Gahh
Have you read Stephen King's 11/22/63? If not , many of the same things that conspire against time travel conspired against the Patriots. It was obvious the universe didn't want them to win from the first time they had the ball. A safety is the first scoring play on an intentional grounding play? Thankfully that only came back to bite the Patriots in the ass big time.
One can only wonder about the 300 chances the Pats had. Welker never misses catches. Branch doesn't either. Hernandez doesn't either. Every fumble was recovered by the Giants. There were like 4 penalties called in that game.
While I don't believe the Giants played well, they played well enough to win and that's all that matters. Congrats to them. New York has more to rally against New England on.
Interestingly enough, this one didn't hurt as much as it did 4 years ago. Seeing your team at the Super Bowl 5 times in 10 years will probably do that to you. I don't think much was expected of this team this year, most certainly not an AFC Championship...so there's that I guess. Yes, it's still painful, especially the way they lost. Just not as jaw dropping Baltimore wide left painful. So there's that.
Walmart Wow – Kindle Fire $199 w/$50 GC
For those Tablet-capped, please note that this week at Walmart you can pick up a Kindle Fire for the regular price of $199...but also get a $50 Walmart card. So, that is not a bad deal at all...use it to buy an Amazon GC and have some books/videos!
More on PES
Oh so I forgot to mention I played the game and well, FIFA 12 is still much better. PES 2012 has online play so that's good; the 3D is good, the new touch controls don't feel that new compared to FIFA but the player models are nowhere near as good as in FIFA.
Futbol Games
On Thursday night, I get a call from dumbass chick from Gamestop letting me know that Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 will be arriving Friday.
So I go to Gamestop and have one of those experiences where I ask myself, "why do I go to Gamestop?" I go in, trade in PES 2011 for $5.00 + $0.50 (Thanks Power Up!) and say I'm here to pick up my preorder for PES 2012. Of course the clerk is like "we don't have that". And I'm like "your dumbass chick called me" and so he goes over to the 3DS section and comes back to me and says "is this what you're looking for" and he has a copy of the EXACT SAME GAME I'm trading in. And I say, no, that's the game I'm trading in. So then he types on the computer again, and still can't find it or figure it out. He asks the other guy and he says yes we have it but we can't sell it yet. I again repeat that dumbass chick called me and their own stupid release date sheet shows a street date of 2/1, but since I'm the only dumbass in the whole world that preordered it they shipped it ground and it showed up today. He insists he got it today for a next week release, and I again remind him that dumbass chick called. He then says 'he'll have to look it up on the computer" to see if the SKU is flagged restricted. I asked if they just scanned the UPC when they rang the game up. Apparently not. So they scan it and there's no restriction and 15 freaking minutes later, I finally have this game. Getting Resident Evil for 3DS and the Circle Pad and the Vita early release should be a freaking treat.
Skylanders
I hit the jackpot today at Wal-Mart, bought 2 new 3 packs and one individual one. Brought them home, now my son isn't interested. Great. Guess I'll sell $47 worth of Skylanders on eBay for $100.
Just kidding. I'm not an a-hole. I'll just return them unopened for a refund.
Wednesday Thoughts
Wow, looks like THQ is down for the count. Guess making shitty wrestling games only gets you so far.
In other news, you might not hear from Glen because he got into a new beta. I don't think I can tell you much except it's the third installment of a game that has been in beta sometime.
Is anyone else watching the commercials on YouTube before the Super Bowl? With all the commercials out of the way, I guess we just will have a game to watch. Watch the Honda/Broderick commercial and the VW/Beetle commercial. Funny stuff. Stay away from commercials with Leno in them.
Why would you put Madden 12 out for download on demand now? Wouldn't it have been better like in August? WTF?
Things that are going to be insanely overpriced: Facebook stock.
Friday Thoughts
1. Prince Fielder is not an Oriole. Not shocking.
2. Not sure what Glen is talking about re: The Show and Franchise mode, if anything I am more pumped for this game than I have been for a baseball game in some time....Of course I'm also buying a Vita.
