Everytime I see Steve's name as the topic, I know it will be an entertaining thread.

Apparently so

I was hoping during his absence that he'd matured a bit and developed a bit of self reflection on how he comes off to other people.

Guess I was wrong.

Steve kind of reminds me of another guy that unfairly gets a curmudgeon reputation.... Tim Arnold of the Pinball Hall of Fame.

The truth is they're both invaluable assets to the pinball community who simply do things their way and refuse to suffer fools.

If you call Steve prepared and know exactly what you want, he'll go out of his way to be friendly and helpful. If you go to PHOF and are respectful, don't swear or let your kids run around unsupervised, Tim will be your best friend.

However, if you drone on and on about the first pin you ever played, you'll be shut down rather quickly.

Both are great guys.