Why G.O.A.T Talk Kills Landscape

Goats are animals notorious for destroying fencing, grass, plants, and other landscape. While goats have their place in producing dairy, meat, packing, shrub control, and companionship, they sometimes create more annoyance and destruction than the purpose they serve.  I feel the same way with G O.A.T. discussions, Mount Rushmore of you name it, or top whatever lists.  

I spent the majority of the afternoon and evening watching Tundra Bowl X, the new national championship of Tecmo Super Bowl. Being three years removed from playing any game of Tecmo, it was nice to watch competitive games again, seeing some familiar faces, and seeing new competitors emerging from the tournament.  I got to see the camaraderie I once cherished through the player camera, along with the talk and pictures in Discord.  It warmed my heart, brought a smile to my face, and even got me thinking about playing again.  I even made a promise to my old friend regulator088 that I would attend next year's Tundra Bowl if he was able to win the tournament.  As the tournament played out though I was quickly reminded as to why I quit playing competitively in the first place.

Part of the reason I withdrew from playing competitive Tecmo was what I like to call the "commercialization" of Tecmo.  Around the time of the final Madison Tournament under the Holzbauers' leadership, there was a change in the way these tournaments were perceived.  ESPN played a major role in blowing up the exposure of these tournaments.  Personally speaking, I believe that led to unnecessary issues in covering and broadcasting these tournaments which only turned-off people who came for nostalgic experiences with like-minded people.  The fun atmosphere became more intense and the pressure to perform changed.  It became more about how many states could represent the tournaments, how many years the tournament could survive, come to this tournament rather than that tournament, and who is better than who.  Before this exposure, it was about leaving your family for a weekend, meeting up at a reunion of sorts, showing people what you could do in a game we all played as youngsters, and reminiscing about failed games and situations from past experiences.  While some of that still remains, the commercialized parts feel to be more ingrained in the landscape.

While I was watching yesterday I saw flashes of the old mixed with this commercialization.  The biggest turn-off for me was the back and forth in the Twitch chat and the talk about legacy from the announcers on the broadcast.  To be clear, the announcers did a great job calling the games and added to the viewing experience in a positive way.  The tournament also appears to encompass those old experiences of Tecmo too.  So I am not bashing individuals or tournament directors (in fact I know most of those guys and they are amazing people).  I am more bashing the societal change that has brought on this commercialization of the past-time I once cherished.

Here is the problem with all the water cooler talk:  it negates more than it assists.  Just like the Jordan vs. LeBron debates it only divides fan bases and takes away appreciation of player contributions to the respective sport.  As a society we tend to say things and act upon things in biased ways to be "right".  I saw a great deal of back and forth between new players and old players in the Twitch chat during the broadcast.  It also didn't help when announcers were adding fuel to the fire.  If anyone is able to take constructive criticism anymore I would like to see less talk about who is better than who and more discussion about what players are doing THEMSELVES to make Tecmo enjoyable to watch.

You cannot have G.O.A.T. discussions period.  Reason being is when you say ALL TIME you then have to mix players from from different eras.  You simply cannot do that.  Here is why:  DPS obviously is one of the best Tecmo players around.  No question.  That was evident by the way he played yesterday and apparently by him winning tournaments over the last year or so (sorry I don't keep up as much anymore to have the specific examples).  The problem with comparing people who play Tecmo now versus people who played before is that playing Tecmo is not the same.  The easiest way to say this is that there is no DPS, if Gats doesn't win three Madison tournaments in a row.  There's no Gats training and proving to dominate Tecmo if there is no Chet-Regulator rivalry.  There would have been no rivalry if people like Regulator did not discover online Tecmo, learn from the Repository and receive game knowledge from the likes of brudogg.

You just don't know and will never know what it would be like to take 2023 DPS and have him play 2008-2012 Chet, 2011-2015 regulator088, or 2016-2018 joeygats.  So to hear announcers and chat talking about G.O.A.T. is really just fantasy.  Here's why:  

No one could plan for Chet because he only played console.  You rarely could test your experience with him, and when you did it was when it counted only.  You couldn't scout him on streams, you couldn't design matchup traps against him, until regulator088, you couldn't outtap him.  Out of every player I have ever played more than one-time, Chet is the only player I never beat.

2011-2015 regulator088 was in every final four.  I mean like every tournament.  Most of those tournaments he was in the title game, and with the exception of Chet the first couple times,  he was winning them.  During regulator088's rise people feared him.  I mean elite level players would openly say things like well I only have a chance if Tecmo helps me.  Regulator088 had the best natural, raw, unprepared controller talent of any player that ever played Tecmo.  What I mean by that is when he first started playing he didn't have to train or learn to be good at jukes, tapping, pass progressions, etc. he was naturally good and didn't need to learn "new techniques ".  That's not to say he didn't prepare or enhance these abilities as time progressed.  Finally, let's talk about how many online titles regulator088 had in the early days and how many live titles he could have had if he didn't have one too many.  To think back on this is incredible.

Joeygats is arguably the biggest name in Tecmo for two reasons.  One, I bet there is no single human that has played more games of Tecmo Super Bowl in their lifetime.  For all the new guys clamoring about how the new era would dominate older era players, oh how I wish they could have participated in the old Tecmo Player's Circuit.  When playing as Player 2 wasn't knowledge and you learned by taking your lumps.  Joeygats delivered those lumps more than anyone and in the rate of the tens of thousands types of doses.  When I say tens of thousands that's not hyperbole.  So when someone says he doesn't need reps, I personally feel that is ignorant.  Joey's career has been nothing but reps.  Just like these new era players Joey trained and got better.  He was at two Madison tournaments where he was bounced in the round of 64 and round of 32. The following years joeygats trained, dedicated is whole purpose to being the best and then did the unthinkable of three straight Madison championships.

The bracket at Madison was a grind.  To say that big tournaments between 144-300 people are watered down is a very naive statement.  Yes, there were players that got throttled in pool play, but after the 2011 Madison tournament the pool play got better every single year.  Big name players lost in pool play and every year a top seed player failed to make the elimination bracket.  That statement alone caused me to write this post.  As time goes on I think people tend to forget the details and the magnitude of things: recency bias if you want to call it that.