3. Speaking of Vita, leave it to Sony to make you excited about about getting the console a week early and then f'ing said early adopters by giving the people who buy it a week later an 8GB card for FREE even though we're paying for ours. Awesome, I feel so much better about being an early adopter. They can at least throw us a Spiderman movie download (PSP reference there heh).
4. The whole MS used games thing -- you know I see some articles about the comparison to Apple and how digital downloads are cheap and great. You know what is also great about digital downloads on the Apple devices? I can use my Apple ID login on my kids ipod, my other kid iPhone, my iPad, my wife's iPhone and they can all play the games and I don't have to buy it 5 times. Unlike say Microsoft's policy on DLC. I have to spend $10 for my kid to play Madden online because we share the game but I've used the code. Stupid.
5. Boy you'd think with the Patriots in the Super Bowl there's be some coverage of it on Boston stations (heh). That's sarcasm, btw.
Things I get tired of hearing
Pundits complaing about why the no-TD wasn't reviewed, if in the same sentence they say it wouldn't have been overturned. Sorry, but it was pretty obvious it was incomplete. Besides the booth was pretty incompetent when you could see the heel of a Ravens player step out of bounds but yet it was called a TD anyway. Whatever. Hey here's a thought, don't miss obvious FGs and we don't have this lame ass conversation.
Wow.
I cannot believe the Patriots won that game. I really thought Baltimore had that TD at the end. And to miss that FG. Holy crap. What a game.
Year End Awards
Well, it's late January and I just realized, I hadn't posted my best sports games of 2012. This is Dan's list and Dan's only.
Football: All two games were broken and boring. If I'm forced to pick, I guess Madden, by default. I do enjoy Ultimate Team, I have to say. Okay, I'll go with Madden. (Remember Blitz was a 2012 game)
Futbol: Hands down, no question, FIFA 12 takes the award. I love it on the PC. I'm still playing it. Fantastic. Near perfect. PES on the console can't hold a candle.
Basketball: As much as I enjoy NBA2K12, the online just completely sucks. Therefore I have to pick the game I keep going back to the most, and that is NBA Jam. That game is on fire!
Hockey: NHL '12, no doubt in my mind. Excellent game, but why no PC port?
Racing: This is a hard one. Lots of games and lots of updates. Gran Turismo is a whole new game with that update and is awesome. Dirt 3 is awesome too. Forza 4 is very, very cool. NFS The Run has its moments. Driver SF is cool so is Motorstorm Apocolypse, especially in 3D. I think for the best true racing game, I'll go with Forza 4 and GT update as a strong runner up.
Baseball: I wasn't jumping up and down with either title this year, but I played the Show more than I played MLB2K. Online still is busted but the RTTS mode is always fun.
Best use of the 3DS in a Sports game: Draw between FIFA 12 and Pro Evolution Soccer. The only platform where PES gave FIFA a run for the money.
Licensed game I wish we'd see: NCAA Hockey.
Best Lacrosse Game: Like EA the same guy did the two lacrosse games for the Xbox. There's College Lacrosse and MLL 11. I went with MLL '11 because it's licensed and has pretty good stats. Not the best game I've ever played, but I've played a hell of a lot worse games for $5.
Platforms I dumped in 2011: Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP.
Platform I'm going to buy in 2012 but wish I didn't: PS Vita
Don't give up on this platform yet: Nintendo 3DS.
Best Kinect game: Kinect Sports Season Two. I like it. Sorry. It got reamed in the press. Glen hates it. I think it's cute, over quick and a fun game. Bite me.
Best Move game: Uhhhh.....
Most disappointing PC sports game: Tiger Woods '11. I subscribe to TW online and I enjoy it. So I thought I'd be getting a new product with the stand alone game. Nope. It's the same f'n game as it is online, except you get some cash, points and can play Augusta. Major disappointment.
Coolest Trend: Sports games are back on the PC. Who needs crap resolution and slow loading times when you can run it in SLI mode on an SSD drive? Thank you EA and 2K for giving us FIFA and MLB and NBA. Now can we just get NHL on here?
Well I think that covers most. Have any other requests?
