I went to bed extremely late on Thursday night and couldn't sleep
in lieu of Tecmo Christmas that is the annual Madison tournament. I was
awakened by my son at quarter til six and for the first time ever took him to
the bus stop. See, nothing bad at all about Tecmo. Anxiously
awaiting text messages and Tweets from the 513, daboy8821 arrived in Naptown
from Louisville. Shortly after, the Chrysler Town and Country a.k.a the
Vogt Van arrived and years of geometry fail ensue as we strategically tried to
fit two television sets, Nintendo, along with all our luggage, ahake21,
513boy4life, bigmv54, vogtcd11, daboy8821, and myself into the van. After
the workout and maneuvering we decided that one set and Nintendo would have to
suffice as ahake21 took the wheel.
Six plus hours of driving magically turned
into what felt like a two hour trip as bigmv54, vogcd11, daboy8821, and I
played several games. The 13 inch CRT TV/VCR combo was wedged in between
the driver and passenger seats resting a top the armrests. On the first
big turn we almost lost it, but after that it was smooth sailing. The
only hiccup was the picture swayed from side to side occasionally like waves in
the sea and the color would bleed shades of red, green, and blue. Games
were competitive and fun.
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We stopped for gas at a gas station called
Hucks Down so bigmv54 could dump. We all picked up some grub. Each
one of us was asked by a very flamboyant cashier if we wanted a bag of chips in
a very feminine tone. Three of the workers spoke the same way. This
would be a catch phrase for the entire trip. Back on the road, and more
games to be played. Vogtcd11 took the wheel and a relieved bigmv54 rode
shotgun as ahake21 and 513boy4life could get in some games. The next stop
saw daboy8821 take shotgun and I drove the rest of the way to the infamous
Super 8 on Hayes Road.
When we arrived, ahake21, daboy8821, and I
stayed in room 215. The three Vogt brothers stayed in 315. We went
down to room 134 where some gaming action was taking place and saw that Gats is
indeed real. After a quick stay at the Super 8 the Vogt Van headed to the
Badger Bowl for registration. Loved the T-shirt this year. My
favorite from the four I have attended. We also received a Miller Lite
Pilsner glass and purple bracelets with Tecmo X #eatshitorenga. I will
note that it was decided that we would register, say hello to some people, and
we would be out. Five out of the six of us (not me) ended up playing games.
During this time I met Bruddog. Very cool guy. So glad he
made the journey out. Appreciate
everything you have done for hacking Tecmo Super Bowl.
I also was able to
get Butt Douglas to autograph my copy of The Book of Tecmo I purchased online a
few days before the trip. Another down to Earth guy who is there for the camaraderie.
I can't wait to read this. The 30 minute swing by turned into two
hours. Some of us started to order food. I ordered nachos. 35
minutes. I had to ask for them as well. Tasted like it came out of
a refrigerator. After leaving the Badger Bowl we stopped at a liquor
store and picked up some goods. Adult Strawberry Milk 20% by volume. Delicious indeed.
We headed back to the Super 8 ordered
pizzas and met up with tecmodell42, LuckyTool, and KampHuna8. So glad to
finally meet KampHuna8. Just as I pictured him. Really laid back
and there for the ride. Vogtcd11 set up Twitch to stream the games and
set up a Challonge bracket for the Pre Tecmo X Chrysler Town and Country Super
8 9-Man Tournament. I drew ahake21 and played a back and forth
Dolphins/Chiefs game. A fumble was the difference. In this
tournament the loser of the previous game called the next games matchup. A
coin toss determined who got choice of team. On to the losers bracket.
In the losers I was supposed to play O'Toole, but he gave his spot to Jeff
B. (made the final four last year). I was able to win in a T.B./DET game.
Next round I played KampHuna8 in a Redskins/Vikings call. I was the
Redskins and played ground and pound with Byner. I think he had like 240
yards or something. In the next game daboy got scared and left so I won
by forfeit. My next game was against tecmodell42. Hake called
Rams/Bengals. Odell took the Bengals. I exploited the Bengals
secondary by avoiding Fulcher. On to the semifinal game versus bigmv54. I was able to beat him in the van on the way up but had nothing go my way
in this game. Joey and MattyV played for the championship as I took 3rd.