So back to this comparing eras thing.  History would tell you that DPS would not have had slide tap in 2011, and according to the announcers last night tapping matters. DPS also wouldn't have had years of tutoring with Mort, personal experiences losing with certain matchup calls in tournament play, less opportunity to play live tournaments back then, few to no streams to scout and plan for trap calls and matchups against certian players, etc.  Here's another ridiculous example:  I am 2-0 against DPS in tournament play.  When I played him I was definitely not in my prime, had not played consistently for about a year and a half, and did not get to call either matchup (I was player 2 both games).  To say DPS was a better player than even someone like me in 2018 would be silly, and to say I would beat DPS right now is even down right stupid.  Let's look at the same things that made the aforementioned players great.

DPS outapped regulator088 in every isolation, but one time last night.  That's the same regulator088 I talked about before, but the era and style of play has changed.  The regulator088 of 2011-2015 is not the same as the regulator088 in 2023.  Many of his abilities are still in tact (I think his decision-making abilities have declined), but the landscape around him is different.  He even said it himself.  There used to be a time when absolutely no one could outtap regulator088, like ever.  Now if DPS is playing 2012 Chet, 2015 regulator088, or 2018 joeygats with the knowledge/skill that he's acquired now that completely changes things.

There's a different strategy now.  DPS appears to be a master of that.  To think if he is always winning tosses and cannot use the same matchups, yet he still has a way to make you uncomfortable late in a tournament with the teams involved?  Chet could have never done that in 2012 and that would have forced many elite players to change the way they played.  DPS forces regulator088 to completely change his style of play because he is going from winning every tap to winning little to none.  DPS is beating competition now because he is better than everyone and will continue to do so unless a new regulator088, new joeygats, or new DPS shows up.

Since several of the players of the golden era of Tecmo (2010-2016) no longer play, or do not have the desire to relearn new strategies, or have the time to invest to keep up with this "commercialized" water cooler talk debate you are never going to be able to definitively know or be able to even justify who the Tecmo G.O.A.T. is.  What I do hope to see is people acknowledging greatness because the likes of the people mentioned in this post are truly special and they have done so much to contribute to the world of Tecmo.  Would I like to see 2015 tecmopsycho play 2012 Chet?  Would I like to know what 2015 tecmopsycho would have done against 2023 DPS?  I think everyone knows that answer, but unfortunately it will never happen.  Even though Mount Rushmore discussions are just as toxic, I think we should kill the G.O.A.T talk and just settle with all these players are some of the greatest to ever do it and enjoy the game as we have always done before.

I also want to point out that DPS is one of the better humans I have ever met.  He's perfect to be carrying this torch right now.  On par with that his game is an artform and exciting to watch.  Congratulations Daniel!  Love seeing it happen for people like you!

All being said, this post was not me taking a shot at anyone for what was said last night, but a simple reminder that we need to be better in a society that already has its ridiculousness with religion, politics, and hatred.

I miss all of you.  I would love to meet these new guys.  My competitive desire just isn't there (despite getting itchy last night).  Maybe I could still come next year and play D2 😆?

Until next time, 

Long Live Tecmo 

A Tecmo Brother

When people first met red98sethuthut they were always initiated with, "this is Mort's brother."  I remember meeting him for the first time at one of the early Midwest tournaments at Symmes Tavern.  I too, was introduced to him as Mort's brother.  He reminded me a little of myself.  Very quiet early on, soft spoken in conversation, a good listener, and always observant to his surroundings.  As the beer started to flow and games became intense, so did Louis.  

Team MV from Tecmo Team Cup

Tecmo Team Cup at Madison XI

Like myself, he paid his dues online, took his share of Ickey Woods fumbles, and learned the ways of the Force.  He spent a lifetime on the road traveling to in-person console tournaments, gained valuable experience, and bonded with so many like-minded and nostalgic people.  Before long, his learning paid off.  Not only was he a staple at nearly every console tournament, but he became a contender.  He was always in the discussion of who could be there at the end and even won some tournaments too.  When he reached this point, he was no longer Mort's brother.  He was Louis.  

Detroit Tecmo Kumite II

Buffalo Bounty Tournament

I can't imagine how difficult it must have been traveling with his brother and attending these tournaments, especially in the beginning.  Mort is a legend in his own right, with countless tournament wins, an encyclopedia of Tecmo knowledge, and becoming a Tecmo celebrity after the ESPN Films documentary.  I can't speak for Mort, but I am guessing no one was more proud of the player Louis had become than him.  I know Louis took pride on his evolution as a player as well.

Indy Tecmo Tournament

Lou was one of the few that called me Derek at these tournaments and not Psycho or tecmopsycho. He always spoke about life first and Tecmo second.  Just so down to Earth.  

Tecmo Madison XI

My favorite memories of him consist of the deep belly laughs both sober and drunk, his fast incoherent rambling after a big play in a game, the time we battled at the Franchise Bowl in the tap-off competition (when tapping was real tapping and not manipulation), his participation in the greatest online league (Tecmo Team Cup), and the weekend he spent with me and my son in New York City.  I know he hated when I talked about it, but his snoring is the stuff of legend.  

New York City Tecmo

While I don't play anymore and really haven't seen many people in a while, this news hurt.  I know the pain the community feels with this news and especially his brother Mort.  My deepest condolences to the entire family.  Louis became everyone's brother.  A Tecmo brother.  For that I will be forever grateful.

I decided to write this on here to grieve and because Louis once told me how much he enjoyed reading the posts.  All I know is that those who give to the game are rewarded by the Tecmo gods.  Red is tapping from the heavens and laughing his way to victory.  The gods have welcomed him to the Tecmo gates with beers ready to consume.  He's up there having a blast just like he did with us.  Going to miss seeing you Tecmo brother.  You were one of kind my friend.  

Even after we are gone... Long Live Tecmo!

Blono Tecmo XVI

It was Friday and I stayed at school making sub plans and catching up on work while I waited on fatferris61 to meet me to drive to Blono Tecmo XVI.  Mike gets to my school and we headed out making some pretty good time on the drive.  Next thing I know, an Illinois state trooper has his lights on and is behind me.  I immediately pull over which happened to be on an interstate bridge just 25 miles from our hotel destination.  As he approached my glow-in-the dark Honda Civic he asked me why I parked on the bridge.  He also wanted to know if I was trying to get him killed.  I honestly was just trying to pull over.  After about 15 minutes he gave me my citation, which to my surprise, was only $120, and we were headed back on I-74 for some Tecmo scrimmages at the Extended Stay Hotel in Bloomington.

