Madison, WI - 03/07/15 - Tecmo XI: Apocalipps Now

[hoigaard]

 

Hey, y'all. Madison rookie here. My badass girlfriend signed me up as a Valentine's Day present and I'm hoping to play well enough to show her that my poor performances are confined strictly to the bedroom. Any tips for a greenhorn? 

 

Focus on being competitive but don't expect to own anybody. For a first tourney, if you get a win, awesome. If you get a couple wins, that's a really solid debut. And if you advance to the bracket in your first year, that's an enormous feather in the cap. Basically, someone's first time in a live tourney (especially as behemoth as Madison) can be overwhelming. Don't try to shock the world or look ahead.

 

Also, being as hand/eye coordinated as this guy on the left helps, too (no idea if this link will work):

>http://youtu.be/oG_DQXEK764

Edited February 18, 2015 by hoigaard

[SlaughterHouse]

My advise would be study the rules, the style of Madison is actually different then I grew up with, which was no holds bar, the nose tackle diving and making plays and shutting down all those middle run plays.  Using WR's at RB if you so choose.

 

So when me and my buddy came from LA in our first tourney 4 years ago, we got gutted up the middle because it was never an issue with the way we grew up playing, no one ran up the middle

 

Now we only play Madison rules when we get together and it evens up the playing field as designed, and is fun, so adjustments have been made 

 

The other thing that i think takes time is picking good even matchups, that align with your style and talents, ive picked some losers, again back to my first year in the first round of the elimination tourney, I pick LA Rams and Browns and got the Browns and lost, Justin got me 21-17 or something, but that was a terrible matchup and I don't call that one any more, HAHA

[mommasboy]

Don't get your girlfriend pregnant before March 7th. This will guarantee your attendance. 

So only butt stuff. Gotcha. 

[mommasboy]

This is great, guys. Really love that everyone is so cool, friendly, and good sports. I've been lurking the forums and watching videos for a week now and I'm jazzed as hell mix it up in Madison. 

[DFM]

So only butt stuff. Gotcha. 

 

Possibly the greatest 2nd post of all time.

[hoigaard]

(After some more thinking, I thought I'd do a more comprehensive guide to a Madison First Timer. So, this is my advice to the world of rookies)

 

The Comprehensive Guide to Being a Madison Tecmo Rookie

 

Hello. If you're reading this, you're likely signed up for Madison Tecmo XI: Apocalipps Now. Congrats. Many of you have played in this grand championship before, but there are plenty who have not. For those who have not, here are bits and pieces of collected wisdom for anybody making their debut. Before we get to the point by point gibberish, this needs to be said-

 

You're not going to win the tournament.

 

Seriously man. I know you're good and I respect that. But you're not going to win the tournament.

 

But, but, but, but... No. You're not going to win the tournament.

 

I cannot stress this enough. You're not going to win the tournament. On the morning of Tecmo XI, there are probably 225 or so (give or take) of the 256 contests whom you could look in the eyes as they arrive and tell them with a straight face "You have absolutely no shot to win this thing." (And that's not me trash-talking by any stretch. Believe me, I'm very firmly one of those 225 guys on the outside). What I've found in my X number of years in this tourney is that the guys who come in truly believing they'll be crowned champion, despite never having played in Madison (let alone another tourney), tend to be the jerks that everyone remembers. I've always believed that we will never see an unknown or first-timer come in off the street and win this tourney. If you're making your debut and you're psyching yourself up and dreaming of raising the trophy, the faster you get that out of your head, the faster you'll actually enjoy the experience.

 

"The experience" is the key phrase here. Outside of those 20-30 guys who could conceivably win the tourney, the real draw of Madison is the experience of it. Until you see a swarm of 400+ people surrounding 30+ televisions for 12 hours, you can't yet appreciate the electricity or the IMMENSE PRESSURE of playing in these games (this isn't you and Smitty from college drinking a 12er and playing a 7 game series on a Wednesday. Your heart will be pumping from the moment you arrive). For those of us who can't win, there's a list of 7 "Goals" you should follow on March 7:

 

1) Have fun. There are 256 pretty cool guys (give or take who all love playing the same game that have gathered together. Embrace that. Talk to them. Buy someone a drink, chat about strategy, past tournaments, yadda yadda yadda. The most important thing you should take away from Madison when you wake up on Sunday was "Damn, that was a lot of fun."

 

2) Pay attention. So, you're a rookie. You're not going to win (have I mentioned that yet?). But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to walk away from the tournament as a better player. When you're not playing, watch other games. Examine the playbooks people use. Keep a vague tally of matchups you see called that make you go "Hmmm, interesting. I may try that one." See how guys hit hot routes on called plays. Watch some of the better defensive players in the tournament and pay attention to who they use on defense and the angles they use to stop plays. If you liked how some guy played and want to emulate their style, wait until some point in the day when you see them not deep in conversation and then introduce yourself. Tell them you admire their play. Pick their brains, ask questions. Don't get clingy (nobody likes a tagalong), but use those 12 hours of Tecmo to take in as much advice (and booze) as possible.