When I get time I will add this to my sig.
When I went back to my room I snuggled
with Hake on our king size mattress on a double bed. Woke up the next
morning and had some yummy waffles at the Continental breakfast. Ate with
Kevin Cabarello. I love this guy. Met him at the last 3-4
tournaments we've played. After breakfast Hake and I went to a gas
station to get him some ear buds. Cashier had one pair in a special
drawer behind the counter. W... T... F. On our way back to the
hotel we did an illegal U-turn on the high way and some old fart got pissed and
honked. Had to get the blood pumping a little before the tournament I
suppose. We then picked up the crew and head to Tecmo X. In the
parking lot we met up with Erik M. (arncoem). Love this guy as well.
His buddy Cuban Tecmo had to drop out due to the flu. Weird not
seeing the Jason mask at the tournament.
The Badger Bowl was packed. We
arrived in the cabin room and were there just in time to watch opening
ceremonies which included a video montage of L.T. crushing opponents. I
found my way to group 14, a.k.a the pool of death, a.k.a. Blood Bath Bowl, a.k.a.
WTF made this pool? I will note that with 256 people, making sure no one
is paired with people they came with, and properly assessing previous records
it is impossible to avoid this. Just sucks I was in one this year.
The #8 seed was Steve P. from Boston.
Right here is where it is deceiving. While he posted a previous 1-7
record in tournament play, all of his losses were to quality players and his
point differential was a positive number! I played Steve at Midwest this
year and had to come back to beat him. In the very first game he had the
#1 seed Rico R. (Ryan33fulcher) down 10-13 in a Cardinals/Steelers matchup. Rico
had the ball on the 2 yard line with 2 seconds remaining. Instead of
electing for the FG he goes for it and gets the win. This was the
indication for how Group 14 would play out the early part of the day.
My first game was against the #7 seed Matt
C. (GameHigh). After doing some TPC scouting, I noticed he never uses
lower tier teams. I got the toss and called a Packers/Saints matchup. I actually like playing with both of these teams, but this would not be
my game. He took the Saints. On my first drive on a 3rd and 7 I had
several open receivers, including a wide open Sterling Sharpe which probably
would have resulted in a touchdown. Instead that first possession results
in a punt after a blocked pass at the line of scrimmage. In my opinion, this was such a game changer. On his next possession, he scored. My
next drive was going really well until Woodside fumbled away and the Saints
drive to make it 0-14 at halftime. In the third quarter the Saints are
held to a FG and are up 0-17. I switch Sharpe to WR2 and went to plan B.
Chuck it. With two minutes left in the game Sharpe caught his
second diving CC to make it 14-17. When I went to onside kick, I
accidentally kicked it full with no chance of recovering. Used my
timeouts, but couldn't get the ball back to have a chance to win. Well-played
game by Matt. He had 194 yards on 27 rushes. I couldn't shake the
blockers and couldn't get any picks despite holding the Saints to 0 passing
yards.
I will admit that the pressure was on
knowing the pool I was in. I had to win out to make the big bracket.
I did not want to miss for the first time in four tries. My second
game was against Frank M. I won the toss again and went extremely safe and
called Chargers/Lions. The plan worked as I got the Chargers, but things
continued to not go my way. I start this game down 0-10 after losing a
Butts fumble in red zone. I get a score before half and get the ball
after halftime. My offense started clicking in the second half despite
three dropped open passes by Charger receivers. My defense became stout
forcing punts and TODs. Once I got up big he was forced to pass only and
it got worse from there. Final score was 31-10. Butts ran for 273.
My third game was against Aaron T. of
Illinois. I found out this guy was 18 years old and has been playing
since he was 12. This was by far my toughest game of the day. I won
the toss again and went safe with a Chargers/Broncos matchup. A little
surprised, he took the Broncos. Neither player’s offense could be
stopped. I was fortunate to get the ball at half. In the fourth
quarter it was 21-21 and on a 3rd and 13 I had to reverse the entire field to
get a clutch first down which resulted in a score 28-21. His final drive
ended with a desperation throw for an INT which was the difference. Well
played sir.