Mike ordered some Pizza from Marco's and we played 13 games until roughly 4 AM.  The rust was real.  My passing progressions were noobish at best.  Defense was lacking.  Hell, I wasn't even tapping well when we first started.  Mike won four of the games and played pretty well.  I definitely had reservations about any high finishes for the tournament.  If there was any consolation, I maintained my sobriety since November 2018.  I was able to get up pretty easily the next morning before heading to The Station for Blono Tecmo XVI because of this.

The Station was a quaint little place, which was perfectly suited for a Tecmo tournament.  For the first time in my three year Blono experience, the tournament was in a public place.  This didn't change the experience as people still enjoyed themselves (maybe in a more responsible fashion).  The tournament kicked off with two more inductees to the Blono Tecmo Hall of Fame.  T-shirt designer and entertainment extraordinaire Jerm Plue, along with multi-Blono champion (and new dad) Kasey Wells was welcomed with nice words from Tim Mann and Hall of Fame plaques.  Rules and expectations were covered and we were off.  

Before my games I was able to catch up with both newly inducted Hall of Famers and an old friend Matt Tarrillion from Perrysburg, MO.  I also caught up with Bryan Furr and quickly realized he was one of my shot mates from last year.  As a police officer I told him my sob story about the speeding ticket.  The Daniels brothers, Donny Ballou, Tim Mote, and the list goes on.  So many people I am glad to see each year.  Such nice guys who are there for the camaraderie as well as the competition.

I opened up group play against Travis Thomas, a newcomer to Tecmo tournaments.  He called PIT vs RAMS.  I went with the scoring.  I tried to explain my history and experience with the game,  but the 45-0 result just made me feel bad.  Next year I propose 28-point max differential per game. Travis, please make it back next year!

Game 2 was against Ken Jenkins, a guy I remember from the past two years, but never talked to.  He won the toss, but deferred and I called PHI vs RAI from the Player 2 side.  This is my go to matchup for racking up differential and it did not disappoint with the score ending at 0-49. Both these guys could have been so pissed, but in true Blono fashion, they were talkative and open to learning new things about the game.

(he exited out before I could get the blue screen picture)

Game 3 was against Jayson "Black" Lynch, former Blono champion.  Jayson was smart and called a trash can matchup of IND vs N.E.  I took the defense.  The game was pretty close in the first half, but Jayson didn't get much Tecmo luck and I capitalized with John Stephens and Marv Cook.  Final score was 3-35.  Jayson is a good guy for Tecmo.

Final game of group was against Pete S. (Pistol Pete).  In providing seeding input for groups before the tournament, I heard nothing but great reviews for Pete.  I ended up placing him as a 1 seed.  I was told that I had grossly misjudged him and we started a CHI vs CIN matchup.  Tomczak decided to be a turd in this one.  He threw four passes out of bounds, including a JJ pick to Barney Bussey who came from out of bounds to do so.  Pete was down 10-7 late in the third, completed a long pass to Rodney Holman, after which I allowed him to score so I could get the ball back to clock control.  Once I switched Neal to RB I basically used the 4th quarter to go up for good 17-14.  Pete was super excited.  Good for him.  I thought he played well and knew what he was doing.  I was fortunate enough to play a really bad game and still get the victory.  While I won my group I lost the number one overall seed by only winning by three.

The number one overall seed was DPS with a 150-something differential, followed by Todd Daniels (147), myself (146), and I believe Mort (133).  Mike won his first three games in group, but because he only had a four person pool he had to play the other top seed Geoff Stork again.  In this game he ended up losing.  Storks edged out Mike in differential to win the group.

For a complete list of group play standings click here.

I awaited a bye round as the elimination bracket kicked off.  Mike won his first round game against Tony Hupp.  I waited the winner of Pistol Pete and Jason Mann.  Pete won and when I won the toss with a Jenny Jizz PAWG for our game I knew I had the perfect matchup.  He just got done playing me in a close game manning CIN.  My favorite team is S.D.  I called it, and as assumed, he took CIN.  My pass progressions came back and Butts was too much for Fulcher and company.  Final score was 42-7.

The next game was the winner of Tim Mann and my buddy Mike.  Mike was able to knock Tim off and now I play someone who practices with me before tournaments.  We know each other's strengths and weaknesses.  We know each others tendencies.  Mike went with a safe call for him (CIN vs K.C.).  Most know, I despise the Chiefs on Tecmo, at least playing with them.  I did pick them with my mind and not my heart.  One, because Mike always plays really well with K.C.  Two, because they are the better team in all three phases.  Last, but not least, Mike knows I play short pass game a lot.  I knew when the time presented itself I could get Paige to win routes, even on Fulcher.   That's what happens.  Paige caught two in-stride TDs with Fulcher covering.  Despite losing three turnovers to Mike's one, I won the game 14-28.

My next game was against Matt Tarrillion from Missouri.  Great Tecmo player and better human being.  This was the guy that beat me in pool play the year I won Madison.  He also gave me a scare one year at Midwest.  I knew this would be a tough one so I called CIN vs MIA.  For once in was glad I had CIN because I knew I would be able to run.  I played damn near perfect.  I was only up 14-7 late in the third, and managed to win 21-7, but the score was close than it indicated.  Matt ran well, but just got behind.  Can't get behind with the Dolphins.  You just can't.

My next game was the winner's bracket championship versus Mort.  I won the toss and here is the game.

After losing to Mort, I had to wait a few games to play DPS.  I know DPS has improved his game by playing every Monday in the DMEN Tap league in Chicago, IL.  I'm so jelly.  I watched him play Mort very closely before I played Mort so I knew I would have to play well to avoid a loss.  Here is the DAL vs. PIT matchup that DPS called.

That was much closer than it needed to be there at the end.  Great job Daniel.  You guys from Chicago really make me want to change my mind about Chicagoan's.  You are all so passionate about the game, but the friendship always comes first.  

