http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/ Thu, 17 May 2012 13:28:37 +0000 86400 http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/nba-playoffs-preview-and-predictions-r122 NBA Playoffs Preview and Predictions:

So I know this is cheating because I had the advantage of watching the first game of each series, but I didn’t do it on purpose and had picks, as well as most of this article written before the games. In my defense, I’m lazy. I have done some editing based on what I saw over the weekend. For those of you who just want to use my awesome picks to make money in Vegas, you can skip to the end. If you have time to waste, read on.

East:

#1 Bulls vs #8 76ers (Bulls lead 1-0): The Bulls took game 1, but Derrick Rose tore his ACL in the final minutes of the game. He shouldn’t have been in the game at that point, but you can’t predict injuries or prevent them, and everyone looks like an expert the following day (I was thinking about just waiting until the playoffs were over and submitting my predictions so I could look like a genius). Sure, there is a time to take players out of the game, but it’s not a clear line, and a coach can’t be afraid to play his guys for fear of passing that line. This injury is really bad for the NBA because this year’s playoffs will be altered as a result, and Rose may never full regain the explosiveness that allows him to play in his style, which won him the MVP award last year. Anyway, my pick was for the Bulls to win this series, and I stand by that prediction. The Bulls can play well without Rose, as they’ve shown in the many games he’s missed this season. When looking at these playoffs, I thought Rose would need a series or two to get into “his groove” and then they might have a shot in the Eastern Conference Finals. The 76ers are a solid team and will keep the games close, but I’ll still take the Bulls in 6.

#2 Heat vs #7 Knicks (Heat lead 1-0): The Heat stomped the Knicks in game one. This doesn’t change my outlook on the series. The Knicks are dangerous because Carmelo is playing at a very high level and Chandler can protect the rim. Also, the crown in NYC will be crazy and help guys like J.R. Smith and Novak get going (on a side note, in an alternate reality where Lebron signed with the Knicks, how great would all of their home games been?!!?!). Having said that, as good as Lebron has played all year (soon to receive his third MVP trophy), he knows he has to step up in the playoffs, and I think he will. He is just too good. Heat in 5.

#3 Pacers vs #6 Magic (Magic lead 1-0): I don’t think anyone saw the Magic winning game one. I had the Magic down for a single win in the entire series, and that’s only because they can get hot from behind the arc. Coach Stan Van has been looking like an employee who already has his office packed up in one of those boxes with the handles cut into them. Their best player is out because of back surgery. I have no idea how they win other than going crazy from behind the arc and shooting about 50%. Since they won game one, I have to re-evaluate my decision. I think the Pacers have a balanced team with pretty good depth and will win the series. I will give Orlando an additional game. Pacers in 6.

#4 Celtics vs #5 Hawks (Hawks lead 1-0): First of all, I don’t understand why the Celtics get the higher seed, but Hawks have home court advantage. I realize it’s this way because the Celtics won their division, but if you’re going to give home court advantage to the team with the best record anyway, why give the Celtics a higher seed? Anyway, the Hawks win game one and Rondo bumps an official. I don’t trust the Hawks, and the Celtics have been playing great to close out the regular season. I’m not sure Rondo’s status for game two, but I’m still hanging with the Celtics in this series. I think it goes 7 games and ironically, home court advantage doesn’t matter. Celtics in 7.

Round #2:

#1 Bulls vs #4 Celtics: The Bulls are a solid team without Rose, but the Celtics are well coached and have one last run in them. Rondo can do just about anything he wants on the court, except make an open shot or not look like an alien. KG, Pierce, and Allen can all, somehow, still play. If Rose has functional ACLs, this goes a different way, but as it stands, I’ll take the Celtics in 6 games.

#2 Heat vs #3 Pacers: I love what the Pacers have done this year and think they’ll be pests in years to come, but they aren’t ready yet. Lebron and the Heat will be rolling. This one is a sweep, no game within 10 points, and players will be laughing and farting on the bench well before the final buzzer sounds. Heat in 4.

Eastern Conference Finals:

#2 Heat vs #4 Celtics: The Heat will have extra rest from finishing their series multiple days before the Celtics. The C’s will be tired from back-to-back hard fought series with the Hawks and Bulls. They will find a way to win a single game, probably because of a 20-20-20 game from Rondo, but the Heat click and breeze into the finals. Also, there are questions about the supporting pieces on this team and their late game line-up. I have a theory that while it appears that they don’t have a rotation or end of the game line-up, they actually do, but Spoelstra is waiting to break it out until the playoffs. Yeah, that’s what I’ll tell myself. Anyway, Heat in 5.

West: (For the record, I feel completely lost and have no idea what will happen. Here we go)

#1 Spurs vs #8 Jazz (Spurs lead 1-0): This Spurs team is playing some of the best “team basketball” I think we’ve since in the last few years. Pops has a system and he plugs guys in, and asks guys to step up when needed, and they do so without hesitation. This year, Parker has taken control of this team and deserves to be in the MVP conversation. But what’s just as impressive to me is how Duncan and Manu have allowed it to happen and do everything they can to make the team better, even if that mean taking a smaller role. They cruised to the best record in the league (tied with the Bulls) and Pops limited the minutes and games of his aging stars. I like the way the Jazz played in game one, but they have no chance. I want to call it a sweep (and think Pops might push for a sweep to get some extra rest before having to face the team that escapes the Clips/Grizz match-up, which will be a long series) but have to think the Jazz win a game with how hard they play. Spurs in 5.

#2 Thunder vs #7 Mavericks (Thunder lead 1-0): The first game was incredible. Durant’s winning shot was impossible, but it seems like he can make those all the time. I think the Thunder got the short end of this match-up. Having to go up against the defending champs, who have really just cruised all year, and Dirk really didn’t seem to have motivation coming off of his crazy playoff/title run/win last year (he took multiple game off this season to “work on his conditioning”). They are going to be a handful for this young Thunder team, but the Thunder will get it done. I want to say 6 games, but I’m not sure if they can close it out on the road. I’m going with Thunder in 7.

#3 Lakers vs #6 Nuggets (Lakers lead 1-0): This Lakers team is no joke. Kobe is rested and ready to play, Bynum is a beast (triple double with 10 blocks (a playoff record) in game one), and Pau might show up this year. The Nuggets have a deep rotation (thanks Melo) and it’s tough for other teams to play in Denver, so they maybe win a home game. The Lakers are too good and won’t lose at home. Lakers in 5.

#4 Grizzlies vs #5 Clippers (Clippers lead 1-0): The comeback in game one might have been the best in playoff history (down 24 with 8 minutes to go). It was unbelievable, especially with Tony Allen as such an elite defender. Chris Paul has a gear that he can’t use all game long, but when he shifts into it, he can take over a game. It also helps when Nick Young comes off the bench and rains wide open 3’s created by CP3. I had picked the Grizzlies to win this series, and it would seem gutless to go against them now. However, with home court now in their favor, and because I’m gutless, it’s hard not to go with them. This feels like either a Clippers in 6 or Grizzlies in 7. For the sake of the Spurs (since the Grizzlies are a bad match-up and beat them last year), I’m going to say Clippers take this one. Clippers in 6 games? I’m Ron Burgundy?

Round #2:

#1 Spurs vs #5 Clippers: This series would feature awesome match-ups between Parker/Paul and Duncan/Griffin. Coaching will be a big part of this series and Pops is about a million times the coach Vinny Del Negro is. I assume the Spurs will be rested and ready to go for this series. Despite some great games from CP3, I’ll take the 3 awesome Griffin dunks and the Spurs in 5.

#2 Thunder vs #3 Lakers: This is another series where I’m completely lost. Each team can look invincible at times. When the Thunder are rolling and making jump shots, no one can hang with them. However, when they aren’t making jumpers, they keep shooting and stall. The Lakers will be able to go inside. Their size and the Thunder’s lack of experience is going to be the deciding factor. Lakers in 6.

Western Conference Finals:

#1 Spurs vs #3 Lakers: This would be great to see. Two all time greats fighting for the chance to get a shot at another ring. Duncan is obviously not the same guy he was, but he has found his role. Kobe has a different game now and still finds a way to get it done. IF Bynum keeps playing at the level he is at, he swings this series. For the record, I very much dislike them, but I’ll take the Lakers in 6.

NBA Finals:

#2 Heat vs #3 Lakers: This is the match-up everybody (especially Nike) wanted in 2009, before the Magic ruined things by beating the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals. Kobe vs Lebron. It will obviously be different, considering the pieces around them this year, and Kobe’s age, but still fun to watch. Lebron has a chance to quiet (not silence) his critics, and Kobe has a chance at immortality. He’d have as many rings as Jordan. I haven’t kept it a secret that I think Lebron is the best basketball player alive. I think he begins chasing after the greats by getting his first ring this year. I don’t know how many he’ll get when it’s all said and done (if any), but he’s too good not to be in the running every year. There’s a reason he puts up such great numbers and has will soon have his third MVP Trophy; he’s that good. Ideally this series lasts 7 games and comes down to the final possession. I’m still going to pick the Heat in 6 games. Fuck it. I’ll take the Heat in 7 on a Lebron game winner.