Interesting
I do want the Patriots to win...but..if it doesn't go our way...the thought of the Baltimore Ravens playing the Super Bowl in Indianapolis is one of the ultimate F-yous to the Irsays...that would be a pretty great "so glad you took the team out in the middle of the night to have such a crappy record and by the way wanna give us our rings you a-hole" moment.
And yes I know, the Baltimore team was actually the Cleveland team, but hey, at least they didn't take Mayflower trucks in the middle of the night. 
If this is true, it would be awesome
The Kotaku resident Sports Guy, Owen Good, has found zombies in NFL Blitz and wonders if this is a precursor to a new Mutant League Football game.
Please, please please do that. Mutant League Hockey and Mutant League Football are two reasons why I still bring out the Sega Nomad to this day. Those are cool games, and you can bribe the ref. Or beat the crap out of him. Or accidentally fall into a hole on the playing field.
That would be cool, huh huh huh.
Skylanders
I bought my son the Skylanders Mega Pack from Best Buy for $79.99 on Black Friday...got it for Xmas for him. He enjoys it and the novelty is pretty cool. The only problem is that he wants more characters and you can't find them anywhere. Apparently they are the Cabbage Patch Kids of 2012. I've been to Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Toys R Us...and all the shelves are empty. The toys that sell normally for $7.99 are going for $50+ on eBay.
Wow. Did anyone else know they were this popular?
Friday Thoughts
Yes, Glen it is possible to be civil in politics. I just wish that Congress and the President would act civil as well.
In other news, iPad 2, rest in peace. I had an issue -- during the superstorm here in New England, last night, I tried to leave my car and picked up my iPad 2 out of my car. I guess I picked it up by the smart cover and it went flying out of my hand and slammed onto the cement floor of the garage. Can you say broken screen?
So I filed a claim on my SquareTrade ADH warranty..I've never had to file a claim before...guess we'll see.
I did have to decide if I could life without an iPad for weeks. I couldn't, so I went to Best Buy and picked up a new one -- this one is white, 64GB. There was only one problem -- they were open box units. And they were having an open box sale...so I got the $829 iPad for $700. Not bad . And of course 4x RewardZone points. I swapped the SIM cards from one to the other and there's my unlimited data plan!
Has anyone had experience with SquareTrade and filing a claim?
Tuesday Thoughts Long
1. Romney won here, although I'm not sure why. I kept my streak of voting going, although as a registered Dem, there really wasn't a lot to vote for. LOL. Kudos to Ron Paul for getting second, I'd have voted for him if I was on the GOP side (on the Dem side it would have counted under "write in" so I'll pass).
2. I traded in a 4 year old MacBook (not Pro) to Best Buy for $535. That's insane, considering it was like $1,000 in 2008. Who needs that buyback program. Thanks for the free Tivo Premiere Elite! And of course I bought the Mrs. a MacBook air for Xmas so everyone is happy. 4 tuners in one Tivo. 2TB HD Yes!
3. Tebow, not Tivo. LOL. Amazing game on Sunday. Will be very interesting on Saturday. Denver is always tough for NE so who knows what will/can happen?!
4. Only a month or so for the PS Vita. Meh. Mine's already bought thanks to a Wii console and game trade in. Like I'd play that anymore.
5. NHL - the BOS/VAN game over the weekend was awesome. The NHL's Shanahan doing a description of the reasons for the suspension of Marchand was dead on. The NHL has done a fantastic job explaining the suspensions and why they were given. Marchand can say he didn't mean it but it was rough. And I'm a Bruins fan. Of course I've never seen anything like tonight's WPG game -- each team had a penalty shot -- for dumb ass reasons. Penalty shots are not like soccer PKs -- they don't always go in. I'm not sure it's a good thing to have a penalty shot over a power play, but it sure is exciting. And of course the Bruins won.
6. I'd talk about sports games, If I was playing one. I finished the Gauntlet on Blitz. One man blitz seems to be the gimme play.
Contact Us
Riding the Pines Podcast
Search Amazon.com
What We’re Playing
Dan:
