The foosball championship went practically ignored in the Eastern Illinois University Recreation Center Monday night.

There wasn’t even a referee to make sure the action stayed sportsman like.

It was a game that depended on hand eye coordination instead of athletic skill but to the athletes participating it was completely serious. The intense concentration on their faces rivaled that of a world-series game.

The only outburst came from someone passing by the table.

“Durkin, I hope you lose so bad!” Without looking up from the game Tom Durkin replied, “Shane, go to hell,” before winning the semi-championship game.

The final wrist flick by the team of Tom Durkin and Mike Byrne was the play of the game and resulted in the championship win.

“I’ve been playing a couple of years,” said Scott Esker, a middle level education major. “We have a foosball table at home and thought we had a chance.”

It turns out Esker did have a chance, he and his brother Brent made it all the way to the championship, only to be defeated by the powerhouse team of Tom Durkin and Mike Byrne by a score of 10-4 and 10-3.

“We play all the time at the bars,” said Durkin after his win.

“We didn’t want the frats to get the points,” said Byrne. “And we wanted the shirts.”

Durkin and Byrne will be awarded their championship T-shirts at a later date.

The team didn’t have a strategy, besides rolling over their opponents.

“Our strategy? Total domination,” said Byrne.

Brent Esker and Scott Esker defeated Theran Hitchens and Kyle Kuzmich in the first round. 10-7, 10-4.

Rodney Monbrum and Paul Laubershimer fell to Tom Durkin and Mike Byrne in the first round. 10-2, 10-6.\

The women’s championship was decided by one game. Kristina Boron and Brittany Mroz defetted Glorivette Algeria and Ashley Bedinger 10-3.