In the next two games I would have to beat Mort twice for the title.  Mort won both tosses, but deferred the matchup call to me both times.  Thanks Mort.  It almost worked for me!

Championship Game 1 of 2

Championship Game 2 of 2

Congratulations to Mort on a great run.  While I really wanted to be a two-time Blono champ (and actually get my name on the belt) I have no problem and no excuses losing to Mort the way I did.  I was just glad we put on a good show for the Blono faithful who stayed and cheered us on. 

Here is the final bracket for the whole tournament.

 2nd Place Second Year in a Row

 Tecmo Psycho and the Champ Mort

Tecmo Psycho (2nd Place), DPS (3rd Place, and Mort (1st Place)

Tim, Chris, and Mike P., you guys improve this thing every year.  You also do it without the lure of cash prizes, publicity, or recognition.  It is a true grass roots Tecmo the way it should be, and that's why this guy is coming back every year.  Don't change.  There's a reason this is the longest Tecmo tournament in the country, and will continue to be.

Mike and I stayed after.  Mike played some pick-up games with Matt Tarrillion while I scarfed down a mound, and I do mean a mound of beef, Fritos, Flamin Hot Cheetos, white queso, and cheddar cheese.  My God was that heavenly. I cannot believe I didn't take a picture of this.  Well wait, yeah I just inhaled it without thinking, but it would have made an epic picture.

Once I finished eating I helped Black Lynch move all the televisions into storage.  Some of those beasts could cause hernias.  Go with smaller CRTs Tim!  We said our goodbye's and headed back to the hotel.  Mike and I watched some YouTube videos before crashing.  The next morning we packed our stuff and headed to the car.  It was like Christmas morning.  A snowy, winter mix was coming down.  The drive home which normally takes about 2.5 hours (without excessive speeding) took just over 5.5 hours.  There must have been somewhere between 50-75 slide-offs, flipped trucks, and semi trailers.  All in all, I would do it again in a heartbeat.  Can't wait for installment 17!

Until next time,

Long Live Tecmo

All Good Things Must Come to and End

In 2006 I stumbled across the Tecmo Repository and lurked off and on for about two years, not knowing how to play on an emulator.  In early 2010 I sold my original NES console and felt seller's remorse.  I went back to the Tecmo Repository and started to ask questions.  Once school let out in June, I finally got a USB NES controller and tried out the emulator.  Not only did I accomplish my goal of playing updated Tecmo Super Bowl ROMs on the computer, but I also discovered there were online leagues.

I played my very first Tecmo Players Circuit game against timbone666.  He was kind enough to show me the ropes and get me connected. Despite it being a very lop-sided matchup in my favor, I won 28-17 and thought I was King of Tecmo.  I then went 2-12 in my next 14 games.  It wasn't until my first couple of online leagues that I started to learn a great deal about the game and started changing the way I played.  I played in a total of 17 leagues during my online career.  Some of my favorites were HSTL and ATA.

My very first online league was Season 17 of the High Speed Tecmo League (HSTL).  I took over for the Miami Dolphins where Opus decided to leave.  In the 12 games that I played I went 5-7.  I would continue to play HSTL for 9 more seasons. In season 21 I played regulator088 in the HSTL Bowl for my first online title.

Around the end of season 24 things began to get fishy playing online.  People I could out tap with my toes were suddenly beating me when I was trying 100%.  After speaking with 1 of these individuals on a private chat, I found out he was using a "slide" controller.  I did not know what this meant until I searched eBay and found the exact controller this guy used.  I bought this controller for the sole purpose of outing cheaters.  During season 26 I had the ultimate team for my skill set.  I started the season 7-0.  I was confident, barring any bad luck, that I would be playing for my second HSTL title. In the 8th game of the season I got turboed.  Same guy I spoke with in the chat.  During games against suspected turboers, I would set my input 1 controller with my regular NES and my input 2 was the slider controller.  In the last series, right before the half,  I ran 4 straight isolation plays to catch him ( I was getting beat by 2 scores after being tossed for scores).  All 4 isolation plays resulted in me losing isolation grapples in the backfield.  At the half I called him out.  I switched back to my NES controller and finished out the game.  When it was over I messaged the league commissioner.

Eventually these turboers were outed by others and banned for a certain number of seasons.  I immediately quit the season and left HSTL.  This was the first really bad instance where online left a sour taste in my mouth.  I had sat out a season, and when the turboers were gone, I came back to HSTL as the Saints.  A few games into the season the league needed a replacement.  In season 29 I came back as the Colts and had 5 out of 6 winning seasons. Season 32 and season 33 I almost got hit with demerits because of the lack of scheduling with other players.  In season 34 it was impossible to schedule with people and two games into the season I quit HSTL for good.

In the American Tecmo Association (ATA) I played from season 19-29.  I inherited possibly one of the most poorly constructed teams ever in that first season.  My highest HP lineman was 38. My best DB was 38 MS / 44 INT. My best RB was 38 MS.  My best player (which I had to trade for) was Vince Young.  He had and incredible 31 MS, but his PS was 25 and his PC/PA was 44.  I went 0-16.  I received my worst ever MAN vs MAN defeat (63-0).  I toughed it out and promised the league that when I got to draft my own team that things would be different.  The following season I drafted Peyton Hillis and broke, the then, ATA record for Rushing Yards and Rushing TDs.  I did so by leading the Colts to a 12-4 record.  Season 21 was much of the same and the league voted me the Season 21 Coach of the Year. Seasons 22 and 23 I had to combo of Carson Palmer to Wes Welker.  In season 23 I broke the ATA All-Time Passing Yards (5579), the then Passing TDs record, Receiving Yards (4824), and Receiving TDs (46). In season 27 I broke the ATA All-Time Interceptions in a season (26) with Richard Sherman.  In season 28 I broke the ATA All-Time Rushing Yards (3234) with 56 MS Anthony Sherman.  Five of these records still stand. While I shined in statistical categories and made the playoffs 8 of my 11 seasons, I never could get over the hump to win an ATA title due to some bad luck and skilled opponents.

