The Blog for the Sports Gamer

According to Steve at OS AI times with running-oriented games are finally starting to play like. Three yards and a cloud of dust and all that.

Have you notice differences in the way that teams play for example do you see a difference in the style of play with a team like Miami and a team like Florida?

Yes, it seems like teams do play to their strengths. Running teams will run and run you to death. Passing teams will pass and pass often.

If you aren’t stopping the run, will the CPU continue to pound the ball down your throat, and even if you are stopping it, will they still run to keep you honest?

My god yes. I was playing against Rice and they ran it almost every single time they had the ball in the 1st half. I could not stop them. After some adjustments after the half, I shut it down and they tried to pass for most of the second half. Of course they were down by a lot after the 3rd quarter, so that had a lot to do w/ it.

God, I hope it’s true. Another preview Q&A preview I read earlier today indicated that drops do appear to be toned down to a much more realistic level from 2005 and both say that the Xbox slowdown is no longer an issue. They’re not saying the game is a revolutionary improvement or anything, but certainly these are the issues I was most concerned about.

The male lead in the A Different World TV show (a Cosby Show spin-off) used that line in White Men Can’t Jump. I think he was quoting the poet, John Keats, but whatever. His delivery of that line is what came to mind after reading this press release from Freestar Media.

Let me preface this by saying, I know nothing about Freestar Media. I followed a link to their release from the Boing Boing blog. Freestar could be a bunch of loony, partisan shills. They could be genuinely passionate about preserving civil liberties. They may just have a predilection for eating strawberry pies made by midget grandmothers on the Ivory Coast. I don’t know and in this particular case I don’t care. Because this is art. It’s Picasso. A thing of beauty that will be a joy forever, or at least the next twenty minutes.

I’m sure most of you are aware that last week the Supreme Court, in a split decision, ruled that it was permissible for the state to take away privately held property from its citizens for use by commercial industry if they felt it was in the best interests of the community. We’re not talking about building bypasses on Arthur Dent’s lawn. We’re talking about the idea that its okay for Roland Emmerich and Michael Bay to knock down your house in the name of making Independence Day 2 if they promise to create some jobs and maybe leave behind a museum dedicated to the making of the film. (Okay, I’m extrapolating and in pure ignorance of the fine details of the ruling, but wasn’t that a fun line to read?)

Enter Freestar Media, who are using this ruling as the basis for taking land away from a certain homeowner in Weare, New Hampshire so they can build a hotel. Ordinarily, not too funny. But the land is owned by Supreme Court Justice David Souter (who was in the majority in the Supreme Court’s ruling). In the press release it says:

The proposed development, called “The Lost Liberty Hotel” will feature the “Just Desserts Café” and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon’s Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged.”

“This is not a prank” said Clements, “The Towne of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development.”

Whether this actually happens or not (and I’m sure its doubtful), you have to admit it would be poetic justice if the “Selectmen” in Weare approve the measure and Justice Souter found himself without legal recourse to stop it. I can see Justice Souter in my head, lying down in the mud in front of a bright yellow bulldozer only to be pulled away by his good buddy Ford Prefect. Hopefully he doesn’t forget to bring a towel.

Note: If the towel reference and the names Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect mean nothing to you, then you are beyond my help. Google them and don’t forget that the answer to your real question is 42.

All week, GameSpy is counting down the top 25 Xbox games. It’s an interesting read…I’ve added some games into my Gamefly GameQ because of it. But I have a bone to pick, specifically this entry. Me no thinky the picture is of Madden

I respect a lot of people, actually. But a group of people whose time has come are the people that write the movie descriptions that appear on local cable. Oh, think I’m kidding?

Steve Bauman, a friend of mine and EiC of Computer Games Magazine assigns 100 word reviews every now and again and says it’s one of the toughest articles to write. He’s correct.

Still, that is nothing over the movie write up people. If you think I’m kidding (or just crazy) try doing it yourself. It’s a fun exercise if you’re a writing geek like me. Take a movie, any movie, and try to describe it adequetely in less than 20 words. (I’ll wait here…)

Hard ain’t it?

So how about those Pistons? ….Just kidding.

Given that it would probably be nice if I were able to post about gaming once in a while, I’ve finally broken down and signed on for one of the online game rental services. I don’t have the excess income to buy many games, and more and more the money I do spend seems wasted after I play a title for a few hours and never go back. So up to the plate strides Gamerang.com and their two game rental for $20 a month. I considered GameFly.com and GameLender.com (who has a huge gaming library, btw), but Gamerang has the closest distribution centers, which will hopefully ensure faster delivery.

First up I’ve got NBA Live 2005 and Forza heading my way. Since my last Live experience was the 2001 version, I figured 2005 was worth a rental in preparation for the 2006 titles. I played NBA 2k6 for a bit at E3 and I was pretty happy with that, but if this Live 2005 rental impresses then I’ll give 2006 a second look. As for Forza… well, I haven’t played a racing game since Pole Position, but since the buzz on this one is huge I figured I’d give it a shot.