 

(Notice how the "Goals" haven't yet mentioned anything about your own gameplay?)

 

3) Win a game. This should be the base goal of every player in the tourney. Win a game. 25% of the field will go 0-2. If you win a game as a rookie, you should walk away from the day feeling proud, regardless of how the rest of your tourney played out.

 

4) Win 2 games. So you won a game. Nice job. Think about what worked for you in that game and what didn't. Make an adjustment and try to win a 2nd game. I mentioned 25% of the field will go 0-2. Important to note that another 25% will go 1-2. That means if you can win 2 games, you finished ahead of 50% of the field. That's nothing to scoff at for a first timer. It's a huge deal, actually. Walk around with your head held high.

 

5) Make the bracket. You have to go either 3-0 or 3-1 to make the final 64. Assume that roughly 40-45 of those spots can be written in pen (we all know who they are), so that leaves between 19 and 24 or so spots truly up for grabs. A large bulk of those will be claimed by guys who don't have the capacity to win the whole thing, but have previous Madison experience, so they overcame the intimidation to make the cut. If you can claim one of those last remaining spots as a rookie, you need to be very, very proud of what you accomplished.

 

If you don't make the bracket, who cares. Stick around and watch the games, make friends, enjoy the atmosphere.

 

6) Win your own "Super Bowl." This goal falls under both Pool Play and Bracket Play. The 225 of us who cannot win the entire tournament have to focus on smaller, step-by-step battles. We won't make the championship, but there's a really good chance you are going to play someone who's in that elite category. That's your Super Bowl. That's the big one. If you can knock a big name out, man, who gives a shit if you win it all at that point, ya know? You ruined so-and-so's day! You're a giant killer! A couple years ago I faced off against Chris Vogt in the opening round of 64. I KNEW that was my Super Bowl. I played that game like a motherfucker and came up 4 pts short. But I felt good afterwards (mostly because Chris is a solid human being and that made for a really fun game), because I got a chance to go heads-up with a big name and I took him to the wire.

 

We all know who some of the big fish are, so no need to name names and start little turf wars about who is "a name" and who isn't. That's not the point. The point is you'll just KNOW when you're about to go up against a monster. That's your Super Bowl. Embrace it.

 

7) The last and final goal, Don't be a jerk. Tecmo is a Gentleman's Game. This isn't the Madden Nation tour bus on ESPN from a few years ago where guys swing their dicks in each others' faces after scores. Celebrate properly when something good happens, don't flip out when something bad happens. That's Tecmo. We've all been there. Shake hands after the game and move on. Have fun. Both in playing the game and enjoying the surroundings. In past years, the Herd Mentality of the collective group can tell who the jerks are. Don't be one of them.

 

Hopefully this all helps and doesn't come off as too preachy. Just know that, as a rookie, the experience and atmosphere is the biggest thing you'll take away from this. I started playing in this tournament many years ago when I was still a Milwaukee/Chicago guy. I've lived in New York for 3 years and have gone back every single year. Not because I think my name can be etched in the Hall of Champions, but because it's fun as hell. Hopefully you'll walk out of the Badger Bowl on Saturday evening feeling the same way.

Edited February 19, 2015 by hoigaard

[RetroNathan]

Possibly the greatest 2nd post of all time.

 

Gotta ask, what's the first?

[DFM]

Gotta ask, what's the first?

It was his second post and it was top notch in terms of hilarity. 

 

I will not dare try to pick out a 'greatest single post of all time' post. The Tecmo gods forbid it.

[DFM]

Butt stuff reminds me...

 

My wife is literally about to pop. I am shocked that she is alive because her abdomen is stretched so far out. Mr. Awesome Doctor said he would be surprised if she lasts through the week.. which is awesome news and totally selfish on my part. 

[mommasboy]

Solid gold stuff, hoigaard. Thanks much. 

[qb_browns]

Butt stuff reminds me...

 

My wife is literally about to pop. I am shocked that she is alive because her abdomen is stretched so far out. Mr. Awesome Doctor said he would be surprised if she lasts through the week.. which is awesome news and totally selfish on my part. 

 

Just remember to tip your doc on the way out the door

 

 

(I've become really gif happy now that work has slacked off yet again)

[Tecmo Psycho]

(After some more thinking, I thought I'd do a more comprehensive guide to a Madison First Timer. So, this is my advice to the world of rookies)

 

The Comprehensive Guide to Being a Madison Tecmo Rookie

 

Hello. If you're reading this, you're likely signed up for Madison Tecmo XI: Apocalipps Now. Congrats. Many of you have played in this grand championship before, but there are plenty who have not. For those who have not, here are bits and pieces of collected wisdom for anybody making their debut. Before we get to the point by point gibberish, this needs to be said-

 

You're not going to win the tournament.