I had several stints in the World Tecmo Federation leagues (WTF, WTFC, and WTFR), but to me they were just too juiced and felt nothing like original ROM.  Great leagues, but the constant planning, trading, and drafting (well into the future) sucked the life out of it for me. Classic Tecmo League (CTL) was much of the same with time consuming number-crunching and having to plan around dollar amounts 3 years in advamce. For Fantasy Football types, this would have been great, but I was here to play Tecmo, not run teams.  I wanted to keep playing online Tecmo because I was getting better and I did enjoy the different variety of opponents that it offered, but I didn't like many of these league formats.

I started to dabble in ROM hacking a couple of years into my online career.  I got to point where I could make my own ROMs pretty easily with the help of people on the forums.  I decided to start my own league called Money in the Bank (MIB).  This league gave owners a certain amount of ratings notches in a team "bank". Player positions had caps and minimums. Owners built their entire team the way they wanted.  Uniform colors, team logos, team names, player names, and the player ratings. I felt like it was uber successful for 4 seasons. It had very little turnover.  I won my second online title in season 2 of MIB with the Naptown Punch (all professional wrestlers on the roster).  I would have kept the league going, but it was tedious to run it.

After MIB, my participation in console tournaments started to increase as I was traveling all around the country to play.  This was also when I slowly withdrew from certain leagues.  After talking with some of my closer friends in Tecmo, I wanted to come up with another league that helped live console players in tournaments which forced you to call the matchup.  This is where Tecmo Team Cup comes in.  Tecmo Team Cup is an online league where groups of owners play as a team to win a championship.  Each week of the season requires members from a team to call matchups. The opponents then select the team they want from the matchup.  Teams are encouraged to choose more lop-sided matchups or matchups that are unconventional.  This would exploit traditional tendencies at tournaments.   These lop-sided matchups receive extra points if you can pull off the upset.  These totals go toward the team's total for the duration of a regular season and playoffs.  This league ran for 4 seasons (each season took about 8 months to complete).  The members of this league started playing much better in live tournaments and I truly believe this played a part in that.

Tecmo Team Cup

In October of 2015 I officially "retired" from online leagues.  I continued to play in Tecmo Team Cup.  Tecmo Team Cup will be ending its 4th season right before Tecmo Madison Return of the Mack.  I have already been eliminated from the playoffs and I will not be returning for a 5th season. If the league wants to continue I will run the league, but I have played my last online league game. There are so many circumstances that have brought me to this decision.

So again, I have had much greater success in person than I ever did online.  I started to question why this was.  I also had people ask me why I played so much better in person, but was just so so online.  I didn't really have an answer for them.  So here are some facts:

In the 17 leagues I played, over the course of seven years, my online league win percentage is .515. If I took out the two leagues that I ran in my online career, then my online league win percentage would have only been .507.  My Tecmo Players Circuit win percentage is .633. My live console scrimmages record (yes I keep track) is .685.  My live console tournament record is .750.  Now I know there are several circumstances that would cause SOME discrepancies in these numbers.  For instance, The TPC record is considerably higher than the league record.  Maybe this is because TPC, for the most part, is only original ROM.

Most online leagues allow the owner of a team to switch the defensive position of players.  This completely changes the original game.  Players are not forced to play "tougher" positions with better players.  Online players can then cater to their strengths by altering the game play.  I grew up playing on a console, so for me this is not the same.

The biggest reason why I think playing online and console are so different are the variables. First, as mentioned above, you cannot control what your opponent is doing behind a screen. Are they checking the condition of the defense with a conditions checker?  Are they using a turbo controller? Are the using a regular controller, but running a pencil or ring over the buttons to gain an advantage? Are they dragging the emulator screen to cause a missed field goal? How about the dreded play-picker?  How good is that connection? Does your game stutter?  Do you have controller input delay?  Do not get me started on input delay.  I have seriously tested both Tecmo Super Bowl and Mike Tyson's Punchout side by side on a CRT and a laptop. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME.  I don't care what data you have to tell me otherwise.  I have seen it with my own eyes.  VERY NOTICEABLE difference in the input from controller to screen. Even HDMI Retro consoles like the Retron 5 have this delay.  The only systems I have not had a chance to test are the HDMI Mod Kit from Kevtris / Game Tech U.S. and the AVS from RetroUSB.

I am not here to bash online Tecmo.  Without it I would not be the KNOWLEDGEABLE player I have become.  However, when I go to playing a great deal of online/computer Tecmo and then go to play console, it takes me weeks to adjust on timing mechanisms.  The same is true after long stints playing live.  When I go back to playing on the computer it takes me weeks to adjust back.  I am not getting any younger.  At some point the physical skills are going to deteriorate.  The back and forth is counter-productive to my play.  With this being said, I have and always will, prefer live tournaments to online play.  I like being there with the competitor.  I enjoy the moment and the experiences.  I enjoy sharing those moments with other people in person.  This is why I am deciding that I am no longer playing on a computer.  With the technology of the EverDrive I can still play modded or hacked games on console.  I don't have a need to play online anymore.  I still play the best competition there is at these live tournaments.

In closing, I just want to thank everyone from the online community.  Speical thanks goes out to Gary who gave me the opportunity to host 2 leagues at Tecmo World.  I will still be around and will have my Discord, but just for live tournament news and friendly communication.

Long Live Tecmo

2017 Cincinnati Championships

Last weekend my college friend fatferris61 ended up not being able to make the journey to Bloomington, Illinois for his first Tecmo Super Bowl live tournament experience.  During the week this past week I saw a post about a bar in Harrison, Ohio where the Vogts were planning to attend.  I asked fatferris61 if he would be interested and he sounded like he was so I signed up for the tournament as it was only 40 minutes from my parents place.

On Saturday morning I went to my son's basketball game.  Fatferris61 arrived at my place around 2 PM.  We drove down to Greensburg and dropped off the kids at my parents place and ventured to Harrison.  When we arrived in Harrison the addressed given to us did not bring us to the bar.  We were in an area which reminded us of Sling Blade.  Rural trailer parks, small older houses, one which boasted a confederate flag.  We drove up the road a little further and found a gem of a bar called Danny B's.  The bar was small, but was decorated nicely.  Several red neon lights on the walls, plenty of seats for dining, and a nice bar.  The back of the bar had an open area for cornhole and aerial bowling.  I kept asking myself why there was such a nice bar in this backcountry area.

