This is The World According to Buchs - Keepin’ it moving since 2003!

This past Friday night, I participated in the latest of Craig’s Video Game Day tournaments. The game, once again, was Madden 2004. The twist was, the rosters were updated (by hand) to reflect the free-agent signings that have occured since the end of the season. Eariler last week, names were drawn at random to determine the picking order, and I was lucky enough to draw the #1 seed. In addition to picking first, that also meant that I was assured a seat at the Big TV (42″ Hi-Def), instead of playing on a 15-incher.

After giving it about 45 seconds of thought, I decided to go with the Eagles (Redskins were my next choice). I thought that the additions of T.O. and Kearse would make them pretty tough. The other guys stuck with their usual teams, for the most part.

In the first round, I was matched up against Joe, who usually (always) plays with Denver, and tends to run Clinton Portis for about 800 yards a game. This night, he went with the New Orleans Saints. That was his first mistake…

I jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the fist play from scrimmage - a 78-yard McNabb to Owens score, and followed that up later with another long bomb. I think I was up 21-7 after the first quarter, and still held a 10-point lead at the half.

(T.O. is pretty much unstoppable in this game. Double coverage, triple-coverage, doesn’t matter. I took full advanatage of his skillz all night.)

Anyways, the first-round game got down to the final 2 minutes, and I held an 11-point lead. Instead of kneeling on the ball and running down the clock, I foolishly tried to keep playing, and Duce Staley fumbled - which was quickly turned into a Saints TD. A few well-placed timeouts later, they had the ball back again, and I couldn’t stop McCallister. I lost by 3.

Thanks to an odd number of players, it was pre-determined that the person who lost their first game by the least number of points would get a spot in the second round. That was me.

In the second round, I played Craig and the Packers. To make this quick, at the end of the first half, I lead 49-7. I had 90 points by the end of the third quarter. In the end, I screwed around too much, and couldn’t break 100.

My opponent in the Championship was… New Orleans. Rematch.

Joe went with a ball-control offense, and I only ran 2 offensive plays in the first quarter. I trailed by 7 at the half. I’ll give him this much, he played a pretty good strategy. Halfway through the third quarter, I found a way to beat the 8 defensive backs he was playing, and broke it open. I led by 14 with a minute to go, and on his final play - a hail mary - I called the infamous “Punt Block” defense - 10 men rushing the passer. Just a brutal ending. I loved it.

What makes it the sweetest for me is that I play the game once every 4 months. These guys - Craig, in particular - play much more often than that.

So, in closing: HA HA HA HA HA HA.