The Blog for the Sports Gamer

Now that I finally have a 360..I guess I oughta make use of it.

I figured I’d try to organize something a bit different that wouldn’t eat up as much time as a full blown league. Plus, leagues are tough to finish and touneys seem to have a higher connect rate as far as actually getting it done.We actually completed the 64 team NCAA CH2K6 tourney last year.

I don’t think the game supports what I want to do, so it will mosty likely be done by hand with the info posted online.

I’m setting up a 32 team double elimination NCAA 07 360 tourney. The catch is that the teams involved must be rated no HIGHER than a “B” OVR. I want to make it mildly fair so there isn’t an Ohio State playing Duke. I just think it’ll be more interesting with B lvl teams rather than the usual A-Rated suspects.

I believe the B rated teams are: (these are Xbox ratings and I assume it’s the same on the 360. My 360 is waiting on my new monitor..)

Please note that some teams are already spoken for. I have designated these teams with the *.

Arizona
*Boston College
*Colorado State
Duke (is Duke really a B?)
Fresno St
*Hawaii
*Iowa State
*Kansas State
*Maryland
*Minnesota
*Mizzou
*Miss St
*Navy
*Nevada
New Mexico
*North Carolina
Ohio
*Okie St
*Ole Miss
*Pitt
*San Diego State
Southern Miss
Stanford
*TCU
*UCLA
UNLV
UTEP
*Virginia
Wake Forest
*Washington
*Western Mich
*Wisconsin

Of course if you want a B- (or worse) team feel free to take them. Brackets will be drawn up randomly after all 32 slots are filled.

If you want to play, pick and team and secure a spot. Post a comment or send us an email.

The birthday boy’s 360 review is online at GameShark. My Xbox review should be up tomorrow…not that any of you need to read it at this point.

It was a weekend without NCAA at my place, so I’ve had very little new to post (never even got my 360 turned on). So, this is one of those posts for the sake of posting:

- I received a rental of Nintendogs (DS) in the mail on Saturday. I sent it back in the mail today. It’s cute and all, but I have two kids and two cats. I get enough of taking care of little snuggly things as it is. I don’t need to do so in the virtual world. (Next up is that surgery DS game where you get to cut up patients using the stylus. Good times, good times.)

- Prior to Nintendogs I had MarioKart on hand. Fun, but not a great longterm single-player game. (I wouldn’t buy it, but as a rental I got my time and money’s worth.) I get the feeling that multiplayer on it, however, would be a riot.

- CivIV Warlords came out last week. I know it’s getting middling reviews, but I love Civ4 too much not to get this at some point. It’s just a question of when.

- I’ve started two OOTP 2006 franchises using the final Patch #2. One rooted in a modified MLB world (I contracted a few teams and rebooted in 1901 with a full set of minors, using fictional players), and a second completely fictional league (called New World). So far I’ve only gotten to opening day in the MLB league and June in the New World league so I can’t comment on stats. I will say that, as much as it has improved pre-patch, the interface still leaves a lot to be desired, in terms of generating external report data and navigation. I’m well acquainted with using Bookmarks and such, but the game tries to re-invent a Windows/Excel-type interface that doesn’t need reinventing. At times it works, at others it’s very frustrating.

- Who had their money on the Tigers to own the league’s best record in the month of August? Not me, but I sure as hell am enjoying the ride. After taking two of three in their last four series since the break (from Chicago, Oakland, Cleveland and red-hot Minnesota), plus three of four from KC, there’s little doubt that this team is in it for the long haul. This is the first time I’ve cared about baseball in August in a long, long time. I didn’t realize how much I missed scoreboard watching.

- I watched the Cameron Crowe film, Elizabethtown, this weekend. First impressions are always dicey, but this may make into my personal pantheon of all-time favorites. If you like movies like Chasing Amy, Wonder Boys, Grosse Point Blanc, and Garden State, then this one ought to be right up your alley. If I ever plan to kill myself, it’s not going to be the way Orlando Bloom’s character goes about it at the beginning of the flick. That would take some serious juevos. But then, I never lost a company a billion dollars.