Enjoy watching this year’s playoffs. I know I will. If you didn’t want to read the whole article, here are my picks:

[size=3]Round 1: [/size]
Chi/Phi - Chicago in 6
Mia/NY - Miami in 5
Ind/Orl - Indiana in 6
Bos/Atl - Boston in 7
SA/Utah - San Antonio in 5
LAL/Den - Lakers in 5
OKC/Dal - OKC in 7
LAC/Mem - LAC in 7

Round 2:
Chi/Bos - Boston in 6
Mia/Ind - Miami in 4
SA/LAC - San Antonio in 5
OKC/LAL - Lakers in 6

Conference Finals:
Mia/Bos - Miami in 5
SA/LAL - Lakers in 6

Finals:
Mia/LAL - Miami in 6 7]]> Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:27:36 +0000 3b712de48137572f3849aabd5666a4e3 http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/final-four-previews-and-predictions-r104
Green Hat Bragging:

I’m sorry, but this must be pointed out. If anyone took the time to read my Sweet Sixteen Previews and Predictions article, I went 8/8, highlighted by a scary one point miss on the 64-63 Syracuse win (I had 65-63). While I didn’t go into detail on the Elite Eight, my Final Four picks from previous articles implied which teams would win, and only North Carolina let me down (but did they even have a chance without Kendall Marshall?). So, that’s 11/12 this weekend. Okay, bragging over.

What Happened to the other #1 Seeds?

We’ll start off with #1 seed Michigan State getting beat by #4 seed Louisville. Was Louisville the better team? No, but the pace of the game and the pressure was too much for MSU and it took them out of their game. I think the real storyline is that MSU was overrated. They began the season unranked and Coach Tom Izzo proved to be a wizard to get them that #1 seed. They played a brutal schedule, which pitted them against 11 ranked teams in the regular season, before playing out of their minds (just after losing Branden Dawson to an ACL tear) to win the Big Ten Conference Tournament. Dawson, with his athleticism and versatility, could have been a big help against the pressure of Louisville. MSU looked tired and timid in the loss, which is why they find themselves watching from home and making the same excuses I’m making for them right now.

Next we move to #1 seed Syracuse falling to #2 seed Ohio State in the Elite Eight match-up. It was only a matter of time before the absence of Fab Melo hurt the Cuse. They got crushed on the boards, which someone (okay, last brag) pointed out to be a major flaw, 37-22. For those who don’t have an abacus or graphing calculator, that’s a 25 rebound difference. Guess what? You don’t win games when you get out-rebounded by 25. You can never account for injuries or ineligible players, and the selection committee may have downgraded their seed if they knew Fab Melo would be out, but they weren’t a true #1 seed without him. Only a crazy Syracuse fan (lapman) would have picked them to win without the anchor of their defense.

Finally we look at #1 seed North Carolina falling to #2 seed Kansas in their Elite Eight match-up. UNC just squeaked by #13 seed Ohio, so I don’t think anyone was very confident in their chances to beat Kansas without injured point guard Kendall Marshall. His back-up, Stilman White, didn’t even play that bad, he just couldn’t create the way Marshall could have, which is important when you need to distribute the ball to the five Tar Heels that can score and will soon be playing in the NBA. Credit Kansas Coach Bill Self for taking a team that lost four of it’s starting five from last year and leading them to a #2 Seed, and switching to a triangle and two zone defense that stalled UNC near the end that game to secure a spot in the Final Four.

Final Four Previews and Predictions:

#1 seed Kentucky vs #4 seed Louisville: I’m going to try to formulate an argument to show that Louisville has a chance in this match-up. Let’s pretend they have the coaching edge (stay with me) because Rick Pitino has 616 career wins, is now in his 6^th Final Four, and has won a national championship. His players also rely on a balanced team game to win and three upperclassmen at the guard positions to lead them. Kentucky has talented young players and could become overwhelmed by the moment, Louisville’s pressure, and inexperience, since they (the guys who play) are all freshmen and sophomores. There is also a chance that if Kentucky wins, the game and even the season might be vacated within the next few years (which happened in to their 96’ tournament run because of Marcus Camby accepting cash/gifts and their entire 07’-08’ season because Derrick Rose had someone take his SATs for him). I’m opening rooting for Louisville, but can’t bring myself to pick them. Final Score: Kentucky 72, Louisville 57

#2 Seed Ohio State vs #2 Seed Kansas: This is a much more interesting match-up. These teams played earlier this season and KU won 78-67. However, OSU was without Jared Sullinger. I love how Kansas is playing, but Sullinger is a beast inside and Aaron Craft (OSU’s point guard) is a relentless defender who will make KU’s point guard Tyshawn Taylor work for everything he gets. I think this will be a close game all the way down to the very end, but Ohio State will get the chance to challenge Kentucky for the national championship. Final Score: Ohio State 74, Kansas 70

This will set up Kentucky vs Ohio State in the national championship game. There is nothing more fun or exciting than a close, competitive national championship game, but Kentucky is too good to let that happen. While young, they are the most efficient team in the country on offense and defense. Coach Cal often says that they have seven players that averaged 25 points per game in high school and each have led the team in scoring in at least one game this season, but they are all completely unselfish and play together. This may be the best college basketball team off all time (let that sink in). Congrats Ohio State for getting this far, but this has been Kentucky’s season since they beat North Carolina early in the year, and they’ve only improved since then. Final Score: Kentucky 83, Ohio State 65

This will most likely conclude my series of articles covering the tournament, unless something special happens this weekend that compels me to write one more. Thanks for reading. BYGH out.]]> Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:36:40 +0000 4da04049a062f5adfe81b67dd755cecc http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/sweet-sixteen-previews-and-predictions-r102
#1 Syracuse vs #4 Wisconsin: I took Syracuse out of my Final Four when Fab Melo was ruled ineligible, but they seemed to have adjusted by their second game of the tournament. They’re well coached and have solid guards. As I say in every article, I don’t like Wisconsin. They play so slow and their offense can stall, but a patient offense might be able to find the holes in the Syracuse zone defense without Fab as the anchor in the middle. I still think Syracuse takes this, but it’ll be very close. Final Score: Syracuse 65, Wisconsin 63

#1 Michigan State vs #4 Louisville: This is going to be a great match-up. Both teams have great coaches, but I think that Izzo is more adaptable in-game. However, despite being an underdog, I like this Louisville team to put on strong defensive pressure and win a close game over the #1 seed. Final Score: Louisville 69, Michigan State 65

#2 Ohio State vs #6 Cincinnati: I have a bias for the Big East, so I really want to pick Cincinnati in this game, but I did pick Ohio State as a Final Four team, and they have more talent. Ohio State also has great balance inside and outside. When they needed clutch baskets at the end of the Gonzaga (who played awesome by the way) game, they got it inside to Sullinger, and he did work. However, to beat Cincinnati, he’s going to have to get more rebounds (than the 4 he had against the Zags) and their team can’t get out-rebounded (like they did by 5 against the Zags). Final Score: Ohio State 71, Cincinnati 60

#3 Marquette vs #7 Florida: I’ve made no secret that I like Florida and think they’re underrated. Marquette is slightly favored in this game, but I think Florida is due for a hot 3-point shooting game. For more of my thoughts, here is a question I posed to former Ohio State Bench Warmer, Mark Titus on Grandland.com (mine is the second question). Final Score: Florida 82, Marquette 74

#3 Baylor vs #10 Xavier: Baylor is an odd team and their reputation is that they’re inconsistent, but I believe that there are certain teams that have their number. They’ve lost 6 times this year. Three times to a strong Missouri team (that’s no longer in the tournament), twice to a strong Kansas team (that they wouldn’t see until the championship game), and an alright Iowa State team (that’s no longer in the tournament). The strange thing is that their best player, Perry Jones III, who averages just over 13 points per game, scored 2 and 7 respectively, in each of their tournament games. However, Brady Heslip has been unconscious from behind the arc, going a combined 14-22 on three pointers in their first two games of the tournament. He’s got the confidence right now of George Clooney hitting on a cocktail waitress. While Xavier has played well, I think Brady continues to shoot well, but the extra attention he’ll attract will open thinks up for PJ3, who will have a big game. Final Score: Baylor 80, Xavier 68

#1 North Carolina vs #13 Ohio: Do I really have to justify this one? It’s North Carolina, and I don’t care if Kendall Marshall isn’t playing, they aren’t losing to Ohio. However, I don’t think UNC is going to kill them, because without Marshall, the game will slow down. Final Score: North Carolina 59, Ohio 50

#1 Kentucky vs #4 Indiana: I suspect the committee didn’t put these teams in the same bracket as an accident. In their meeting during the regular season, Indiana beat Kentucky on a buzzer beater, which was Kentucky’s only loss during the regular season. This led to Kentucky rattling off 24 wins in a row before falling to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament. Ignoring that Kentucky has the best talent and healthiest team, I have a feeling they’re primed to rattle off another 24 wins. Since they’ve already won twice since the loss to Vandy, after they beat Indiana, they’re going to go on to win the tournament and the first 18 games next season. Final score: Kentucky 77, Indiana 67

#2 Kansas vs #11 N.C. State: N.C. State is hardly a Cinderella, since they come from a power conference. I think they have a lot of talent, but Kansas earned the #2 seed for a reason. Kansas probably got their “scare game” out of the way last week against Purdue, and won’t be messing around this week with N.C. State. Final Score: Kansas 75, N.C. State 63

I feel a little dirty for basically going with the favorites in all of these games (besides Louisville; Marquette/Florida is basically a toss-up), but this is how I believe they will play out. I’d call for more upsets, but I think at this point of the tournament, no team is being overlooked, so the better teams should win.