My fourth game I played Steve P. in a
rematch from Midwest. I again won the toss and called Bengals/Rams.
He took the Bengals. I was in control early amassing a 21-7 lead. Earlier in the game he had a FG blocked and I had a chance to go up 24-7
late in the third, but I too had one blocked which resulted in the game being 21-7. That would be the final score.
The fifth game was a win and in for the
big bracket. I had to play Matt C. (GameHigh) again. Again, I won the
toss and had to call the matchup. I went with something I knew I could
put up points with either team so I called Bears/Raiders. He took the
Raiders. I had my Chrysler Caravan Crew and one of my wife's friends who
showed up supporting me during the game. I wish I had this every game.
I don't know what it is but I always play better with a large crowd
supporting or against me. I put Neal Anderson up top and on the first
play of the game throw an 80 yard JJ for a score. Mort exclaimed,
"That was Anderson on Anderson!" Another trip catch phrase was
born. Up 14-7 right before half, another JJ was tossed to Anderson as
regulator dropped a beer on the GameHigh adding insult to injury. The
second half saw lots of JJ picking by Carrier and redemption was made with a
42-7 victory. Phew. I made the big bracket after tackling the
gauntlet that was the 2014 pool of death.
I actually had a descent point
differential despite going 4-1 and received a #9 seed in the Dom Deluise
Region. My first round game was against Justin N. who went 3-0 and won
his pool. He won the toss and called a Cardinals/Jets matchup. I
took controller 1. He gave me the Jets. He was safetied on the
first possession and I had success scoring on his defense the entire first half
despite several dropped passes to open receivers again. The halftime
score was 19-0. After going up 26-0, the Cards tack on a TD late to make
it 26-7.
In the round of 32 I get Chet. I
actually had no fear this time. I have played Chet several times.
Three years ago several times at Orenga's place and a couple of times in
tournament play. I wanted to call a Steelers/Cowboys matchup, but he won
the toss and called Bengals/Chargers. One of the games at Orenga's place
three years ago was this. He told me then he preferred the Chargers in
this. Remembering this, and knowing that the Chargers are my favorite
team I took the Chargers. Yes, the Bengals are the better team.
Lose the coin toss, two fumbles, and down 0-14 in the first quarter. It
is bad enough to do this against anyone, but this is freaking Chet. To make
matters worse Blow Job Tolliver was throwing the hike and strike to avoid
Fulcher, but the retarded Charger receivers were doing the "let's run back
to the QB instead of running our routes" crap. I tried to battle
back amassing over 450 total yards, but came up short losing 21-31. I am
in no way saying I would have won the game despite the fumbles, but for some
reason I never get the breaks when I play Chet. Well played as usual.
After being ousted I caught up with KampHuna8. Kamp had a tough go at his first Madison as he didn't make it
out of his pool. A Spotted Cow was in order. I feel a connection
with Kamp as we are both in the education field. We both are similar in Tecmo skill
level. He is a hell of a lot cooler than me though. So glad to have
finally met you in person. One of these days I will fly out to the Northwest
for a tourney out there. I got the opportunity to meet a few other online
Tecmoers for the first time like Manyo, coconuts, and Joey Gats. I also
met ryan11p's family who came to support him in the tournament.
Joey is one misunderstood individual.
I know there was the whole cheating thing, but this guy was nothing like
what I imagined him to be when I first started online back in 2010. I
know he has had his troubles as of late. We chatted a little bit over
dinner. He had to get a box because he was not used to eating that much
;) I truly hope Joey can land a job and get back on his feet. I am
so grateful that Mort got the funding together and want to thank everyone who
contributed in that process. I know that it was an experience of a
lifetime for Joey, but just as much an honor for the online community that was
present at Tecmo X to get to meet him. I just wish I could have got a
game in with him over the weekend. It just didn't happen.