 

Seriously man. I know you're good and I respect that. But you're not going to win the tournament.

 

But, but, but, but... No. You're not going to win the tournament.

 

I cannot stress this enough. You're not going to win the tournament. On the morning of Tecmo XI, there are probably 225 or so (give or take) of the 256 contests whom you could look in the eyes as they arrive and tell them with a straight face "You have absolutely no shot to win this thing." (And that's not me trash-talking by any stretch. Believe me, I'm very firmly one of those 225 guys on the outside). What I've found in my X number of years in this tourney is that the guys who come in truly believing they'll be crowned champion, despite never having played in Madison (let alone another tourney), tend to be the jerks that everyone remembers. I've always believed that we will never see an unknown or first-timer come in off the street and win this tourney. If you're making your debut and you're psyching yourself up and dreaming of raising the trophy, the faster you get that out of your head, the faster you'll actually enjoy the experience.

 

"The experience" is the key phrase here. Outside of those 20-30 guys who could conceivably win the tourney, the real draw of Madison is the experience of it. Until you see a swarm of 400+ people surrounding 30+ televisions for 12 hours, you can't yet appreciate the electricity or the IMMENSE PRESSURE of playing in these games (this isn't you and Smitty from college drinking a 12er and playing a 7 game series on a Wednesday. Your heart will be pumping from the moment you arrive). For those of us who can't win, there's a list of 5 "Goals" you should follow on March 7:

 

1) Have fun. There are 256 pretty cool guys (give or take who all love playing the same game that have gathered together. Embrace that. Talk to them. Buy someone a drink, chat about strategy, past tournaments, yadda yadda yadda. The most important thing you should take away from Madison when you wake up on Sunday was "Damn, that was a lot of fun."

 

2) Pay attention. So, you're a rookie. You're not going to win (have I mentioned that yet?). But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to walk away from the tournament as a better player. When you're not playing, watch other games. Examine the playbooks people use. Keep a vague tally of matchups you see called that make you go "Hmmm, interesting. I may try that one." See how guys hit hot routes on called plays. Watch some of the better defensive players in the tournament and pay attention to who they use on defense and the angles they use to stop plays. If you liked how some guy played and want to emulate their style, wait until some point in the day when you see them not deep in conversation and then introduce yourself. Tell them you admire their play. Pick their brains, ask questions. Don't get clingy (nobody likes a tagalong), but use those 12 hours of Tecmo to take in as much advice (and booze) as possible.

 

(Notice how the "Goals" haven't yet mentioned anything about your own gameplay?)

 

3) Win a game. This should be the base goal of every player in the tourney. Win a game. 25% of the field will go 0-2. If you win a game as a rookie, you should walk away from the day feeling proud, regardless of how the rest of your tourney played out.

 

4) Win 2 games. So you won a game. Nice job. Think about what worked for you in that game and what didn't. Make an adjustment and try to win a 2nd game. I mentioned 25% of the field will go 0-2. Important to note that another 25% will go 1-2. That means if you can win 2 games, you finished ahead of 50% of the field. That's nothing to scoff at for a first timer. It's a huge deal, actually. Walk around with your head held high.

 

5) Make the bracket. You have to go either 3-0 or 3-1 to make the final 64. Assume that roughly 40-45 of those spots can be written in pen (we all know who they are), so that leaves between 19 and 24 or so spots truly up for grabs. A large bulk of those will be claimed by guys who don't have the capacity to win the whole thing, but have previous Madison experience, so they overcame the intimidation to make the cut. If you can claim one of those last remaining spots as a rookie, you need to be very, very proud of what you accomplished.

 

If you don't make the bracket, who cares. Stick around and watch the games, make friends, enjoy the atmosphere.

 

6) Win your own "Super Bowl." This goal falls under both Pool Play and Bracket Play. The 225 of us who cannot win the entire tournament have to focus on smaller, step-by-step battles. We won't make the championship, but there's a really good chance you are going to play someone who's in that elite category. That's your Super Bowl. That's the big one. If you can knock a big name out, man, who gives a shit if you win it all at that point, ya know? You ruined so-and-so's day! You're a giant killer! A couple years ago I faced off against Chris Vogt in the opening round of 64. I KNEW that was my Super Bowl. I played that game like a motherfucker and came up 4 pts short. But I felt good afterwards (mostly because Chris is a solid human being and that made for a really fun game), because I got a chance to go heads-up with a big name and I took him to the wire.

 

We all know who some of the big fish are, so no need to name names and start little turf wars about who is "a name" and who isn't. That's not the point. The point is you'll just KNOW when you're about to go up against a monster. That's your Super Bowl. Embrace it.