I will be writing multiple articles during the tournament. Next I’ll be reflecting on the outcomes of the Sweet Sixteen and look at how my predictions turned out. Thanks for reading. BYGH out.]]> Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:34:44 +0000 c667d53acd899a97a85de0c201ba99be http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/was-your-bracket-busted-lets-review-r101 HOW AMAZING AND UPREDICTABLE THIS FIRST WEEKEND OF MARCH MADNESS WAS!!!! Many a bracket was busted. Let’s take a look at what happened. To try to make this less confusing, I’m breaking it into sections.

Post First Four; Pre Field of 64:

I’m not a fan of the First Four, but I thoroughly enjoyed the two games I watched. Iona lit up BYU in the first half and I was sure they were going to win, but someone reminded BYU that it wasn’t Sunday and they were allowed to play. They overcame the 26 point deficit and earned the right to be the sacrificial lamb cougar for Marquette. The next game featured USF playing suffocating defense, and Cal could do figuratively nothing. It was like watching Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon trying to get out of the straight jacket, only Cal didn’t know how to dislocate his shoulder. While watching that game, I felt like USF could lock-down any team in the country and might have a real chance in the big dance.

This reminds me why I never pick a great bracket, and that no one really does. We like teams that we see play well. It’s impossible, even for the biggest of college basketball fans, or even analysts, to watch every game. If you happen to see a few games of a team where they play well, you’re going to think that’s how they always play. Conversely, if you see a team play poorly, you’ll assume that’s who they are. For example, I’ve only seen Wisconsin play like a bag of ***holes this year, so they’ll probably outperform my expectations, and I’ve only seen Louisville play great, so they’ll be sure to exit early.

I found out that for $3.99, it’s possible to watch all the games on your computer, ipad, iphone, ibook, ifart, ioverdoit, and android devices. This is the easiest financial decision I think I’ve ever made. My production at work may or may not suffer. Also, I know this has been around for a few years, but the “boss button,” which allows you to click and a spreadsheet opens for your boss to admire if he (or she (but probably he)) walks by, is on par with the microwave and breasts as the greatest things ever created.

After Four Days of Awesome Basketball; Thur-Sun:

I started breaking down every game I saw, but then it was obvious that this article would be so long that Tommy Lee would be jealous. Instead, I’ll point out what caught my eye. Forget I said anything about Tommy Lee.

The two teams that I was most sad to see fall in the round of 32 were Murray State and Kansas State, both solid teams that fell to superior teams, and each had something that I amused myself with while watching them play. First, every time anyone says “Murray…,” before they get out “…State,” I like to say “present.” This is a stupid reference to Flight of the Concords and makes me giggle every time. Second, I like Kansas State not only because of psycho coach Frank Martin, but because their best player is Rodney McGruder (who dropped 30 in their win over Southern Miss), who I can’t help but yell “McGruder!!!,” (like MacGruber from SNL) every time he scores, which is often. The tournament will be slightly less fun without these small pleasures.

Keeping with the theme of twos that I wish were still in the tournament, players Robbie Hummel of Purdue and Kyle O’Quinn of Norfolk State are great guys with great stories. Hummel just played his last game as a Boilermaker in a heartbreaking loss to Kansas, after five years and two ACL tears. O’Quinn had the biggest game of his career and helped the only school in the country to offer him a scholarship do something special, which I’ll get to next.

This should have been the first point, but along with poor grammar, my unpredictable style is how I’m going to differentiate myself from other article writers. Coming into this year, only four times had a #15 seed upset a #2 seed in tournament. On Friday is happened twice. Norfolk State upset Missouri and Lehigh upset Duke. This busted many brackets since Missouri was a popular pick for the Final Four, and Duke fans think they’re going to win every year no matter what. The strange thing about these upsets is that it didn’t feel like a fluke. It wasn’t as though one team collapsed while the other team hit a bunch of lucky shots. They were both great games to watch, and if you didn’t know the seeds or the teams, I don’t think you’d be able to tell which team was the #2 seed. Unfortunately, both #15 seeds lost on Sunday and failed to make the Sweet Sixteen.

It feels like there has been more complaining about the officiating than usual; especially in the Syracuse/N.C. Asheville game. I understand that it looks like some calls went Syracuse’s way, but that’s going to happen in games. The rules are supposed to be black or white (just like the players) and it seems like the job of the official should be straightforward, but during game play it’s almost impossible to call about half of the block/charge situations with any certainty, and there are calls that just aren’t going to be made at the end of a game that might be called during the beginning. Officiating is a hard job and complaining about officiating is an easy one. Stop complaining; they’re doing the best they can.

Here are a few quick facts that should be pointed out. All the #1 seeds are still alive. No #5/#12 seeds remain. A #10 (Xavier), #11 (N.C. State), and #13 (Ohio) seed remain. #1 seed North Carolina took a big hit with Kendall Marshall breaking his wrist. #7 seed Florida won the first two games by a combined 60 points.

Some Things I Got Right and the Many Things I Got Wrong:

In my “how to pick a perfect bracket” article, ignoring my examples (which were awful), I messed up by automatically advancing the #1, #2, and #3 seeds, since two of the #2 seeds lost their first game. I then thought only one #3 seed would not reach the Sweet Sixteen, but two of the #3 seeds lost. I suggested that there would be two upsets in each of the 5/12, 6/11, 7/10, and 8/9 games. I was only wrong on the 8/9 match-up, where there was only one upset. Not too shabby, but you were probably better off just picking higher seeds as recommended, as evidenced by failure of my example picks.

In my “things to consider” article, I tried to identify some Cinderella teams, which didn’t pan out. Long Beach State and Harvard both fell in their first game. Only one of my “teams to watch out for” is still alive. #9 seed Connecticut fell easily, but #7 seed Florida is looking pretty strong. Luckily, my Final Four is still alive, consisting of Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, and Ohio State.

I will be writing multiple articles during the tournament. Before the Sweet Sixteen starts, I’ll post a preview, make some predictions, and contradict myself as much as possible. Thanks for reading. BYGH out.]]> Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:21:51 +0000 c6bff625bdb0393992c9d4db0c6bbe45 http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/batman-arkham-city-tournament-finals-results-r100

SG Jango vs. Rewfus in a best of 5 showdown. Who will be crowned the Dark Knight of SG?

1. Fun House Brawl: Combat Challenge - Using Batman
2. Lost City: Predator Challenge - Using Catwoman
3. Prison Riot: Combat Challenge - Using Catwoman
4. Top of the World: Predator Challenge - Using Batman
5. End of the Line: Predator Challenge - Using Batman(this will be the tie breaker if nec.)

Post the final scores in here complete with pictures. Final scores can be posted no later than 3/19 @ 11:59pm.

FINAL SCORES

SG Jango

1. Fun House Brawl: Combat Challenge - Using Batman - 87590
2. Lost City: Predator Challenge - Using Catwoman - 2:32:82
3. Prison Riot: Combat Challenge - Using Catwoman - 67960
4. Top of the World: Predator Challenge - Using Batman - 1:49:63
5. End of the Line: Predator Challenge - Using Batman(this will be the tie breaker if nec.) - 2:20:84

Rewfus

1. Fun House Brawl: Combat Challenge - Using Batman - NO CONTEST
2. Lost City: Predator Challenge - Using Catwoman - 1:59:41
3. Prison Riot: Combat Challenge - Using Catwoman - NO CONTEST
4. Top of the World: Predator Challenge - Using Batman - 1:46:93
5. End of the Line: Predator Challenge - Using Batman(this will be the tie breaker if nec.) - 1:18:85


REWFUS WINS!!!!! Contrats Rewfus!]]> Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:53:21 +0000 1e6e0a04d20f50967c64dac2d639a577 http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/things-to-consider-before-submitting-your-march-r98
Here is a look at some of the top teams. We’ll start with Kentucky, the overall #1 seed. They’re that seed for a reason. They’ve got the best player in college basketball in Anthony Davis, and arguably the second best player in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. They have another top 20 player, Terrence Jones, and few more guys who will play in the NBA in the coming years. While Coach John Calapari is known more for his recruiting, the guy can coach in-game as well. He’s taken teams to the Final Four on three occasions, although two have been vacated due to NCAA violations. No team can match up with them athletically, but I think Baylor, who they could see in the Elite Eight, has the best chance. The real way to try to compete with Kentucky is to try to slow them down with a solid zone defense. The only team that has that is Syracuse, who they’d only meet in the championship game.