- Speaking of Kevin Smith films (Chasing Amy), I got out to see Clerks 2 on Friday afternoon. The first 20 minutes I spent wishing they hadn’t made the flick. It was stiff, and a few jokes aside, it was awful. I mean, really, really bad. Fortuntely, it redeemed itself in the last hour and I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. Four words: “Kelly and the Stud.” (Shudder)

- The Red Wings just announced they signed Hasek (for the third time). What’s old is new again (yet, still very old). But with Yzerman, Shannahan, Hull, and Robitallie gone from the 2002 team, I’m not quite sure the reuinion tour will amount to much. EDIT: Of course, when healthy, Hasek’s stats last year were pretty damn good. Certainly, it was probably the best move GM Ken Holland had available in securing another goalie.

- Happy 35th, Dan!

Well, today is a milestone birthday for me. 35. My hair has more white than black in it, and I’m really feeling it. Must be the real job. So, I bought myself a 2006 Passat to ease the pain. It works, at least until the registration bill comes due..

(This message posted just for shameless happy birthday Dan comments. Please start below).

Lotsa rumors are floating about right now re: the show. Next-Gen says it’s been cancelled. GameSpot UK says it’s a downsizing. Ars Technica then calls out Next-Gen as being journalistic doofuses (my word). Gaming Press catfight!!

I have no idea what’s up. We’ll know more tomorrow. If E3 goes on under a cheaper, smaller, more office-style banner I am %10000 for that. I hope that’s what happens. If E3 is dead and I don’t get to go next year, I just lost a lot of freelance cash. So..come on E3!

As Bill mentioned the word is spreading like wildfire that E3 will cease to exist as we know it. No loss there. Lots of 18 year old German journalists, very loud EA booths, and PR people telling about how great games are going to be that we have a poor video of.

Instead, game companies will devote that million dollars elsewhere. Works for the real journalists if you ask me :). Well by that, I mean journalists that accept free trips for the sake of writing about the company instead of showing the 18 year old Germans the game :).

This is a tad shocking to say the least. I have no idea what this means to me personally (if anything) but it’s a very different format proposal. Sure would be easier to work, though.

Baseball, at least in the States, is our most nostalgic sport. I think that’s mainly due to its age and the fact that stats drive it more than any game. That goes to more than just old players and stadiums but also to uniforms. I hate today’s uniforms, for the most part. The Astros rainbow units of the 70s and 80s have character. Today’s unis don’t. They all look the same.

The same can be said for the NFL. I was watching the NFL Network today while playing Blokus with the family, and they were showing the 1980 Falcons/Cowboy playoff game. I really liked those red Falcons uniforms with the red jersey and red helmet. Vintage Steve Bartkowski. I also liked it back in the day when a defensive lineman looked human rather than like an ogre that just swallowed a deer. But that’s a story for another time. But seriously, Cowboys HoF DT Randy White weighed 255 pounds. In 1980. 255! Anwyay…

It got me thinking about some of the NFL uniform changes that I wish they hadn’t made.

Personally, I like colorful uniforms because I think they add uniqueness and character to a team’s look — I also like the ‘bland’ uniforms like the Browns wear. I like Pittsburgh’s, and Chicago’s and Green Bay’s. When the Browns went to that all orange jersey for a few games…man it was hard to look at.

I really don’t like the “new” uniforms in Denver, Buffalo, New England, and Cincinnati. I never have. Give me the orange crush (although I despise Denver), and the red, white and blue Pats unis with the Patriot on the helmet over that swoosh thing they have now any day of the week. Steve Grogan, baby! I don’t mind the striped Bengals helmet (the old helmet was really bad) but the stripes on the unis look tacky. The NFL shied away from the more garish unis — remember the old Tampa Bay ones? I think I am in the minority here but I really liked those. I liked the Rams back when they were yellow and not “off-gold.” What was wrong with the old Rams unis? Why did they change the secondary color?

Of course a lot of this is I am sure based on the fact that I grew up with a lot of the older uniforms. The Broncos have just never looked right in that blue thing they wear today. Maybe it’s just me.

Be sure to drop by Wolverine’s website and grab the demo. There’s also an early bird discount going on. Good, good stuff.