Fatferris61 came in and we played some warm up games.  All the televisions were flat screens.  Some of the televisions had minor lag / input delay, while others had input delay that rivaled play on Nesticle.  It wasn't going to be pretty.  The tournament directors Anthony and Mario did a random draw and filled out the double elimination bracket.  With some of the talent here this was turning out to be more like a Mini-Midwest tournament.  I got a first round bye due to the odd number of pairings on the 22-man bracket.  Fatferris61 drew Chris Vogt for his first game.  Fatferris61 called a matchup that he had success with me in, but lost 28-14.

After sitting for my bye, A.J. "Six" Fullam got the victory and would play me.  He won the toss and called Atlanta vs Phoenix.  I took Atlanta and regretted it.  Great game throughout.  I started with a Greg Davis field goal.  Six answered with a touchdown.  I punted.  Six grabbed a field goal.  In this game, Six won the taps 2-1.  In the second half I barely got to touch the ball as Six played ones ball.  Rison was overthrown on five long JJ attempts.  I did score a touchdown making it 10-10 late in the third or early fourth quarter, but my ensuing kickoff was a lag-induced onside kick.  Six scored a touchdown with about a minute to play.  Rison bomb attempts failed again and I lost 17-10.  The picture of the blue screen didn't take because it was so out of focus.

My second game was against tournament director Mario.  This game was played on the big projector.  Minimal to no lag here, which was nice.  He won the toss and called Bengals vs Chiefs.  I took K.C.  First play of the game he fumbles and I house it for a 0-7 lead.  First half was all Chiefs as Okoye ran wild.  Second half was a lot of Okoye fumbling and giving it back to Cincy.  Mario capitalized on some of the turnovers and made the game more respectable at 17-35.

My third game was against Dominic Marino.  I won the toss and called Chargers vs. Broncos.  Dominic played well in the first half and made some great cross-field passes with Elway, but Butts stumbled his way to 250 plus and Byrd got some picks late and the final was 42-10.

My fourth game I ran into Six again.  This time I won the matchup and called Redskins vs. Vikings.  He took the running back and went with Washington.  He scored early going up 7-0.  Then I had a long CC to Carter that was insta-fumbled and Six scored going up 14-0.  I started with the ball in the second half and ran off 24 points.  This game I won all of the taps and the final was 24-14.

My fifth game was against Steve Engel.  I've played Steve a few times online and lost to him at Midwest a few years ago.  That may be the only time we have played live.  Today I won the toss and called Redskins vs. Cowboys.  He took Dallas.  I scored first making it 7-0.  I ran early with minimal success.  Steve has good run defense.  He also was calling a great deal of runs it felt like so I started passing.  Humphries and Rypien combined for over 300.  In fourth quarter I was up comfortably, but a fumble and an interception on back to back plays made the game a bit more interesting.  Another pass and some runs tacked on a final score making the final 38-24.

The sixth game was for third place guaranteed.  My opponent was Matt Diaz.  Diaz won Midwest last year after losing to me in the winner's bracket and then beating me in the championship of the losers bracket.  Diaz won the toss and called Bengals vs. Dolphins.  I took Marino. Start of the game had some snags as the console malfunctioned and I got another stupid thumb cramp.  This one wouldn't allow for me to basically use the D-pad with any pressure so I knew I would be passing most of the game.  First half was back and forth.  Bengals scored on a long JJ.  Marino threaded the needle on a 3rd and 3 from the 3.  Second half I grabbed a 21-14 lead on some nice pass toggling.  Then I was able to get an interception, only to followed with a Sammie Smith fumble.  Diaz got a timed JJ, Louis Oliver got a pick to seal the deal.

Seventh game was against Chris Vogt with the winner to face Matty V. in the championship.  Chris won the toss and called Redskins vs. Vikings.  I normally take Washington in this, but I have had success against Chris in the past with Minnesota and I played well with them against Six so I took the Vikings.  Chris got up early 10-3 and was playing good defense.  He called many of my first couple of run plays and I still was having the cramps in my thumb so I decided I was just going to pass the whole game.  I was able to make it 10-10 after halftime.  Chris scored again with some superior chop blocks making it 17-10.  I managed a field goal after a stalled solid drive making it 17-13.  Chris then gets a long stride catch in which Kelvin Bryant was doubled covered.  Instead of an incomplete pass or a CC and grapple, Bryant just keeps running.  My defender of Millard was locked and stopped moving momentarily and the computer drone did the same.  Don't know if I have ever seen this before.  None the less he scores and is up 20-13.  Vikings pass deep four straight passes, but nothing materializes and Chris tacked on another touchdown making the final 27-13.

In the championship Chris played brother Matty in a Redskins vs. rams matchup.  Matty chose the Rams and was getting those burn routes early.  Chris keeps it close for a great deal of the game, but much to my surprise, Matty wins the Cincinnati Championships with Chuck Long for THREE quarters and rode the back of Curt Warner, yes Curt Warner.  MVP for MV was Bobby Humphries with two interceptions.

First Place = Matt Vogt

Second Place = Chris Vogt

Third Place = me

Matty got a t-shirt, a trophy, a copy of TSB 2016, and $100.

Chris got $80 and I took home $50.

Fatferris61 did well in his first tournament appearance going 4-2 with a couple of 40-point wins.  His only losses were to Chris Vogt and Matt Diaz.

On our way back home we stopped at the Harrison Buffalo Wild Wings.  It was amazing.  Then we picked up the kids and headed back to Indy.  From there Mike made the 2.5 hour ride home.

Two weekends in a row of Tecmo.  Looks like Madison will be the next blog.  Until then,

Long Live Tecmo

Blono Tecmo Super Bowl XIV

What is Blono Tecmo?  Blono Tecmo is a group of friends from between the cities of Bloomington and Normal, Illinois who get together annually to celebrate the beloved game of Tecmo Super Bowl.  Their tournament is not a high stakes display of skill mastery and big money rewards, but rather a day of celebration with close friends and family.  It celebrated its 14th year in yesterday's tournament.  To my knowledge, it would be the longest running annual Tecmo Super Bowl tournament in the country.