This brings me to Syracuse. They have a great defense, solid guards, and legit 7-0 center in Fab Melo. While I was writing this, it was just announced that Fab Melo is ineligible for the tournament. Ouch. They’re well coached by Jim Boeheim, who’s been to the Final Four on three occasions, and won in a National Championship in 2003. However, Syracuse has a flaw that they’ve been lucky enough to overcome all year. They can’t rebound. They are getting out-rebounded by opponents by almost two per game, which is unheard of for a #1 seed. Each of the other #1 seeds is out-rebounding opponents by over seven per game. North Carolina is out-rebounding opponents by almost 11 per game. In addition to this, their zone defense can allow for some open outside shots. In the tournament, if a team gets hot, they can beat Syracuse by hitting 3’s. I still like Syracuse to make the Final Four, but they have weaknesses. With Fab Melo out, I have changed my bracket and see them falling before the Final Four, unless of course Bill Simmon’s “Ewing Theory” kicks in and the adversity of losing their top player (apologies to Kris Joseph and Dion Waiters) rallies them to over-achieve. Maybe "top player" is the incorrect title. I change this to "most important" player. He anchors that zone defense and is the only guy who rebounds.

This brings us to North Carolina, who is a scary team. Their roster is full of future NBA players (six possible first round picks in this year’s draft) and they have one of the best coaches of all-time. Coach Roy Williams has been to the Final Four on seven occasions and has won two National Championships. One concern is that John Henson hasn’t played in the last two games due to injury, but says he’ll be ready to go when the tournament kicks off. I think this team has the clearest path to the Final Four.

Michigan State is the final #1 seed. I don’t know as much about them as I should, probably because they weren’t ranked coming into the season. The job Tom Izzo has done with this squad is incredible. This isn’t surprising because he’s a great coach. He has taken six teams to the Final Four and has won one National Championship. Digger Phelps says that this team is the lock to make the Final Four, and although I respect his highlighter/tie game, I have to disagree. They don’t have the star players and have the most unpredictable region to battle through. They have to fight through under-seeded #8 Memphis in the second round, a #4 seed Louisville team that just won the Big East tournament in the Sweet Sixteen, and there are four teams in the bottom of the West bracket they could meet in the Elite Eight that are all dangerous. Missouri, Florida, Marquette, and Murray State could all make a run and win the whole tournament.

Next I’m going to try to identify this year’s “Cinderella” team. First we have to determine what a Cinderella team is. I think they must be ranked #11 or higher and can’t be from a power conference. This year, I think we have to pick one of the unpredictable regions. As previously mentioned, I think the West is open, and now that Fab Melo is out for Syracuse, I think the East is also open. In the West, the possible Cinderella team is #11 seed Long Beach State. If you’re going to have a puncher’s chance, you need your team leader to be an experienced guard. LBS has this in senior guard Casper Ware. From the East, I don’t love anyone’s chances. I’ll take Harvard because they would be the ultimate Cinderella team as they haven’t made the tournament in 66 years. They also have the benefit of a possible let down against Vanderbilt after their huge upset against Kentucky in the SEC tournament. Wisconsin would be their next hurdle, who can play poorly at times (I’ll wager on them if I have to, and they’ll be sure to lose). Then they could get a Syracuse team without their center. If you want a Cinderella team, go with Long Beach State or Harvard.

Next I’m going to give you two teams to watch out for. #9 seed Connecticut in the South region is coached by Jim Calhoun, who’s won three National Championships. He has two top ten NBA draft prospects in Andre Drummon and Jeremy Lamb. When going into the tournament, you want great coaching and future pros. This team has both. The only down side is that they’ll have to face Kentucky in the second round. Another team with great coaching and future pros is Florida. Billy Donovan won back to back National Championships in 2006 and 2007, and has top ten NBA draft prospect Bradley Beal and first round draft prospect Patric Young. This Florida team has the potential to beat some great teams in the West region to make the Final Four.

I’ve given a lot of possible outcomes based on selective reasoning; you could make an argument for just about any team. Keep in mind, as I stated in my previous article, safe money is to go with the higher seeds. There is no true way to predict this tournament, which is why it’s so exciting.

I may change my mind before things officially begin on Thursday, but I’m going to give you my Final Four. I have #1 seed Kentucky, #4 seed Louisville, #2 seed Ohio State, and #1 seed North Carolina. I would have had Syracuse over Ohio State had Fab Melo not been ruled ineligible. I don’t feel good about Louisville at all, but that region is too confusing for me and I like Rick Pitino’s coaching style, as well as upperclassmen at the guard positions (Peyton Siva, Kyle Kuric, and Chris Smith), and a force at center (Gorgui Dieng). Also, if you’ll remember last year, the team that went on an unexpected run to win the Big East tournament (Connecticut) rode that hot streak and won the National Championship.

I will be writing multiple articles during the tournament. After the first weekend I’ll be reflecting on some of the surprises and storylines, as well as pointing out some things I got right and the many things I got wrong. Thanks for reading. BYGH out]]> Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:57:08 +0000 0e65972dce68dad4d52d063967f0a705 http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/how-to-pick-a-perfect-march-madness-bracket-r97
I have come up with a formula to try to pick a perfect bracket for first weekend of March Madness based on recent trends over the past four year. During this span, only a single top 3 seed has lost an opening round game. Five #4 seeds have fallen, and when it comes to #5, #6, #7, and #8 seeds, it’s essentially a toss-us. If picking from a purely historical statistical rational (based on the past four years), assume all #1, #2, and #3 seeds will win in the first round, and then you should pick a single #4 over a #13, and finally pick two upsets in each of the #5/#12, #6/#11, #7/#10, and #8/#9 match-ups. Again, according to recent trends, in the second round, a #1 seed will fall once every other year (which happened last year, so go with the #1 seeds this year), there will likely be a single upset of a #7/#10 over a #2, and a single upset of a #6/#11 over a #3. The #4/#13 vs #5/#12 match-ups in the second round are a mess, so flip a coin. The problem here is that we have no idea where the upsets will take place, so if you want to win a bracket with your friends (and they will hate you for this), just pick all the higher seeds and the odds will be in your favor. If you want to be bold and go for the perfect bracket, try to decipher my previous ramblings. Based on this logic, here is my example for the first weekend of the 2012 NCAA Tournament:

Since we’re deciding that all the #1, #2, and #3 seeds will win, we have to identify the #4 seed that will lose in the first round. I think they’re all going to win, but based on my crazy logic, one of them must lose, so I’m going with #13 Montana to upset #4 Wisconsin. Wisconsin can play poorly at times, especially when I wager on them, so I could see them choking early.

The strongest #5 seeds are Wichita State and Vanderbilt (who just beat #1 overall Kentucky), so they advance, which means #5 seeds New Mexico and Temple need to fall to #12 seeds Long Beach State and Cal/USF (which will be USF, who is a dangerous team) respectively. This will get boring, but we have to do the same thing with the #6, #7, and #8 seeds. #6 seeds Murray State and Cincinnati get wins. #11 N.C. State is too strong for #6 San Diego State, and while I’m not in love with #11 Colorado, if a team is going to take a dive, it’s a team from Vegas, #6 UNLV.

#7 Notre Dame over #10 Xavier. #7 Florida over #10 Virginia. #10 Purdue over #7 Saint Mary’s. #10 West Virginia over #7 Gonzaga. #8 Memphis over #9 Saint Louis. #8 Kansas State over #9 Southern Miss. #9 UConn over #8 Iowa State. #9 Alabama over #8 Creighton.

For the second round (Saturday and Sunday of the first weekend), we’re going to automatically advance the #1 seeds Kentucky, North Carolina, Syracuse, and Michigan State to the sweet sixteen, and then decide which #2 seed is most vulnerable, and pick them to lose their second round match-up. I’m having a hard time choosing, but I feel like #7 Florida has a puncher’s chance against #2 Missouri. The other #2 seeds Duke, Ohio State, and Kansas advance to the sweet sixteen. We then pick the #3 seed that is the weakest, or going up against the strongest #6 seed in the second round. I’m on the #6 Murray (present) State bandwagon and am making a pick with my heart and taking them over #3 Marquette. The other #3 seeds Baylor, Florida State, and Georgetown advance to the sweet sixteen.
Coin flipping determines the rest of the action. #5 Witchita State over #4 Indiana. #5 Vanderbilt over #13 Montana. #4 Louisville over #12 Long Beach State. #12 Cal/USF over #4 Michigan.

Now, I must say again that to try to win a bracket, you can't pick this many upsets and you should go with the higher seeds, but if you want to go for the perfect bracket, you have to take some chances.