For me, the beauty of services like Gamerang will be the chance to play some titles that I ordinarily wouldn’t risk $30-$50 on. Forza definitely fits that mold. So, gearheads, answer me this: How much am I missing out using a regular controller and not a racing wheel? I tried out a junky demo wheel at Frys on Friday and even that seemed preferable to a gamepad. Any recommendations?

First off, thanks for the TV advice, guys; I really appreciate it. I’ll definitely get the wiring done during the building of the house. As for the TV itself, I hear the projectors are much better in dark rooms. (Any truth to that?) Another buddy suggested this TV. Any thoughts? I won’t be buying anything until April or May so hopefully the prices keep dropping. Anyway, again, thanks.

I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach. Not sure what it is, but then I remembered that NCAA 06 is due early next month and I swear I think it’s actual anticipation pains. The older I get, the more rare these pains are. As some of you recall, my impressions of the game at E3 were rollercoaster-ish but I really am looking forward to playing the game. I think mostly because I feel NCAA 2005 was such a downer that it’s almost like it has been two years since I played NCAA, if that makes any sense. I’m scheduled to do a review for GameShark but I won’t be getting the game beforehand so I have to wait just like most of you guys, which is fine by me because I spend most of my time writing the Almanac. I have plenty to do. Still, nothing says college football like July 12th….

Speaking of the book, I stumbled upon a very cool lookoing World War II dogfighting game called Down in Flames. I even did an essay on it for the book. World War II dogfighting simulated via a card game interface. I’m a sucker for a neat idea.

Here’s a picture of the land that we just purchased (technically we’re just in contract but we have it reserved). The lot goes from where the pic was taken back to the tree line. That’s my mom in the middle of the field and Ashley is with her but she’s hidden in the corn. The plan, at least for the moment, is to place the house about 175 feet back from the road in order to leave an acre in the back for a horse. That’s a “down thew road” plan because we won’t have the loot at first to do much but get the house and a new TV. The cool thing about this? We’re still just a 15-20 minute drive from the city.

Yes, I will have to mow this friggin’ lawn. When it’s built (should be ready May 2006)..party at Bill’s house!

Oh, and here’s a pic of Ashley just because she demanded that I post one.

I’m obviously a PC guy. I can talk shop about games, video cards, whatever until my wife’s friends get annoyed.

I am not, however, a TV guy. When we move to the new house (I have pics of the land which I’ll post later) we want to spend anywhere from $3500 to $4000 on a TV. I know there are some TV heads that read this blog, so let’s hear it. Where do I start?

Well, these posts are getting as exciting as hearing Todd talk about the Pistons. Another day, another L for the Orioles and another W for the Red Sox. Rather than blaming shitty officiating, I will blame the 23 injuries on the O’s team.

Oh well, I did get 3 months out of the Extra Innings package, that’s about $50 a month, so I guess it was enjoyable while it lasted. I’m all done talking until the O’s get back in first and lead by 5. We can all dream, right?

In other news, I took the family to see Herbie:Fully Loaded today to get out of the sun. $37 later, and I have to say it was a cute movie. I’m not sure whether to laugh or cringe when I see the real NASCAR drivers hit up on Herbie. I know, it’s all in fun and seroiusly, would Tony Stewart’s reputation be hurt anymore? I doubt it.

One thing is clear. The Lindsay Lohan of Herbie isn’t the Lindsay Lohan of today, and that’s a bad thing. She’s legal now, right, so I can say that, no?

Alrighty, time to wait out the thunderstorm and go back to the pool….

Another day, another O’s loss and another Red Sox win. Oh well, best to be done with it in June than late September, right? Ugh. Just ugh, you know? Ugh.

As Ohio State remains in the news due to the past transgressions of former coach Jim OBrien, the current Buckeyes under Thad Matta continue to make huge strides to rebuild the program. A 20 win season this year and now this. If this holds true OSU will have landed four 5-star blue chip recruits in one class, which is just amazing.

Edit: Just so you don’t think I’m homering this, here’ s a blurb from CBS Sportsline:

Ohio State or Wake Forest: Oden is expected to choose between the Buckeyes and Deacons, and while we here at SportsLine.com like and respect the coaches from both schools, our guess is Oden (and his best friend and teammate, highly rated point guard Mike Conley) will choose Ohio State. If that happens, the Buckeyes would join Duke’s 1997 haul (Elton Brand, Shane Battier, William Avery, Chris Burgess) as the best recruiting classes of all time. Ohio State already has commitments from two top 25 recruits from the class of 2006, Daequan Cook and David Lighty. The 6-5 Cook would have been a potential NBA first rounder in 2006.

So, let me get this straight: Oprah is pissed off at a store because it was closed and they wouldn’t let her in? And it’s becuase she’s black? How about, it’s becuase the fucking store was closed? See, this is all about celebrity. The shit pisses me off!

