The evolution of play at the Triggit offices has been awesome, and it revolves totally around free.    It started when a dowel we cut for a closet was too short and became a baseball bat.   Back then it was just Bobby, Zach and I  calling ad buyers all day, the day would be broken up with games of intricate and complicated games of baseball in our back parking garage.   The balls were all the squeezy foam type that are used as swag at conferences.  The really goods once were not too firm, but not too soft.  One point if you got it past the pitcher, two if you wacked it over the line and three for a home run that hit the back wall.   One pitcher, one batter, one person who generally just stood around,and pretended to field, because the real outfielder was Jackson (office dog).   We even created a target on garage wall  after we got into one to many arguments about what qualified as the strike zone.    Our office is on the ground floor of a luxury condominium building, and the car parked at the end of our batting range was a Maserati.   Needless to say we only lasted about two months before its owner came home from Europe and we were  told to move our games elsewhere.    For a while we shifted to the outdoor courtyard, if you hit it over the far wall onto the roof of the neighboring office building you were automatically out.  Hit the otherside of the building was a homerun, but whack a window and we all had to make a run for it.  Zach once climbed onto the neighbor roof  and came back with a dozen we thought we had lost.

When Ryan moved into the office he wasn’t super keen on the outdoor sports, so we picked up a free air hockey table on Craigslist.   It was obnoxiously loud, and only two people could play.  If you missed the puck you were liable to bruise your fingers, but if you hit the puck at just the right angle, you could sneak shots in all day long.  We mastered it within about a month, and after that it sat idle until Zach and Bobby decided to have a contest to see who could sell it for the most money.    Zach won by discounting it to the first buyer.

Proceeds were used to buy an old Harvard Foosball table, the perfect game for an office of 4.    We played our hearts out on that table. Ryan came out of his shell and emerged as the wittiest of us all, Zach started to be nicer when he realized it would only amp Bobby and me up and make us play better.    We laughed, we fought, and then we played some good foosers and realized how shitty we (and our table) were.   Ray, saved us and let us steal a Tornado table from the Yahoo offices.  We sold the old table for twice what we paid.   Over the last year, Zach has mastered the Snake, Bobby has stopped making Bobby goals, and Ryan has a wicked R-Force.   We eventually bought gribs, learned to scuff the ball and lubricate the table.   Although we’ve tried many times to change the teams, they end up always being the same.   Me and Bobby vs. Zach and Ryan.   Zach and Ryan used to win the majority of games, but lately we’ve been making a strong showing.    All of this has led to the evolution of the $5 game.   One game a day, its for $5.  Money is on the table immediately after lose.   Right now Bobby and I are down $15.   It’s only a little bit competitive.

All of our games have constantly reiterated the importance of play in the development of Triggit, and our growth as a team.   When we are angry, we take it to the table.  When we are celebrating, we play a game for fun.    When we just need a break, the competitiveness of our games demand your full attention.   We don’t take fancy retreats, and although great friends we really don’t hang out that much on the weekends, but we do play some foosball. And over that table, through play, we have created a foundation that won’t crack.