I will be writing multiple articles during the tournament. Before the field of 64 begins play on Thursday, I plan to put up another piece that points out some strengths and weaknesses of the top teams, tries to identify this year's "Cinderella" team, and breaks down which teams and players are getting hot at the right time and could be dangerous. Thanks for reading. BYGH out.]]> Mon, 12 Mar 2012 02:40:55 +0000 85d8ce590ad8981ca2c8286f79f59954 http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/board-game-spotlight-the-settlers-of-catan-r95 Designed by Klaus Teuber
Published by Mayfair Games (1995)

The Settlers of Catan is one of the most important board games of the past 20 years. It's influence has brought the American board game industry from a niche market dominated by the same games that had been popular for decades to a market that sees thousands of new titles released every year and is staring to break into the mainstream. The board game industry today owes a lot to The Settlers of Catan and the 'Euro-Game' revolution it started.

The goal in The Settlers of Catan is to be the first to accumulate 10 victory points. Victory points are acquired primarily through building settlements and cities, but also through drawing special cards and building roads. Roads, settlements, cities, and cards are purchased with resources. Resources are gained mainly by controlling points on the map with your settlements and cities and having the adjacent tiles 'produce' their resources on a roll of two dice at the start of each turn.

The map is built randomly each game from a set of hex tiles, the bulk of which correspond to one of the five resources in the game (Lumber, Ore, Wheat, Brick, and Sheep). After the map is assembled, each tile is marked with a number between 2 and 12 (except 7). At the start of each player's turn, they roll two six-sided dice. The number that comes up determines which tile or tiles produce resources that turn. Each player with a city or settlement on the edge of the tiles that produce get the resources for that tile. The player who rolled then may trade resources with other players and then may discard sets of resources to build structures or buy cards.

Confused? It's not as complicated as my brief description may make it seem, but it can still be tough to conceptualize without being able to see the game in front of you. Once you understand all the basic gameplay mechanisms each turn can flow quickly. The game starts with each player having just two settlements each with an adjoining road. As resources are produced, players can expand their road network and build more settlements, which allow them to collect more resources. More resources mean more building, and so the cycle continues until someone builds enough to win.

So what's fun about it? There are a few aspects to the design that keep things interesting. For one, you can gain resources on any turn, so each die roll is of interest to all players, whether it's their turn or not. Also, each player may trade resources with other players on their turn, so every turn you'll have the opportunity to try to make a trade. Every player is engaged on every turn.

Of course, none of that would matter if that gameplay itself wasn't any good. There's the act of building your little empire. You start with just a few splotches of your color on the board. By the end you have roads spidering across the map with small settlements and larger cities dotting along them. Trading with your opponents is a constant evaluation of risk. In order to help yourself, you have to help one of your opponents as well. And while you can't launch an attack on your opponents' holdings, you can still block them off by claiming lucrative build locations first, or cornering them into unappealing portions of the board. Then there are the brutal (or blessed) dice, who never seem to do what they're 'supposed' to do until that magical moment when you get the exact roll you need at just the right time. There's plenty of opportunity for skilled players to make good choices and mitigate the luck of the dice.

So is there any downside? Well, in spite of all planning and good theoretical play those dice can go from annoying to frustrating to infuriating at times. There's a limited enough number of rolls that in most games some numbers will either under-produce or over-produce despite the expectations. Also, it's possible through some early ill-luck to be essentially eliminated from the game, barring a ridiculous string of improbable die rolls. None of these aspects are unique to Settlers, but that doesn't make them any more fun to experience. Another detraction is that as the game nears a conclusion and certain players creep closer to victory, the trading aspect that makes the early- and mid-game so interesting dries up. No one wants to trade with someone who's about to win.

There are several online versions of The Settlers of Catan, including versions on XBox Live Arcade and Playstation Network. There are also several websites which allow online play.

In the end though, the positive aspects of the game stand strong. The Settlers of Catan is a game that stands strong after nearly two decades. I give it an 8/10. You can find out more at it's BoardGameGeek.com page, or you can play with me on XBox Live nearly any Wednesday evening.

Corvall]]> Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:40:20 +0000 0336dcbab05b9d5ad24f4333c7658a0e http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/new-release-tuesday-mass-effect-3-r94
With the release of the ME3 demo a few weeks ago gamers have been able to get a taste of the game and it's story. This time around the fight has come to Earth and Sheppard will have to gather support to save it. One of the best things about ME3 is that it's going back to it's RPG roots this time around. Many gamers complained about the fact that Bioware made ME2 more "action" based and less like the RPG that the original Mass Effect was. With ME3 they're bringing the RPG elements back, but they've also come up with two new "modes" to play the game in for more action oriented as well as more "casual" gamers. One of those modes dials down the difficulty while allowing the player to experience the games storyline. The other removes the dialog options, instead showing the player cutscenes to advance the story along (for a more action based approach). These modes come alongside the classic "RPG" mode which allows the player to make decisions and choices that affect the outcome of situations as well as the NPC characters option of you.

Probably the most talked about, and least anticipated, thing about ME3 is that it includes multiplayer. The MP mode is a lot like a "horde" mode in that you and up to 3 teammates try to eliminate waves of enemies together. But that's where the similarities stop because ME3 has a full fledged class system with different races, abilities, armor and weapons to equip. As you play you'll earn "money" levels and credits. The credits can be used to purchase things for your characters in the MP game. As you and your friends level up in MP you can choose higher levels of difficulty to try and tackle which will include the rewards (credits and XP) that are given.

I personally can't wait to see how things play out in ME3. See you on the battlefield.]]> Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:47:11 +0000 a597e50502f5ff68e3e25b9114205d4a http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/board-game-spotlight-ticket-to-ride-r93 Designed by Alan R. Moon
Published by Days of Wonder (2004)

Ticket to Ride has been one of the most popular board game lines of the past eight years. Including sequels and expansions, there have been about 13 Ticket to Ride releases. In recent years it's also seen several digital releases, including an XBox Live Arcade version and versions for iPhone/iPod and iPad. Missed out on the phenomenon? Let me tell you what it's all about.

In Ticket to Ride, each player is trying to score the most points before the game ends. Points are scored by playing train pieces down onto the board on segments connecting cities called routes. You can claim a route between two adjacent cities by playing the appropriate number of cards from your hand whose color matches the color of the route. You also get points by completing Destination Tickets, which are cards showing two cities (Destination Tickets are kept hidden from the other players). You complete them by having an unbroken chain of routes that link the two cities. On your turn, you can draw cards to your hand, claim a route on the board, or draw more Destination Tickets. And that's basically it.

Sounds pretty simple, right? It is simple, which is part of the appeal. The idea of playing colored cards to match colored routes on the board is easy to understand. Same goes for linking a chain of routes to complete a Destination Ticket. When you draw, you can pick from five face-up cards or draw blind from the deck. Just about anyone can pick up how to play the game.

But there's plenty of room for conflict, even if you can't launch an attack to conquer your opponent's capital. Completed Destination Tickets earn you points at the end of the game, but incomplete Destination Tickets LOSE you the same number of points. Also, once a route is claimed, then it can't be claimed by anyone else. So your carefully plotted course to link your Destination Ticket cities can be thwarted by someone grabbing a key route before you quite have the cards together to pick it up. So you'd better make sure you grab that key route first. But that's not the only route you need, and there are cards you need available to draw. Do you draw more cards, or start claiming routes? If you draw cards, someone else may claim your route. If you claim the route, someone else may pick up those cards you need. What to do?

Tense moments abound in Ticket to Ride, and the observant player can take advantage of opponents who telegraph their Destination tickets. There's plenty of opportunity to screw your neighbor simply to make their life hard. This can lead to my only detraction from the game. Board games are best as social exercises where the game is accompanied by conversation between friends. However, too much reaction to what's happening in the game could tip off an opponent that you're after the same route or color card that they're after. If someone picks up a card you were hoping to get and you groan too loudly, the next player may be encouraged to grab that color as well just to keep it out of your hands. This can sometimes lead to mostly silent games where everyone has on their best poker face even though they want to rage when another player grabs something they wanted. It's more of an issue with the online versions, and obviously will depend on your group. In the end it doesn't detract much from the game.

Overall, I personally give the game an 8/10. It's very fun, and it gets bonus points for being a great one to bring out for your non-gamer family and friends. You'll almost never see me turn down a game of Ticket to Ride.

Check out more about Ticket to Ride at it's page on BoardGameGeek.com. You can find more about the PC and iOS versions on the Days of Wonder website.

If you have any requests for a game to be Spotlighted, post it in the comments! Next week I plan to hit another modern classic. The board game that started the Euro-game revolution in the US: The Settlers of Catan!

Corvall]]> Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:24:16 +0000 bd686fd640be98efaae0091fa301e613 http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/nba-all-star-weekend-r90
Celebrity Game:

Things kick off with the Celebrity Game, which will have a lot to live up to because as we all remember, last year Justin Bieber took home the MVP, which is what happens when fans little girls are responsible for selecting the MVP by voting text messaging. In a personal scheduling issue that doesn’t warrant explanation, my 50+ year old father was watching the game with me. If I have to explain to him who each and every “celebrity” is, I think we need to go with a new name. I was thinking something along the lines of “Obscure Rappers/Actors, Reality Stars, and Overweight Ex-NBA Player’s Game.”
I did film break-down and was going to give a play-by-play recap of every possession of the game, but was too bored in my first proof-read to keep it in. Instead I’m going to recap the game by giving out awards.

