league nights.

But for now, we wait. Hopefully, not for terribly long.

Shawn K. Quinn
Founding Commissioner, Bayou City Pinball League

Hello fellow Houston pinball players,

Since my previous announcement, further emergency measures have been enacted to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Most notably, here in Houston/Harris County, restaurants have been ordered to shut down their dining rooms and only serve food to-go (or deliver) and bars and nightclubs have shut down. It is reasonable to expect locations likely to have pinball machines not falling in those categories to follow suit.

I do still plan to go ahead with our first tournament when the crisis has passed; I’m just not sure when that will be. Any announced date should be treated as tentative, though I will endeavor to announce any necessary rescheduling at least 48 hours out.

Future updates will be posted here as they become available.

Shawn K. Quinn
Founding Commissioner, Bayou City Pinball League

Due to the growing uncertainty regarding medical issues, the cancellations of large-scale events here and elsewhere in the state, and other miscellaneous non-medical issues, I have decided to postpone our first tournament(s) until at least early May. The safety of our players comes first.

More details will be announced here as they become available.

Today, Monday, 2020 February 17, the Bayou City Pinball League has commenced operations. Tournament and league start dates will be announced soon. Expect the first tournament in early April with a weekly league to follow later that month.

Shawn K. Quinn
Founding Commissioner, Bayou City Pinball League