TAMPA, Fla. — If there’s a Pop-A-Shot machine nearby, odds are Nick DeMarinis already holds the high score.
“I don’t think there’s any machine where I haven’t broken the high score,” DeMarinis says with a grin. A former high school basketball player at Tampa’s Jesuit High School, DeMarinis never thought those hours in the gym would one day lead to Pop-A-Shot stardom. But that’s exactly where his journey has taken him.
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DeMarinis, 42, says his Pop-A-Shot career gained serious momentum when he lived in New York City.
"In my mid-20’s I was living in Brooklyn, and there was a bar there. If you got over 100 points, you got a free beer ticket," Nick recalled. "I drank there for free for like four months before they caught on."
A phone call from his sister convinced Nick to enter a qualifying competition in San Antonio, TX. The tip paid off, and DeMarinis won the tournament. Now, he's one of eight shooters heading to Orlando to compete for a national championship as part of this week's "ESPN: The Ocho." It's a small-scale, Olympic-style festival that features sports like outhouse racing, soap hockey, and of course Pop-A-Shot.
“We know this is hilarious," DeMarinis said when addressing the fact that a group of middle-aged men will be competing for a championship centered around arcade basketball. But it's still competition, and there can only be one winner. "We get it. Although we see this as being a lot of fun, we’re all taking it very serious."
There is one member of Tampa Bay sports royalty in this year's field. Former Buccaneers quarterback and Super Bowl XXXVII champion Brad Johnson will also be competing for Pop-A-Shot immortality.
"The ultimate goal is that myself, not Brad, is going to be the hometown hero bringing the hardware back to Tampa Bay," DeMarinis laughed.
The tournament starts with each player completing an individual round to determine seeding. Then the game returns to the traditional, side-by-side format. DeMarinis says one of the most important things is to block out the person playing next to you and focus on your own hoop.
"It’s really important just to stay focused. Eyes on the rim. Peripheral vision on the balls coming down for collection," he explained. "As much volume as possible. As much accuracy as possible."
Just like all championship-caliber athletes, DeMarinis says visualizing success is critical.
"My vision is that championship round is against Josh Caputo, who is the reigning national Pop-A-Shot champion," he said while sinking hoops during a practice session. "I mean, how sweet would it be if you actually got to take down the previous year’s champion? I’ve thought about this a few times, if you haven’t noticed [haha]."
Nick's seven-year-old twin boys, Max and Luca, will be in Orlando to cheer on their dad- even though he admits they just want to see themselves on TV. But DeMarinis wants to show his kids that you can be a fierce competitor while having fun at the same time.
"No matter how old I get, I’m always looking to have fun, always looking to compete. Not taking life too serious," he added with a smile. "My goal is that [my kids] never, ever beat me in a game of Pop-A-Shot, but we’re gonna have a lot of fun along the way."
The Pop-A-Shot national championship gets underway Friday at 9 p.m. on ESPN 2.
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