Player(s) who made me saddest: Seeing some of my favorite players as a kid, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin (Run TMC) barely able to move or even shoot made me question my own mortality and put me in a temporary suicidal state. I was able to recover with the help of my good friend, Beer.

Gender that most impressed me: Female. I’m a little out of touch with the state of the WNBA, but Tamika Catchings (who I later learned was the WNBA’s MVP last year) was very impressive, for a girl playing against bad players.

Lowest blow: My previous award.

Fan Little girl voted texted MVP: Kevin Hart. He was on camera for almost the entire game and capped it all off by getting ejected in the final minutes for just being himself. His MVP was a joke, as he was severely outplayed by the next two award winners.

Deserving Co-MVPs: Arne Duncan (U.S. Secretary of Education) and Doug Gottlieb (ESPN Radio Analyst) lit it up. They could both shoot, dribble, and pass. To be fair, they both were great college basketball players, and slow white guys (Chris Mullin doesn’t count since he thinks he’s black) never forget how to shoot. I was sure that one of Arne Duncan’s passes would be the best pass of all-star weekend. Unfortunately Ricky Rubio sensed me thinking this and made several comparable passes during the Rising Stars Game.

The East Celebrities had way too much talent and won in a blow-out. Kevin Durant coached the West team and trashed talked the East’s coach, Dwight Howard, telling him before tip-off that his squad would win because he understood the game of basketball better. Durant then made a pouty face all game as his team was getting killed. I kind of felt bad for him; as bad as you can feel for a top-10 young NBA player who led the league in scoring the last two seasons (and would later be named MVP of the All-Star Game). I also don’t feel bad because he, Dwight, Lebron, and most of the “hip” NBA stars were wearing Urkel glasses all weekend.

In a classy move, while receiving his MVP award, Kevin Hart said that he’d share the award with Arne Duncan, who really deserved it, and was wearing the #26 to raise awareness that the high school drop-out rate is one student every 26 seconds. While this gesture did bring awareness to the issue, it just made me feel like I’m doing a poor job as a school counselor (let’s take a moment of silence for a self-pitying BYGH… okay. That’s enough).

Ideas to improve for next year: I think ex-NBA players shouldn’t be invited. This year they just looked old, out of shape, and like they haven’t touched a ball (hehe) in years. We need to find more celebrities who like to play and play often enough to be decent, or at least are entertaining (like Kevin Hart was, and I don’t particularly like Kevin Hart). With the help of his hair flip cross-over move, Bieber was actually alright last year (just ask Common’s ankles). This year a few of the rappers could play, and so could the property brothers. Also, they need to find more past college players that excelled in other areas like Duncan and Gottlieb. Throwing in a few more WNBA players would spice the game up as well. I’d also like to see actors who portrayed basketball players in movies show if they can actually play.

Possible Celebrities for next year: Tim McGraw, Ryen Russilo, Bill Simmons, Bieber, Zac Efron, Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes, Jason Sudeikis, Maya Moore, and Obama. Possible coaches include Gene Hackman and Samuel L. Jackson.

BBVA Rising Stars Challenge:

Next up is the Rising Stars Challenge. It’s Team Charles vs Team Shaq, which is exponentially better than rookies vs sophomores. Team Charles was coached by Mike Fratello, who wasn’t messing around. He had the team running plays and slapping the court in their perfect defensive stances. Coach of Team Shaq, Steve Kerr, just sat smiling and enjoying the show, or he may have been remembering game 6 of the 97’ NBA Finals or thinking about his 5 rings.

This article is getting too long and I’m losing interest. I’ll sum up the game as quickly as possible. Ricky Rubio may be the most entertaining player to watch in the league. He throws passes that no one sees coming. However, it was Kyrie Irving that stole the show. He went 8/8 from behind the arc and no one could stay in front of him. DeMarcus Cousins was a force inside, which really bothers me as a King’s fan because he has showed little effort so far this year.

All-Star Saturday Night:

All-Star Saturday night started with some kind of shooting challenge that came down to which person wearing a jersey could heave in a half court shot. I wasn’t really paying attention; I think Alan Houston was allowed to play.

Then they had an obstacle course thing where the guys don’t really show effort. It’s decided by who can hit a shot and make passes on the first try. I think Tony Parker won, but not in the Charlie Sheen sense of the word.

Next was the 3-point shootout. Hooray. I’m not sure how to change it, but I’m tired of it. Maybe just let the guys play horse. They can all hit 3’s consistently. The winner is the player that gets hot at the right time. I’d be willing to bet that NBA players have great shooting games after practice, possibly for money, which would be much more entertaining than the old 3-point shootout. Kevin Love (who I may or may not have wagered on to win) won with 17. For those in the know, that’s not a great score.

The night ended with the dunk contest, which featured more props than ever. The winner, Jeremy Evans (who I may or may not have wagered on to win) wasted his first round dunk with a spy camera wedged in his headband. The theme seemed to be jumping over small black guys. Evans jumped over Kevin Hart who was dressed as an Umpa Lumpa Mailman in honor of Karl Malone, and Chase Budinger jumped over Puff Dirty Diddy Money Combs. Paul George turned the lights off and did a dunk in the dark. At first I was hoping the power went out and they’d have to call the event a 4-way loss. I think the right guy won. I was most impressed when Evans jumped over his sitting teammate, who tossed two balls into the air, both of which Evans caught and dunked. The difficulty on that dunk is off the charts.

The Actual All-Star Game:

Full disclosure: I played a game called Edward 40-Hands as part of my birthday celebration (Google it if you’re interested) before I watched the game, so my recollection of this event may not be the sharpest.

The West jumped out to an early lead and kept it most of the game. A late 4^th quarter rally by the East brought it down to a one possession game. Lebron (despite going 6/8 on 3-pointers and being the sole reason the East came back) choked the game away on the final possession by refusing to shoot and turning the ball over on an ill-advised cross court pass. My favorite part of the game was Kobe getting hit in the face by Wade, resulting in a broken nose, possible concussion, and hurt feeling. That’s what he gets for passing Jordan on the All-Star Game scoring list.

As previously stated, this is my first attempt at article writing. In hindsight, I feel I should have taken a more specific angle or focus instead of just pouring out any and all thoughts on the weekend. I applaud the patience of anyone still reading. BYGH out.]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:38:39 +0000 cfecdb276f634854f3ef915e2e980c31 http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/ssx-new-release-on-228-r85 This coming Tuesday marks another highly anticipated release in a familiar EA Sports series. The next installment in the over-the-top snowboarding franshise SSX is released on February 26th and it’s shaping up to be another great game in a long list of recent game releases.

One of the most interesting things about SSX is the inclusion of the brand new RiderNet feature. Insprired by Need for Speed’s Autolog, Ridernet is SSX’s recommendation engine, where you can “Like” your favorite drops, find new friends, drops, and find out what drops your friends are racing on. It also allows you to create challenges with rewards for when your friends beat your times and/or scores. RiderNet is shaping up to be one of the most interesting parts of the game allowing you and your friends to compete with each other without coordinating an online meet-up.

EA released a demo on Xbox Live and PSN recently to build support for the game and despite the boring tutorial (that can’t be skipped, even in subsequent play-throughs) it really showcases the tight controls and deep trick/combo system. This game wasn’t really on my radar until the demo came out, but after playing it I’ve decided to pick it up. If you haven’t been following the game either I would highly recommend checking out the demo and the SSX thread here on the site as quite a few of us are going to be hitting the slopes come Tuesday.]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 05:56:45 +0000 eecca5b6365d9607ee5a9d336962c534 http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/board-game-spotlight-introduction-r79
My goal for this column will be to introduce SG to some of the fascinating board and card games on the market today. Many people out there have no idea that there's a large, growing hobby board game market beyond the classics we all grew up with like Monopoly and Clue. Thousands of board games are released each year covering a wide array of themes and game-play mechanisms. There's something for just about everybody, and maybe you'll see something of interest to you!

Every week or so I'll give a brief overview of a board game that I have played or that I think is interesting. If I've played the game I'll give my own opinion. I'll also try to provide some links to other sources of information about the game, including other reviews if they are available. Also, for those of you who can't imagine playing something that doesn't bathe your corneas in electric light, I'll be sure to point out games that have iOS or Android versions available (and many do!) Maybe, if you're truly unfortunate, I'll subject you to a description of a session I played of the game. We'll just have to see how far I can take this thing! Be sure to let me know if you have any ideas, or if you have any games that you'd like to be spotlighted.

So for now I'll leave you to early anticipate next week, when I intend to start myself off with a softball and spotlight 'Ticket to Ride'.