I wanted to attend this tournament last year after meeting many members of this group at Tecmo Madison.  Last year I just missed the deadline and vowed to make it this year.  Right around the announcement for Return of the Mack registration I got back into contact with a college friend who I used to play Tecmo with.  Fatferris61 has rekindled his desire to play and decided to travel with us to Madison this year.  In preparation for the best skill level in the country we have been meeting to learn, practice, and play each other.  I figured this Blono Tecmo tournament would be ideal to have fatferris61 get real console tournament experience without the pressures of a typical tournament.  With this in mind we signed up.

A day or two before Blono Tecmo XIV, fatferris61 had an issue at work that prohibited him from going.  I had already paid entry for the two of us, got a sitter for the kids, and reserved a rental car so not going was out of the question for me.  I scrambled to find a replacement, if anything, just for a travel companion.  I tried all my Tecmo buddies around Indianapolis and even Ohio, but on short notice, it just wasn't feasible for anyone.  I then moved on to family and my brother of all people said he was interested.  Never in a million years did I think he would want to go to this sort of thing, but late Friday night he texted me back and said he was in.  Kevin hasn't played Tecmo Super Bowl since I was in high school.

I had already picked up the car rental before closing on Friday night so I threw on the Nigerian Nightmare jersey and picked up my brother around 8:15 AM.  I don't talk to my brother as much as I should so we caught up on quite a bit during the 2.5 hour drive to the tournament.  Very little discussion about Tecmo happened.  He pretty much said he didn't care.  We stopped and ate Subway breakfast about 20 minutes before our destination.

We arrived at a warehouse storage facility in Bloomington to find Bud Light cases taped to the door.  Surely we found the right place.  I came in, reacquainted with tournament directors Tim M. and Chris R., and set up a system I brought to use.  The venue was awesome.  In the front were two easels with very organized pool play grids and full color tournament brackets.  Next was a wheel barrel full of ice, bottled water, and cans of beer.  Adjacent to the wheel barrel was a full bar with every soda known to man and top shelf bottles of liquor.  Behind the bar was several long 8-foot tables with food.  Italian beef, submarine sandwiches, fried chicken, various chips and dips, snacks, fruit, etc.  Opposite the food and beverages were several systems and television for the tournament.  In the middle were tables and chairs for downtime.  A beer pong table completed the layout near the door.

Kevin and I played some games with Donny B. and Tim Mo., two Madison regulars.  After the scrimmages, director Tim M. went over the basis and rules of the tournament.  Like many tournaments, many side-prizes were available to win.  Many of these were of the adolescent-humor variety and may be discussed at a later time.  I had trouble controlling my laughter.  Next was pool play.  Toss was decided with commemorative Jenny Jizz coins.  So you could call facial or "tail" to see what the game was going to be.  So here are my games.

Game 1

My first game was against Chris J.  He seemed really excited and said he has only been playing for a year or two.  He said he thought he was pretty good and wanted to see how his good stacked up against good here at the tournament.  I won the toss and called CHI vs CIN.  He took the Bengals.  His first half defense was descent and I had a few things go bad.  I was only up 7-0 a minute or two into the third quarter.  Then an avalanche of fumbles, good offense plays, and solid defense stops were implemented.  The game ended pretty one-sided.

Game 2

In the second game I played Kasey W.  Kasey was well respected by other players for his talent level in the game.  I noticed in his first game he was wearing blue surgical gloves.  Being a first for me, I had to ask why he wore them.  He said it eased the wear and tear on his fingers and thumbs.  This opening conversation before our game led to a variety of topics about social anxiety, life, religion, science, evolution, etc.  I was so interested I really didn't even want to start the game.  Kasey actually has written a book on the topic, but has not had the chance to get it published.  A preview of these concepts and his books can be found here.  I highly encourage you to view this.  

The Story of Tidbit

I won the toss again and called MIN vs. WAS.  He took WAS with no hesitation.  I really played a complete game here.  I know this guy is better than this score indicated.  Most of our game was talking about life and not really being focused on the game.

Game 3

Game three was against Jason L.  He won the toss and called T.B. vs. WAS.  I took WAS. I ran a playbook to make Haddix pretty unusable.  This guy was the best of the three I played in group.  His defense was good and I earned the points I got.  I did fumble going in for a score from about the 15 and a drone sacked me in the end zone for the safety.  Weird score, I know.

So after group play I was 3-0 with a 80-16 differential.  The most surprising news of group play however, was my brother Kevin, who also went 3-0 with a 13 differential.

After group play I got some grub and ruined the progress I started on my diet.  The food was awesome.  I did however stay away from any carbonation and soda.  There was a long wait between group and the tournament.  

In the opening round of the tournament I played Jason M.  He won the toss and called GIA vs. ATL. I asked him if he was sure.  He said yes.  So sometime in the second quarter he asked if this was a good match up and I said I would never in a million years call this match up.  He said it was on the list of the suggested match ups provided by the organizers.

When I grabbed the sheet I asked him to show me where it said that.  He pointed at NYJ vs. ATL.  I said man that means Jets not Giants.  He laughed and said he didn't remember the Falcons being any good so he thought something was up.  Good sport and tough game.

My next game of the tournament was against tournament director Tim M.  I won the toss and called PHI vs. MIA.  I prefer MIA in this and I was quite surprised that he took the Dolphins.  I played a great game and executed perfectly.  I made zero mistakes.

Tim played really well and the game was 21-14 in the 4th quarter, but a long sustaining drive by QB Eagles sealed the deal when I scored the final touchdown.

My next game was against the other tournament director Chris R. a.k.a. Big Poppa Poops.  I won the toss and called S.D. vs. DEN.  He took controller one and I took S.D.  Game started bad for me on offense, but my defense was strict keeping him inside his 10 the first three drives.  His only early score was a fumble by Butts which he returned for a touchdown.  

In the second half Butts ran wild and Vlasic came in completing every pass he threw.  The next game would be the winner's bracket final of the competitive side of the tournament.

In the winner's bracket final I played Geoff  S. a.k.a. storksdaman from the online world.  Geoff  has beaten me before online, so all this talk about running away with the tournament before it even started was nonsense to me.

I won the toss and went with CHI vs. RAI.  I could tell he wasn't happy, but he picked the Raiders, the team in which he was donning a jersey.  I put Neal in at WR and really played perfect.  My offense clicked on all cylinders, moving the ball for first downs, and my defense shut down the Raiders.  Besides one long run from Bo on a bump block, the Raiders really had no offense during the game.  That mixed with some fumbles and some interceptions was a recipe for disaster.  The 4th quarter was basically Geoff  and I punting back and forth to each other to run the clock out.  I told him to come back and play me two more times.

