The Madden Challenge Update

In case you forgot, I have entered the 2005 EA Sports Madden Challenge. It is officially less than a month until my regional and I have finally started my training. I have taken the next step in becoming the greatest champion that the Madden world has seen and I am on my way to not only winning the tournament, but also the hearts of America.

I went to a Buffalo Wild Wings on Sunday and watched an entire slate of NFL games. Clad in my Chad Johnson Bengals jersey, I was doing more than just partaking in an American pastime, I was scouting. I still don't have a team for the tournament yet, so I decided the best way to help narrow it down would be to find out who not to pick.

For instance, I'm not going to pick the Chicago Bears. I'm not neglecting the Bears to get under the skin of Dan Griffin (my ESPN Radio 970 co-host) or because I dislike the city of Chicago. I am not picking the Bears because after an afternoon of watching football, I found myself cheering the second Kyle Orton dropped back to pass, knowing that it wouldn't be completed and it probably was going to be picked.

Certainly, the argument could be made that I wouldn't have Orton has my quarterback, but let's face it — the Bears won't be heading to the Super Bowl. I also learned not to take the Bengals, mainly because their run defense is still atrocious. This game is based on last season for the most part, so while the Bengals may be heading to the Super Bowl, they still won't be strong enough in Madden '06 to win a regional. (Who dey! Okay, let's be real, most Cincy fans are overreacting, but cut them some slack, we've gone through a lot of losing. Right now, I'm just hoping for 10 wins.)

Okay, when it comes down to it, I really just watched an afternoon of football. If I really wanted to scout teams I should've watched tape from last year and anything else is my rationalization for watching an afternoon of football. Also, I have yet to actually play Madden '06, let alone play it for Xbox. The thing I have realized, however, is that I'm not going to win this tournament by focusing on things I'm not doing, that's a recipe for failure. I'm going to win by focusing on the positives, so I have to create them if they aren't readily apparent to me.

The one thing I have realized in the month since I have announced my entrance into the tournament is that I have to win this. Every success story, every single one of them, is filled with the protagonist working his butt off to accomplish his goal. The morale of the story is always the same: "If you want something bad enough and work hard enough, you can have it."

That's fine and all, but for once, I want to change that motto to, "If you want something, you can have it." Forget that whole working hard phase and forget wanting it so bad that it's all you think about. I need to win this just so every man can learn to believe that sometimes the cards just work out in your favor, and that sometimes, you can get what you want without breaking your back or the bank to get it. And you know what? Sometimes, we should get to do the touchdown dance without the 78-yard-run that precedes it. I have to win this, not to get me to believe, but so that you can believe.

I did have a few other random thoughts on the Madden Challenge:

1) It seems like every single winner so far has been younger than 17. I don't really know how this fares for me, but I think it's to my advantage that my mom doesn't have to drive me to the event.

2) It always scares me when two regional winners are in the same family. How can there be dominant families of video games? Do they just sit around playing Madden at family gatherings? Do they discuss strategies and playing styles?

3) I do realize one thing: I can't do this alone. I plan on assembling the best coaching staff that the Madden Challenge world has seen. I know that no one can coach me during the actual event, but it will be a big benefit to the development stages and the training between my regional and the finals. I haven't played the game yet, so the coaching will help, especially with game planning. A good staff is the key to success and the key to knocking off the 14-year-old with too much time on his hands. Of course, I will be the one that takes all the credit when I send that kid home crying.


SportsFan MagazineThe Sports Gospel According to Mark is sponsored by BetOnSports.com. BetOnSports.com gives you the greatest sports action to bet on. Wager on football, cricket, boxing, Rugby, horse racing, and more. Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].

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