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The rest of my Tecmo X experience was
following my boys from the 513. We are no Orenga Posse, but we bring our
own level support and intimidation I think. Watched MattyV take down
Jimmy B. In the Elite Eight. I love Jimmy, another fellow social studies
teacher, but he had no chance with Mark “Rypien” farts torching the Broncos in
the air and on the ground. Matt's game versus Skunker was so awesome.
From the called run 2 sweep for a touchdown, to the gutsy run 4 call on
4th and 1, and overcoming two fumbles to finish 3rd, it was an epic serious of
events that can only be captured by the live stream. Speaking of the live
stream, Dave Murray is awesome. Coolest person in Tecmo. If
you can't get along with Dave you can't get along with anyone. What Dave
does for Tecmo is unparalleled. I can't picture myself not attending the
big tournaments, but if I did I would be forever grateful for that live stream.
Awesome work man. You are the best.
Another cool moment was following MattyVs
game with Skunker when the entire online community posed for a picture. I
didn't realize it at the time, but after seeing the picture it has to be the
largest collection if online players at a console tournament in a picture.
Very cool. That picture summarizes what this shit is all about.
Camaraderie first and foremost. I am married now with kids and
don't really see my old college buddies much anymore, but 3-4 times a year a
get to hang out with a group of guys who worship a video game that is nearly a
quarter of a century old and has dominated a major chunk of my life.
Living the life. Long live Tecmo.
In the semifinal Chet took down bigmv54.
Damn Chet. You don't go to three straight Madison finals on luck
alone. Proven best there is on a consistent basis in the biggest games of
the biggest tournaments. I wanted MattyV to win so badly, but it wasn't
meant to be. On the bright side I am glad that regulator088 got to play
Chet in finals. To be the man you've got to beat the man.
Wooooooooooooooooooo! Kyle beat the man. A dominant
performance from the opening game to winning the championship. Long
overdue my fellow Hoosier. Way to bring home a Madison championship to
online garbage and to the Hoosier state.
The closing ceremonies ushered in four new
final four members earning various prizes in addition to the prize money.
A Cannonball Run DVD, a Rich Gannon bobblehead, Rich Gannon created cuff
links (so jealous), and the ambulance replica from the Cannonball Run movie.
After the awards were issued we grabbed some pictures, dropped Erik M.
off at his hotel, and head back to the Super 8. Knowing we were going to
lose two hours going back home due to the time change and Daylight Savings
switch we elected to checkout early and drive back. After picking up
donuts and a 12 pack of Mountain Dew I took the wheel. The entire van was
asleep and it was just me the road and $11.50 in tolls (thanks Hake for staying
up as long as you did). I hate you Illinois. We stopped shortly
after the Brookston Fowler exit in North Central Indiana for some gas and
energy shots. Check out those pink Zebra Zubazs! We arrived at my
house about 7:20 AM. I found out that the furnace went out and it was 59
degrees in the house. Tecmo depression in full effect. Slept my
entire Sunday away and now writing a blog because my sleep pattern is fucked
up.
I want to personally thank Josh and Chet
Holzbauer for doing another incredible job running this tournament. I
know this is probably the final run and want you to know what you have done for
the Tecmo community. I knew about online play before 2010, but it was
your He Went to Jerry You Tube video that actually got me playing online and
registering for my first Tecmo Madison experience The Hoss Whisperer. I
have attended the last four and if by chance there will be a Tecmo XI I will be
there. Bailey, Orenga, Durch, Larry, and the women of Tecmo, your work
does not go unnoticed. We know it is strenuous on you not only the
weekend of but in preparation for the big day. Just remember the joy you
give to 250+ grown children when they get to open their Tecmo Christmas that
first week in March each year. You wouldn't want the community to stop
believing would you?
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Last, but certainly not least, my boys.
Jon, Hake, Joey, Chris, and MattyV. This weekend was one for the
ages. Each time we do this I build a stronger connection with you guys.
Anderson on Anderson, dust to dust, I'd have a bag of chips with you guys
anytime... No homo.
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