Corvall]]> Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:06:49 +0000 8f53295a73878494e9bc8dd6c3c7104f http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/2012-round-up-the-year-of-the-gobbler-r78

WEDNESDAY
I arrive earlier than most because I don’t just come for the party. I consider Tab and Wicked to be my family, so I like to spend some extra time with them. I was really looking forward to seeing them because I didn’t get to do any extra visits due to having an ancient dog to take care of and then a new puppy to care for.

I woke up at 5:30, sadly dropped of the dog at a kennel, and got to the airport at 7:30. Of course, once there I realized I left something important behind, my Kindle. Damn it!

On the plane I watched The Blind Side (excellent movie!), half an episode of Supernatural, and half of Me, Myself, and Irene. I landed around 12:30, and there at the airport waiting for me was Tab, who, as always, is a sight for sore eyes.

Tab and I grabbed some lunch at Taco Bueno, picked up some booze and meat, and we picked up the kids from school.

That is quite a different experience from when I was a kid. I either took the bus, or stepped out off school property into my back yard. Here, they have people record the number posted on your car, then radio back inside to release the kids associated with the cars in the order that the cars are lined up. Wow…

Back at the house, I got to make some movies with the kids on my iPhone while we waited for Wicked to arrive with JWonder. Once they get there, we head off to Roosters for some barbeque and several pitchers of beer. Back to the house for more beers and chilling.

2007 Co-Partier of the Year, who also claimed to be the last one to go to bed every night at the 2010 Round-Up, disappeared off to bed without a word. My bed was in the bar, so I hopped in and continued to party… sans beer which was now too far away. Dub randomly went off to brush his teeth, and Wicked snuck off to bed and the night was done.


THURSDAY
Everything is black. It’s 6:30 am and I’m bundled up tightly in a comfortable bed when I hear a yell-cry from Alaina, which is how I think she wakes up. Tab is up soon to get the kids ready for school.

By 8 am, we’re all up and showered. Dub, Tab, and I are heading to the airport to get Wing-it, his wife, and Godsfella. Wicked will hang out before picking up Ikkins, Ark, and Teeny-Weeny Mussolini.

We got to the airport, picked up Gods, drove to another terminal, picked up Wing it and his wife Megan, then off to some last minute shopping at Walmart followed by Whataburger. We piled in the truck for an hour drive to the Lake House to be greeted by Dirty Penguin and Juice ending their solitary.

Drinking and cornhole ensued and soon Shifty arrived. Wicked and crew then fired up the fryers and cooked up some fries and wings.

And then I woke up with Stretch and Ikkins taking a picture of something on my face. I had too much to drink (shots and beer) and was on the verge of puking. I went to sleep in a spinning bed and woke up with a phallic-looking ice cream scoop on my face.

I rallied and went back to find there had been shenanigans going on as JWonder and Mahonay had both gotten atomic wedgies. Tab and Ikkins were trying wrestle people and were successful against guys who had no issue with two chicks crawling and rubbing all over them. Tab soon disappeared and moments later there was a thud above us on the deck.

Penguin went to investigate to see if she was all right. I later went inside and asked Tab if she was all right. She said she was fine. I asked her if she fell and she said no. We found out the next day that she had fallen, gashed a chunk out of her leg, and ended up bleeding all of her bed. She didn’t even know until long after she had gone to sleep.

Slowly, people started going to bed. I think 2007 Co-partier of the Year was one of the first to turn-in. I recall Dirty Penguin turning in several times; each one preceded by the sound of a fart, and then him saying “Goodnight.” In the loft, Stretch, Ikkins, and I had were having a chat session where we had random visitors. Jwonder, Ark, and Shifty made guest appearances and Shifty took a spill on the very awkward stairs on the way down.

Penguin and Juice then paid me a personal visit at which point Juice tried to give me what he called a “gobbler”. Eventually, the last men standing were Mahonay and Juice. They did some late night shots, one of which prompted Juice to give out a house-shaking “WOOOOOOOOOOO!” waking nearly everyone.

Sometime after that, I heard what sounded like a pack of hyena’s or coyotes. Very creepy sounding. Apparently, several others heard it throughout the night, including Godsfella who was, to say the least, not very comfortable after hearing it.

Pukers: Ikkins and Tab.
Injuries: Tab (gashed leg), Mahonay (bump on head), evil-eye-giving plastic rabbits (gunshot wounds)


FRIDAY
There were lots of slow risers on Friday. Several of us played some Super Stickman Golf for a bit, and then we took a ride out to bring back breakfast. Jalapeno pigs in blankets, “hot and creamy” donuts, and then a bunch of breakfast items from Sonic.

We got back and Wing-It had cooked breakfast sandwiches, but what we bought wasn’t wasted. The beer started flowing and the cornhole boards came out. Wicked cooked some sausages for lunch that were wrapped in tortillas with cheese.

Cornhole Tournament
Due to the impending rain, the cornhole tourney was held Friday instead of Saturday. Completely random teams were drawn. Here are the teams and the way it went down:

Team 1 – Taken Tripod & Envisionary
Team 2 – Dirty Penguin & Mahonay
Team 3 – JWonder & Ikkins
Team 4 – McKilty & Malmeida
Team 5 – Shifty & Wing-it
Team 6 – Stretch & Megan (Mrs. Wing-it)
Team 7 – Tab & Godsfella
Team 8 – Wicked & Juice

Winner’s Bracket
Game 1 – Wicked Juice def. Tri-Env, 21-12
Game 2 – Ace & Ark skunk Team Wifty, 16-0
Game 3 – Stretch & Megan def. Ikkins & Dub, 22-14
Game 4 – Tab & Gods def. Dirty Mahonay, 21-3
Game 7 – Wicked Juice def. Ace & Ark, 22-7
Game 8 – Stretch & Megan def. Tab & Gods, 21-18
Game 11 – Wicked Juice skunk Jed & Megan

Losers Bracket
Game 5 – Tri-Env def. Team Wifty
Game 6 – Ikkins & Dub def. Dirty Mahonay
Game 9 – Tab & Gods def. Tri-Env
Game 10 – Ace & Ark skunk Ikkins & Dub
Game 12 – Ace & Ark def. Tab & Gods, 21-6
Game 13 – Ace & Ark def. Stretch & Megan, 23-4

Championship Game #1
Game 14 - Ace & Ark def. Wicked Juice, 24-18

Championship Game #2
Game 15 - Ace & Ark def. Wicked Juice, 21-2

From game 12 on, floodlights were required to continue playing the games. Wicked & Juice were affected by the alcohol in Wicked’s system kicking in hard at the end of game 14. It was also the least watched championship game ever as everyone was inside eating tacos that Ikkins made. Only a few people made it out for the final games.

There was also an attempt at a human tower, with Wicked on Penguin’s shoulders and Mahonay on Wicked’s It ended with a thud that was Mahonay hitting the ground.

Flip cup started after everyone had eaten. The tables were flipped many times by Wicked who also performed an excellent table slide. Ark and Stretch were flipped out of their chairs. The fire was put out with five gallons of water for no good reason. JWonder punched Wing-it in the dick after a series of misunderstandings and a willing JWonder who would have done what anyone told him at that point in the night.

Wicked also tried to kick a cup and his legs ended up five feet in the air whether he hovered like Wile E. Coyote for a few seconds before dropping to the ground. No word on how the cup fared.

Once again, 2007’s Co-Partier of the year was the first to turn in at around 8:30 at the latest. Her husband was next at around 10 PM or so, but Juice would have none of that. At 1 AM, he started knocking on their door and started taking a census asking them questions like “How many people are annoyed by people knocking on their door?”

At one point, Wing-it had had enough of a garbage can giving him a look. He put on a motorcycle glove and beat the shit out of it. Then he gave it a flying Jackie Chan style flying kick only to land on his side.

Injuries: Mahonay (Assumed bruises), Wing-it (bruised testes, assumed additional bruises), evil-eye-giving garbage can (punched and flying kicked), Wicked Catfish (Entire right side) McKilty (Strained quad, strained glutei)
Pukers: Taken Tripod
Longest Nap: Mahonay
Most Naps: Ikkins


SATURDAY
Another day of slow risers, but that’s like saying the Round-Ups have bad weather. Ark cooked scrambled eggs with cheese and we put that in tortillas with taco meat. Everyone then helped clean up the mess from last night and we were ready for the main round-up day.

Tab made Sangria that was going over well and Tab & Wicked made some sort of crescent roll stuffed with jalapenos and cheese. It was good eatin’. I think fries were made as well, but I was half awake when they came around so I turned them down when they were offered. Jango and Shady arrived for the party today.

The following sections are very specific to me since it’s all I can remember. I grabbed a bottle of wine for myself and eventually followed that up with another bottle and then another 1/3 bottle. I was also eating a raw potato like an apple (note to self: check behind the bar for the uneaten half) after having snacked on some uncooked fries a few days earlier.

I recall telling Wicked I’d handle the table abuse today and went over and flipped them. I followed that up with multiple elbow drops to the table as well. I think I also did some flying body slams on a few people who would catch me. I had done a few of those on previous days, but Saturday’s were all inside.