1. Thanks for the info about replays in NCAA. The other Dan, I seriously doubt that EA is that smart to say if 2 players are playing in conferences that don’t have instant replay, then there are no challenges…I’ll have to figure this one out and try again and see what happens. If that is really the case, I’d be impressed.

2. I didn’t realize how easy the default level is on NCAA. I’m just rolling through my dynasty, and oh yeah, I guess I should check the difficulty level. LOL.

3. I see on OS and have heard through ICQ non stop (Craig) that NCAA 07 has locked up on some 360s. I want to know if you’re having this problem and if there’s any sort of workaround. Doesn’t sound like it’s a cache issue to me.

4. Nice to see Bill has finally grown up. I will enjoy putting his 50 gamerscore points on here. You know the real reason why he upgraded was to spend $5 to be on the Galaga leaderboard.

5. So when you go into NCAA on the 360 online there’s an option for uniform downloads and stuff on the marketplace…except there’s nothing to download. What is up with that?

Anyone playing this Diablo clone? Pretty fun. If you’re playing it online gimme a shout.

I dunno how much more I will be playing the Xbox version but here’s what I settled on in terms of sliders. I played Heisman for a bit, and while that lvl is playable, I was getting my ass handed to me so I started to make adjustments to AA lvl. I’ll add some explanations as I go. As with all sliders, your mileage may vary depending on the team you use and your play style.

8 Min
AA lvl

Human Off:

QB Acc: 25% -A crucial slider. 25% is what I settled on. If you do not lower this slider long passes, on AA, are way too accuate. In fact, all passes are too accurate at 50%. 25% accuracy fits me perfectly. I am using Colorado State in my Xbox Dynasty and the QB is a low 80s player. He does not hit every throw with this setting — he can even miss wide open targets 15 -20 yards downfield. I hover around 55% completion rate with CSU.

Pass Block: 80% - On the Xbox the Jump the Snap is a bit insane. This helps balance it a bit. I still get sacked.

Catching: 35 - 40% (Your call) - Another crucial slider. Unlike the past 2 years the WRs can catch in 07. Lowering this helps the long pass and also requires that you have good hands to hold onto the ball in traffic and when popped by a safety.

Running: 50%.

Run Block: 35% - On AA the run blocking is a bit too good at default. This also means that a QB Sneak is by no means a guaranteed 5 yards.

Human D

Awareness: 40% - Gives the CPU offense a lil nudge.

Knockdowns: 65% - Helps defend the bomb instead of just allowing the WR to catch it. If you like to control the DBs, adjust thuis slider as needed. I tend to play a linebacker.

INT, Break Block, and Tackling all 50%

CPU Off

All 50 except running ability to 65%. On this setting the CPU can run all over CSU with a good back. Very tough to stop a 90+ RB on this setting.Yes, QB Acc at 50%. I have yet to play a game when the CPU did its usual 35% completion rate from years past.

CPU Def

Awareness: 25% - Yes, 25% on AA. That isn’t a typo. In a college game, I like to see separation more than I do in an NFL game. If the CPU has a weak link in the secondary you can really go after him with this set to 25%. Remember, you also set QB accuracy to 25% and this counters that. If you are finding passing way too asy, raise this slider as needed.

Knockdowns: 99% - Another counter to the low AWR rating. A vital slider; also helps deep balls a bit.

INTs: 80% - I dunno about the 360 version but if you throw a pass directly at a defender this year on the Xbox — it’s a pick. This is also another counter to the low AWR. If you do not want to throw INTs do not throw to a man that is well covered. If you do, it can get ugly.

Break Block: 55%

Tackling: 60%

I am 6-3 in my CSU Dynasty with these settings. I have not done much with Special Teams but I do think some major FG range modifiers are in order. Kick off STR needs boosted some as well (both human and CPU).

Again, I have no idea how this would translate to the 360 version, but this is what I have currently on the Xbox.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - Crap
Superman Returns: “eh”
Lady in the Water: Are you friggin’ kidding me?
Cars: It’s no Nemo…
Monster House: Best of this lot
The Lake House: Like I’d go see The Lake House…come on.

Grizzly Man (DVD): Wow.

Why can’t you challenge a play in the online game of NCAA on the 360?

I am finally the owner of an Xbox 360. And there was much rejoicing.