Let me preface this by saying I have seen absolutely no press releases, no gamesite articles, nothing to confirm this. But if you take a look at EA’s NHL ‘06 page, underneath the title graphic it says the game has an “exclusive license.” God I hope that’s either an error or just deceptive marketing spin, because if my only choice for video hockey is NHL 2006 -given that NHL 2005 was pimple on the fat, sweaty ass of bad hockey games- then I’m done.

Yes, I know: Finally. My last NBA post of the season. What a relief, eh?

Well, it’s over. Congratulations to the San Antonio Spurs players, management and fans. Their boys rose to the occasion last night. In a game that was hardly suitable for framing they got the job done. Considering the amount of pressure they were under to “not choke” (a ridiculous assertion given the team’s accomplishments) they really came out and refused to say die. And how about Tim Duncan? For 48 hours we’ve been hearing how he’d have three big quarters and disappear at crunch time. Last night he was average for three quarters and phenomenal at crunch time. As depressed as I am today, I am happy for him.

I have one complaint with last night’s game that I have to get off my chest. It has nothing to do with the Spurs winning. It is in no way intended to say one team or another had an unfair advantage. That would be sheer lunacy. But this series was not a battle of finesse teams. It was a battle of heavyweights. So why? Why on frick’n earth, after letting these two teams just go at each other for six games, did the officials see fit to suddenly go to the letter of the law in whistling nearly every ticky-tack foul their near-sighted vision could lay eyes on?

As more than a few people have taken a sort of sadistic joy in pointing out, ratings for this series weren’t knocking anyone’s socks off. But if the NBA wanted to draw some attention to this series, they got exactly what they desperately needed: game 7. What more can you ask for?

So what do fans get? Not five minutes into the game they get Manu Ginobili, Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace on the bench in foul trouble. I’m sorry, but nobody is tuning in to see this series’ impact players A) on the bench because of fouls or B) playing tentative trying to avoid fouls. The first half saw the lowest point total in a Finals game in the shot clock era. And while poor shooting and defensive intensity were factors, you can thank the officials just as much because when Billups and Ginobili aren’t on the floor both teams are playing without their primary offensive catalysts. Not only that, but you lose the best matchups in the series. Case in point, Rasheed Wallace versus Tim Duncan. This should have been the spotlight matchup of the night. But Sheed had two fouls by mid first quarter, a third in the second quarter and a fourth *one minute* into the third quarter.

And it’s not that fouls called weren’t fouls. They were, especially in Rasheed’s case. And they really were not balanced against one team or another. The Spurs just flat out did a better job of adjusting to a tightly-officiated game so it’s easy to make it sound like it was just Detroit was being victimized. But for six games the officials let these two teams play ball. Why change that for game 7? That’s just stupid and it robbed fans of the sport, not just the teams, of being able to see the kind of game we deserved to get. It was game freak’n 7 for god’s sake. Let them play you f@#$ers! Dammit all to hell.

So with that rant out of the way, I again tip my hat to the Spurs. A worthy adversary and deserving champion. As for the Pistons. They’ve got no reason to hang their heads. They played hard last night, if not well. They’ve gone from the pinnacle of NBA mediocrity to one of the premiere franchises in the league in just four seasons (100% of the credit for that goes to Joe Dumars). And they’re not done. They have five young, quality starters and one of the best sixth men (in McDyess) you’re likely to find. But they must develop guards Carlos Arroyo and Carlos Delfino (left off the playoff roster) and, of course, Darko Milicic who still has time to become a huge impact player in the NBA. Depth is huge in a game like the one last night, where the officiating gets tough, and for the first time in the playoffs I think having only a seven-man playoff rotation really hurt Detroit. That said, they’re a young and still improving team and they’ll be back. And I don’t care what anyone else says, I’d love to see a rematch of these teams next year.

Congratulations to the Spurs! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to the roof of my office building, where I should be able to fling myself onto I-465. It’s either that or go home early and start drinking heavily. I haven’t decided yet.

1. Finally, no more basketball! Now it’s all soccer, all the time.
2. Great job Orioles! Say hi to Tampa Bay on the way down! Like they have a chance against Atlanta!
3. Hey, if the flag burning amendment is passed, how will you dispose of a flag, since burning it would be illegal? (Thanks to the Dailly Show for the blurb).
4. The Supreme Court yesterday ruled that cities can take over land just because they want to — even if that means selling it cheap to developers who put up new homes. Hey, if it’s for a mall or what not and promotes the economy in that way, I can see the benefit — however, to tear down a home to put up new homes — are you kidding me?
5. Tomorrow’s high – 100. 2 weeks ago, it barely got to 50. You have got to love New England!
6. Yahoo shuts chat rooms on Child Sex Fears — apparently the user created rooms were too graphic. As opposed to “American Idol (3)” where the same stuff happens.
7. Yay! It’s Friday!