Top Tales of ’08: #2 Dark Horse Competitor

Nothing says epic like a pointless competition between 12 men that involves both video games and sports.

When FIFA 08 was released in October 2007, a couple of us roommates here at Emerson College started playing casually between each other. Of course by casual I mean heated, angry, hair ripping competition in which the loser had to mentally suck his opponents testicles.

This wasn’t enough. We wanted something greater, a competition that declared who was the best of the best. We wanted a tournament of tournaments if you will, and that’s exactly what we created.

February 15, 2008: It started by inviting everyone at Emerson who played FIFA. We managed to recruit a whopping 7 people. This left us with 12 competitors, 224 scheduled matches, 12 weeks, and only 1 champion.

February 20, 2008: Everyone has to pick teams. This is a crucial moment in every man’s life-does he pick the team that is best? Or the team that he loves? Every day football fans all over the world are forced to suffer when the team they love just isn’t skilled enough to be champions. It’s heartbreaking and in correlation with the financial aspect of the game-it can become inescapable. Clubs with more money are more successful.

Point being-I had to choose between a powerful club like Chelsea or the club in my heart-Olympique Lyon, or some team in between, like FC Porto. I knew that the majority of players were going to choose a 5 star powerhouse team with the most talent. I also knew that it there were 60 bucks on the line here, winner take all.

I send out a quick text to my brother whom I talk to maybe once a month, “Porto or Lyon?” He responds, “Lyon.” And that settled it.

The team draw came out Arsenal, Man United, AC Milan, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Lyon, Liverpool, Sao Paolo, Roma, Celtic and Inter. 4 teams were 4.5 stars or less, the other 7 teams were 5 stars.

March 1, 2008: Apparently it didn’t matter., because 4 games in I was undefeated and in first place, with another 4.5 star team in second, also undefeated-Liverpool.

April 10, 2008: I got served my first loss, to 10th place Roma, and two weeks later lost to Roma again. Fate was on my side though, because in the last week of the season Liverpool passed me in the standings, taking first.

Normally second place would seem worse, but when Roma, the only team that defeated me all year was seeded eighth, I would have a much easier time defeating Barcelona.

April 24, 2008: playoffs!

I won. The moral of the story is that the little underdog can win it all if he or she gives it her all. How touching. Real life football is so much cooler anyway so who gives a shit.

Written by a man who loves an upset