 

7) The last and final goal, Don't be a jerk. Tecmo is a Gentleman's Game. This isn't the Madden Nation tour bus on ESPN from a few years ago where guys swing their dicks in each others' faces after scores. Celebrate properly when something good happens, don't flip out when something bad happens. That's Tecmo. We've all been there. Shake hands after the game and move on. Have fun. Both in playing the game and enjoying the surroundings. In past years, the Herd Mentality of the collective group can tell who the jerks are. Don't be one of them.

 

Hopefully this all helps and doesn't come off as too preachy. Just know that, as a rookie, the experience and atmosphere is the biggest thing you'll take away from this. I started playing in this tournament many years ago when I was still a Milwaukee/Chicago guy. I've lived in New York for 3 years and have gone back every single year. Not because I think my name can be etched in the Hall of Champions, but because it's fun as hell. Hopefully you'll walk out of the Badger Bowl on Saturday evening feeling the same way.

This should be placed on the Tecmo Madison testimonials page please. Nice work and so true man.

[vogtcd11]

Ryan, you nailed the comprehensive guide to participating in Madison Tecmo as a first-timer. Fantastic. Will be mentioned on Tecmo Talk Radio on Sunday. Or ... Would you want to call in? Yeah? Yeah?

[Ryan11p]

Ryan,

Seriously best post I have ever read, I was a madison rookie last year my super bowl was playing troy hansen (primetime) great player, great guy who has made the madison final 4, played him to the wire lost by 4 and made the big bracket. But calling games for the broadcast (thanks dave) and watching good friends of mine have incredible showings was the real thing I remember most. I realize this may make me sound like a nerd but there was a moment in the final game between chet and kyle where I was like I am so lucky, after years of watching the Madison stream here I am calling a championship game. Just being in that spot. I just did my best and hoped to do as well as dave murray, Eric O'Dell, and of course the one and only John Bailey the voice of madison! It was such an honor to be part of that and I'll always remember it, thanks to everyone that made that possible.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Ryan11p

[Nickabc]

Well said hoigaard.  The amount of things I learn in Madison about a game that I've been playing for over 20 years is incredible.   It never fails, I always learn something.    

[i3rian342]

I would bet that the question that I'm going to ask has already been answered, and I want to apologize ahead of time for this as a result of that, but asking here is faster than reading through 16 pages of posts;

 

Is this event going to be streamed over a platform like Twitch, YouTube, or something else?  I'll say it like this: I'd tune in and I'm sure others would too.

[Neerrm]

I would bet that the question that I'm going to ask has already been answered, and I want to apologize ahead of time for this as a result of that, but asking here is faster than reading through 16 pages of posts;

 

Is this event going to be streamed over a platform like Twitch, YouTube, or something else?  I'll say it like this: I'd tune in and I'm sure others would too.

 

tl;dr only if dave goes, and he's got a baby on the way.

[sonofpatbeach]

Bruddog Bracketology: http://tecmobowl.org/topic/63967-madison-x-bruddog-bracketology-seeds-1-16/

[hoigaard]

I stand by this post from a year ago:

 

 

 

2015's Tecmo XI should have a pre-planned bracket release show. Upload it to Youtube or live stream on Twitch or something. Announce the date/time that it'd air or go live, build the anticipation. That'd get a crazy # of views. (I'm still pushing people I know at Fox Sports to sign Madison Tecmo to a broadcast rights deal).

 

[vikingmoe02]

Is there a timeline for when the groups will be posted?

[holzy11]

Is there a timeline for when the groups will be posted?

 

Now. 

 

>https://twitter.com/TecmoMadison/status/569270715830177792

[hoigaard]

Same group as the last 2 guys to knock me out of Madison. Tremendous. Absolutely tremendous. Bully for me.

[joeygats]

what does region mean?

[bradbears81]

re·gion

ˈrējən/

noun

 

1. 
   
   
   

   
   

   
   

   an area or division, especially part of a country or the world having definable characteristics but not always fixed boundaries.

   
   

   "one of the region's major employers"

   
   

   
   
   synonyms:
   
   district, province, territory, division, area, section, sector, zone, belt,part, quarter; 
   

   
   

   
   

   informalparts

   
   

   "the western region of the country"

   
   

   
   

   
   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   • 
     
     
     

     
     

     an administrative district of a city or country.

     
     

     
     
     
     
     
   • 
     
     
     

     
     

     a part of the body, especially around or near an organ.

     
     

     "an unexpected clenching sensation in the region of her heart"

     
     

     
     
     
     
     

   
   

   
   
   
   
   

[hankthetank]

I am so happy that I have Adam aka Garbage in my group he was a riot in Green Bay.  Also i intend to start drinking immediately under the theory that randomly pressing buttons is much more likely to result in victory that my current play style.