NCAA '09 Released, B/R To Temporarily Close College Football Section

Well, it happens at midnight tonight. The release of NCAA 09 means one thing. You’re going to see a lot less of us around here for about a week or so. The time I could spend attempting to write something clever will be spent trying to take LSU to ten straight National Championships in dynasty mode.

Wives: We’re sorry, but you married this.

Girlfriends: It’s not you, it’s us.

Job: I’m really not feeling so well today…cough…cough.

Class: Ha, that’s a good one!

For the first time since Lord knows when, I won’t be making the late night trek to my local game store to score a copy of the latest NCAA games so I can play it until my eyes dry up. I didn’t take tomorrow off foregoing my own self proclaimed holiday…"Justin Day".

It’s not a lack of love for the game, it’s just that I’m trying to save up my time off for early November when I’ll hopefully be welcoming my first son/daughter into the world.

Apparently, my priorities are straight. Who knew?

Man, I’m old.

But I really do love this game. My lack of extreme anticipation this year though is because I’m really behind the times. I’m about five years behind technology.

I got a cell phone 1999. I got an iPod about a year and a half ago. I’m typing this on a PC I bought in 2000, and I’m still rocking a PS2.

Part of the problem is that I still don’t know which next gen console to buy. I’m pretty loyal to Sony, but everyone tells me to get the 360. But all I hear is people complaining about NCAA on the 360.

You have to understand, of all my gaming time in a given year, I spend about 70 percent of my time playing NCAA. I spend about 25 percent playing Madden and five percent playing everything else. So I guess I’m still contemplating this decision.

I’ll probably make the move pretty soon. But like I said, I’m old school. I don’t play online either because in this day and age, let’s face, it I’m a fossil and wouldn’t stand a chance against a nine-year-old kid from Des Moines.

I’m not one of you rowdy kids with your crazy online gamer tags like “ViPeR69” and I have never typed out the word “Pwned” until just now.

So this year I have to wait a little longer. I sit here while Josh Hamilton crushes Home Runs in the Derby and Chris Behrman overplays every swing of the bat, and realize I have to work a full day tomorrow before trying this out for the first time.

And that’s when it hit me…this place is gonna shut down over the next few days.

I’m sure there be activity a plenty on the MMA and Formula One sections. I’m sure the MLB die-hards will keep us updated on the mid-summer classic. But the college football section which is usually all a flutter in July might get a little vacation.

There’s got to be a bunch of other uber-nerds like myself, old school and new alike, that forsake their responsibility and hygiene for a while after this game comes out.

College football fans like you and me that clamor to a place like this to talk about sports and, more importantly, the college football season  will give up the writing gig for a few days for this thing.

Hamilton has 26 HRs right now. That seems like a lot. I think the old man on the mound needs a lemonade.

“Can someone get this old guy a lemonade?!? And perhaps a middle reliever and some IcyHot?”

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that now would be a great time to write articles for all you non-gamers. You’ll have a great shot at getting your content in front of people while geeks like me are mashing buttons. Well, most geeks anyway—like I said, I won’t pick it up until tomorrow evening. That’ll be enough time for some of you to take Florida International to the promised land.

So for all you hardcore football gaming freaks, I’ll see you next week—or at least at your next Visine and Red Bull intermission.

The author welcomes your advice on which console he should buy in the comments section.