Campus Legend

First of all, I just want to apologize for being frickin' busy. I've just been way too frickin' busy to update my frickin' blog. However, I have NOT been too busy to include the word 'frickin' in my introductory paragraph. At the rate I am going, I will seriously contend for the World Record for Amount Of Times Using 'Frickin' In A Frickin Blog.

I have found time to play a little NCAA Football 2008 in my spare time (I'm always a year behind on the sports games, because it doesn't make sense to me to spend $50-$60 on a game that I know is going to be obsolete in a year...I just wait and buy last years when the new one comes out and save a fortune. Also buy used, because most of the time you can get a used game that works just like new for much cheaper. In this paragraph, I am going for Longest Sentence Contained Within Parentheses).

While I'm thinking about it, I LOVE the smell of Playdough, and if it tasted anything at all like it smells, I would eat it. Most Random Aside?

Anyways, here's what I usually do on these sports games. I get super stoked, create me and a bunch of my friends, spread them around on a few different teams (because if they are all on the same team, you have to decide which friend has to play defense or kicker, and I find this impacts my real life relationship with that person). I start a dynasty, and often don't make it to a second season- because I have to play so many games for so many different teams, it's hard to stay enthusiastic when you've played 60 games and you aren't even bowl eligible yet. So I scrap the dynasty, and usually start over, which wastes tons of hours of my life, even more of a waste than video games already are.

Well, I recently started a 'Campus Legend'. At first, I was apprehensive, because it goes against so much of what I love about college football games. You have zero coach responsibility. That means no redshirting, no picking the sched, no recruiting...and as I have found out, no controlling defense or other ball carriers! I can't tell you how many times I've had to watch my fullback plow straight into the line and then turn all the way around to try and find a hole, only to get dumped in the backfield for a 5 yard loss. Whatever happened to forward progress, anyways?
You also can't really call plays. Oh sure, you can audible. But there are only so many plays to pick from with an audible. I am convinced that the biggest challenge of 'Campus Legend' is not overcoming defenses designed to stop you, but to overcome the incompetence of the computer coach. I think his name is John Cooper.

In '08, your campus legend actually starts during the high school playoffs of your senior year. While there wasn't a lot of customizablility, I tell you it was very cool to lead my team to the state title over other made up teams. Maybe someday they'll have a high school football video game. I would SO buy that!

Anyhow, I ended up being a 5 star prospect and having my pick of the litter. But everyone wanted me to be like 3rd or 4th string. Don't you know who I am? I'm Jason Parks!! I led Bullock Creek to the State Title!! I'm a 5-star prospect!! Plus, as far as you are concerned, I am the deity of this little video game world, because I am in control of the all-powerful reset button!! So I ended up going to Duke...not a program steeped in tradition, but they did offer me a starting spot, and they are in the ACC, which is a far cry from Arkansas State or North Texas, a couple other schools that offered me a starting spot. Hey, I'm not doing this for charity, people. I got dreams!

I'm not going to bore you with a lot of details (too late, right?), but I have turned a 5-7 team my freshman year into an 11-1 team playing in the Fiesta Bowl. I won the Heisman as a sophomore, I own every school record in rushing (I'm SO an option QB...conventional offenses bore me), and my campus legend meter is full. Basically I'm the king of the Dukies (read that out loud for full effect).

My point in all this? I'm having way more fun doing this legend mode. Sure, it stinks to not be able to control anyone other than myself...my defense is completely at the mercy of the simulation generator, and if I get hurt, then I can't play PERIOD. And I wish I could call my own plays. But I've already played 2 seasons in the amount of time it would take to play a half season of a regular dynasty, even controlling just one team. I don't have to worry about getting anyone else their stats, I just gotta gets mines. I'm the BMOC. Everywhere I walk, cyberspace girls fawn over me (which actually isn't as cool as it sounds).

So what is the point of this, you say? Well, there is no point. I just didn't have time to finish my superhero post, and I wanted you all to know that I am working on it. In fact, think of this section as the rider on a bill.