I recall joining a dance party for a short time that was dominated by Mahonay and the ladies. At one point, the same song was played for about the 4th time, so Wicked shut it off of earning him a smack in the face and neck area from an angry Mahonay.

I remember putting the dildo-looking, pig ice cream scoop in my pants and doing all the things you’d expect someone to do with that. I also poured a bit of wine in the scoop and Wicked quickly got to his knees to drink the wine.

I popped my music on the iPod and gave a Blues Brothers performance that included dropping more elbows. These were delivered to the couch and floor and got pretty banged up (not that I realized it until this morning). I promised an 8:30 performance, and Ark and I delivered a twenty-minute show on time complete with a disappearing act.

Ark said that soon after, the Gummi Bear song was played (official song of the 2012 Round –Up) and I danced pretty hard to it and followed it up by collapsing on the couch at 9:30 where I was done for the night. The next thing I remember was Stretch and Ark trying to get me to go to bed around 1 AM. I went up to bed, but returned once when they played “Don’t Stop Believin’” and everyone was singing that together. During the song, Wicked tried to get revenge by slap a sleeping Mahonay on the face, but Jen would stop him and tackle him each time.

Party Awards
Earlier, we had the traditional party awards. The winners were:

• Most Tolerant Wife – Mandy (Mrs. Juice)
• Coolest Prego Chick – Megan (Wing-it’s wife)
• Biggest Asshole – JWonder
• Elvis Aaron Presley Memorial Entertainment Extravaganza – Ace McKilty
• Fighter, not a Lover – Mahonay
• Evil Devil-On-Your-Shoulder – Stretch
• Biggest Dumbass – Wicked Catfish
• Nut-Gobbler – SG Juice
• Vomit Comet – SG Tab
• Cornhole Champion – Jamo
• Best New Guy at Meet-up – Wing-it
• Guy Who Would Rather Fish than have Sex – SG Juice
• Jerry Sandusky Best Re-Gifter of Liquor Dispenser’s Shaped like Little Boys – Taken Tripod
• Best Meat Handler / Food Inspector – Envisionary
• Best Band-aided Gash – SG Tab
• Wild Car Bitches – Wicked Catfish
• Least Responsible with Firearms – Dirty Penguin
• Best Frosted Tips – Sniper Shady
• Briefest Visit – SG Jango

Ark, disappointed he was the only person not to win an award, brought the show to a close by going down the slide earning him an honorary Best Slider award.

Penguin did some meat shots (chicken and tequila in a shot glass). Penguin slung tortillas around the room (which would have an affect on Sunday’s breakfast). Juice and Penguin did shots of tequila with antacids in them. Juice painted the nails on one hand pink and the other hand black.

Juice was back outside Wicked and Tab’s room around 2 AM asking some questions. Jen threatened to give him a talking to and Wicked dropped an F bomb. Juice decided it was for the best to leave them alone.

Injuries: McKilty (sore thumb, swollen hand, Sprained knee, overall soreness)
Pukers: Mahonay did not, but should have.


SUNDAY
Not much to say about Sunday. Stretch found out there was a Winter Weather advisory, so he changed his flight and was gone very early. Ark and JWonder managed to make breakfast for about ten of us from just three eggs. Clean-up commenced and everyone said their goodbyes.

Juice and Mandy took Gods and I to the airport. The rumble of Juice’s car put us to sleep just like it does his kids. At the airport, Gods and I had a ridiculously expensive lunch consisting of a beer, a Gatorade, a sandwich, a hot dog, and an order of nachos. Twenty-eight dollars please. Thanks for the raping, Rider’s World Bar. Your nachos sucked big time.

My flight was a delayed about a half hour, but we landed early and I rushed home to see my dog who was quite happy to see me. For me, it was the perfect ending to a great trip.


VIVA LAS ROUND-UP!]]> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:34:54 +0000 8f85517967795eeef66c225f7883bdcb http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/mw3-tournament-r70 The Year of the Tourney begins MW3 style. Come get 'ya some.

What:
A Call of Duty:MW3 Tournament. We will need 8 teams of 4. Teams will be assigned under the watchful eyes of the Call of Duty Architect group. It will be a double elimination style tournament. Rounds 1-4 will be a best of 5 with the championship game being a best of 7. We will offer a fun mix of gametypes and settings with having a good time as our ultimate goal. Hope to see you out there.

When:
Jan. 8th @ 10pm est: Round 1 and 2
Jan. 15th @ 10pm est: Round 3 and 4
Jan. 22nd @ 10pm est: Championship Game

Sign-ups will open on Weds. 11/16 @ 1pm est.]]> Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:34:46 +0000 149e9677a5989fd342ae44213df68868 http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums/index.php/index.html/_/home/an-sg-guide-to-battlefield-3-r62
BATTLEFIELD 3

GAMETYPES:

Rush/Squad Rush - The goal here is to attack or defend a pair of M-Comm stations. When attacking you will need to arm the M-Comm by holding down the B button. This is also how you disarm it when playing defense. A successful attack means that the map will expand and two more M-comms will have to be destroyed. This is done until all the M-Comms have been destroyed, usually 3-5 pairs. A successful defense means killing the attacking team before they can destroy the M-Comms. The attackers have 72 spawns to get it done. Should they destroy a pair of M-Comm stations they will get a new set of 72 spawns for the next area. If, as defenders, you can rid them of all 72 spawns before they destroy a pair of M-Comms then you win.

Squad Death Match - You and 3 squad mates will compete in a classic TDM against 3 other squads of 4. First team to reach a certain point total will win the game.

Team Death Match - You know the drill.

Conquest - The goal here is to deplete the opposing forces spawn tickets. To do so you need to control the majority of capture points. Kind of like King of the Hill but with multiple hills. The more you control the quicker their spawn tickets are used.

CLASSES:

Assault - This is your typical grunt. You have access to AR's and you can help squad mates by supplying them with Health Packs and reviving them with your defibulator.

Engineer - You have access to SMG's and over the shoulder launchers. You can help squad mates by repairing vehicles with your repair torch. New to the series is the EOD Bot that can be used to arm/capture objectives. Get very friendly with your Stinger Missiles. On maps such as Caspian Border and Operation Firestorm these can really make huge difference. Keeping the opposing teams air support in check really helps.

Support - This is a support class, duh. You have access to LMG's, C4, Claymores, and a Mortar Strike. You can also help squad mates by dropping ammo packs. New to the series is the ability to lay down suppressing fire. Your LMG's now have a Bi-Pod that you can deploy making yourself a mobile machine gun nest. By using suppressing fire you will not only gain XP points but you can also keep an enemy pinned down thus blurring their vision and slowing their movements.

Recon - You have access to a Sniper Rifles and long range AR's. This class has seen the most changes to it from BF:BC2. New to the class is the T-UGS system which is a motion sensor. You also have access to a radio unit that when placed on the ground will act as a Mobile Spawn Unit. Also new to the class is the use of a SOFLAM(laser guided airstrike) and the MAV which is a small UAV drone that you control. This replaces the UAV stations from BF:BC2.

HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE:

You can rack up points without getting kills by simply using your classes special skill set to help your team and squad. Dole out that ammo and health packs. Repair vehicles or spot bad guys. It all leads to points and points mean you can level up an unlock goodies. Also feel free to throw your KDR out the window and get those objectives destroyed or captured. This game is all aboot teamwork and winning more then its aboot shooting faces off of faces. Here's a good example.

Last night I was in a squad with Wing1t and he was using the Support Class. At the end of the game he had finished with 3 Kills and 20 Deaths yet he was the 3rd best player in the room points wise. Why? Because he used his massive gun to lay down and suppress the enemy which enabled the rest of us to move without being shot at. He racked up a ton of XP and points by using the suppression feature and by supplying ammo to those of us who were on the front lines making a push to the objectives. Good job Wing1t, you're doing it right. That was awesome. Perfect example of why you need to throw your KDR out the window and play as a team. BTW, we won the game.

VEHICLES:

Don't be afraid to use them. They are essential on some maps. At the very least you should help out by being a gunner as this is also a good way of earning XP.

SERVERS:

If you are not a fan of the Quick Match feature you can now browse the set of servers to find just what you are looking for. Make sure you go into the Browse Server option and set up your server settings. Here you can set your server filters to help you get the most out of your experience.

SQUADS

As of now the squad feature is a little shaky. If you and your initial squad get split up you can now search for an empty squad and meet up there. Use the Y button to bring up the in game squad feature and from here you can view which squad are open.

MAPS:

Looking for more a Infantry based experience? Are you more of a traditional Battlefield player and enjoy vehicle based action? Here maps are set in to two categories. "Infantry" maps which offer a more of a run and gun game type with some LAV's and Tanks mixed in. "Traditional" maps which offer a little bit of everything and are often more spread out and a bit larger.

INFANTRY MAPS

Operation Metro



Damavand Peak



Grand Bazaar



Tehran Highway



Seine Crossing



TRADITIONAL MAPS

Noshahr Canals



Kharg Island



Operation Firestorm



Caspian Border

]]> Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:53:41 +0000 82aa4b0af34c2313a562076992e50aa3