For those couch potatoes who had only a vague idea of what foosball was and never felt compelled to try it, hit show Friends was a good introduction to the game. The foosball/soccer pool table was a prized fixture in Joey’s and Chandler’s apartment, and two had many shared memories around it.
Foosball has become a popular addition to recreational areas in workplaces, notably in Silicon Valley companies. A lot of bonding, sharing and team play can happen around this table, which Friends made quite evident in a couple of episodes during its 10-year run. In fact, so attached Joey was to their foosball table that he became depressed after he broke it upon losing a match to Chandler. And to cheer him up, Chandler bought a new one and made Joey believe that the table had fixed itself!
In the cult but short-lived show Community, foosball was at the center of an episode (Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism) celebrating forgiveness, competition and skill. Jeff cannot stand Garrett being bullied by three German exchange students for his poor foosball skills. He confronts them but fails to score, earning their scorn. We later learn that Jeff gave up playing foosball as a child because he was bullied just like Garrett. He enlists Shirley’s help to improve his game and beat the Germans. Shirley is a natural at it, and over some pouring of hearts, it is revealed that she was the kid who bulled Jeff! Naturally, Jeff is enraged and calls Shirley a fraud. She defends her actions as a child, saying that foosball was an outlet for all the rage she had built-up at the time. But friends as they are, the two team up to clash with the Germans, and leave the game midway hand-in-hand, indicating that they have made peace with their past experience with each other.
Did you know that David Beckham has some mad foosball skills along with the obvious bucketloads of football talent? The hot player showed off an epic foosball move while shooting for an Adidas ad in Los Angeles. You can check out Becks at the soccer pool table here.