After the game with Geoff  I waited 3 hours before I would play again.  This is never a good thing and I probably should have played some pick up games.  During this time, the Beer League division champion was crowned.  During this time, my brother Kevin had won three games in the competitive tournament.  He had lost once to Jason L. from my group.  In his elimination game he was playing Phillip A., another Madison regular.  Kevin was up 14-3 at halftime.  Phillip managed to score on a long drive making it 14-10.  

Kevin then got saftied on a called play making it 14-12.  In the 4th quarter Kevin drove down to the five yard line and threw a pick with Elway in the end zone.  This would have sealed the deal.  Instead, Phillip drove the length of the field and he threw an interception at the other five yard line, BUT Dennis Smith insta-fumbled it and Phillip A. ran it in to go up 19-14.  Kevin brought in Kubiak and had two tries at the full field bomb, and the last second bounced out of Mark Jackson's hands incomplete to end the game.  Such a heartbreaking loss in such an unexpected showing in his first tournament.  I would love to see what my brother could do if he took  the time to learn the game and start playing more frequently.

As I waited, it came down to Jeff S. and Tim M. with the winner to face me for the championship. Jeff won a 14-3 RAMS over PIT game.

So the final arrived.  We moved to what seemed like an 80 inch television, at least compared to what we were playing on all day.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seemed fast/weird playing on it. Geoff won the toss and called DAL vs. PHX.  This is a match up that has kind of haunted me lately.  I had thought he already called this match up against another opponent earlier in tournament, but I wasn't 100% sure so I didn't say anything.  I was 100% sure he played it and was on the one-player side, but I do not know for certain that he called it.  I took the Cardinals.  Get ready.  This is a blood-pressure barnstormer.

He won the toss and elected to kick off.  I received and nearly fumbled, but the ball went out of bounds.  I recover and score making the game 0-7.  Geoff  comes down and scores a touchdown of his own making it 7-7.  I foolishly went for a 4th down at midfield and came up 3 or 4 yards short giving him the ball with excellent field position, but he missed the field goal.  We exchanged touchdowns and I think the score was tied at the half 14-14.

In the second half Dallas players were all in GOOD, but I was able to force a punt and get the ball back.  At this point I felt good.   I switched Proehl from bottom receiver to top and exchanged him with Roy Green who went into EXCELLENT.  A called play and I threw to Proehl for a diving CC for a first down.  Johnny Johnson got some runs to move the chains as well, and I drove the length of the field with a 4th and 7 from about the 15 yard line left.  I went for it and had a wide-open receiver in the end zone.  Geoff  didn't have the angle to block the pass and he DROPPED THE BALL. Turnover on downs.  Geoff  marched the field and he connected on a series of defended/covered JJs and scored making it 21-14 with only time for one or two plays at the end zone.  After the kickoff, I was at about the 16 yard line.  With one or two chances left I drop to the back of the end zone with Rosenbach, launch the pass to Roy Green who is all by himself with Jeff the MAN defender.  Green CCs and I out-tap Geoff  to run it in sending the game into overtime.  The crowd was going wild.  You have all been there and know that situation.

In overtime, Geoff won the toss and started with the ball, a JJ, and a great run block for Smith, put Jeff in field goal range.  After some called plays and stalling for the first down, he was going for a fourth down 30 yard field goal with about three minutes left in the overtime.  Ken Harvey gets in.  I see the numbers switch and I got the block.  Dallas recovered, but Harvey made a dive tackle to give me the ball.  Johnson gets Al Del Greco in field goal range and with 3 seconds left I use my final timeout. Field goal is up, no block after the cut scene, and good.  What a ride!  Great game Geoff !

Now before a get a ton of questions, I will explain this so it is not so confusing.  This tournament was actually three separate tournaments in one day at the same location.  Of the roughly 40 competitors there were players from Bloomington, IL who played in a Bloomington only tournament.  These players could also play in the overall tournament which was divided into a Beer League Division and a Competitive Division.  The winner of this Bloomington only tournament wins the championship belt you see pictured with me.  This belt is a $500-$600 custom belt.  The directors did not want the belt leaving Bloomington.  They told me this when I registered and I completely understand as it is a Bloomington city traveling belt.  As awesome as it would be for me to have it for a year and even though I would personally would drive it to Bloomington the next year, I understand their concerns. My only request was that I got to take a picture with it if I won. 

So, there were two other trophies that were given to the winner of the Overall Tournament Beer League and the Overall Tournament Competitive Division.  This may be the best trophy I own.  I love it.

  

Overall Tournament Winner:  Me

Overall Beer League Tournament Winner:  Matt B.

Bloomington City Champion: Geoff S.

While I still love all Tecmo tournaments, this kind of tournament takes the cake.  Many tournaments are starting to feel "too organized', maybe too high stakes, maybe too business-like for me.  I had several people ask why I didn't go to Tundra Bowl, like many did this weekend.  Here's the answer: It's too far.  I had a chance to play Tecmo that was 2.5 hours away, it was a one-day deal, and I met new amazing people that share experiences similar to me.  This is no knock on the Tundra Bowl, Madison, Midwest, and the like, but this family/friends loose atmosphere has got me thinking.  There may be a similar style event coming to Indianapolis soon.  I want to thank Timm and Chris for allowing my brother and I to attend.  My brother doesn't do the Tecmo thing and he had a blast. Great tournament guys.  

I am also announcing that this is my last Madison tournament win, lose, or draw.  I actually wasn't going to go this year, but I didn't want Dave to think that I was dissing on the new administration and I do want to experience it the first year.  So I am making a new rule for myself.  I will play in tournaments that are no more than three ours from my residence.  I will no longer play in tournaments farther than three hours unless:

A.  I am invited

AND

B.  It is a new tournament that I have never been to before.

AND 

C. I have the fiances to do it.

All three have to be there if it is more than three hours.  Tecmo is changing for me and really has since Tecmo Madison XI.  It still will be an important part of my life, but it has a different purpose now.

Until next time,

Long Live Tecmo