Eric “Problem” Wright, Madden Tournament winner and author of Problem’s Tournament Playbook, just got back from The Ultimate Gamers Showdown and gave us this recap of the event . . .
The Best Buy Ultimate Gamers Showdown came to Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday in search of the best Madden player in the area. The winner of the tournament would collect a $1000 gift card to Best Buy and would also qualify for the finals in Dallas to play on the big screen at AT&T Stadium for a chance at another $1500 in Best Buy cash. The tournament was the first to sell out with 64 competitors showing up along with a waiting list of 15-20 people.
Throughout the day there were a wide variety of teams being used (which was great to see). Of course there were the usual 49ers and Seahawks, but also taking the Madden NFL 25 field were the Dolphins, Browns, Chargers, Eagles, Saints, Bengals, Packers, Chiefs, Broncos and others. The diversity in teams was great as well as the diversity in game styles—pass heavy and run heavy styles were present and it made for a great competition.
Steve Blake and Jordan Hill of the Los Angeles Lakers also came out and signed autographs for fans, which was awesome for the Laker faithful. (Go Lakers!) Louie G from Big Boys Neighborhood on Power 106 was in the house with his team playing music and it gave the event that much more hype along with Rod “Reality” Wynn and Lamont “Wing Mann” Thomas emceeing the event. There were also drawings throughout the day. Every 15 minutes various were given away including Best Buy gift cards, Sony Bravia 40” Televisions, two PS4’s and an Xbox One.
I was the pro analyst at the event giving out tips to anyone who approached me needing help. Questions ranged from depth chart setups to situational defensive play calls. I gave my opinion to the competitors and spectators. I really enjoyed watching the event; however, I can’t say I wasn’t itching to play in the event due to my competitive nature.
Ultimately, the final game came down to two competitors, Tyrone “T.O.” Owens from Pasadena, CA vs Sammy “Jukes” Estrada from West Covina, CA. Both competitors played tough throughout the day with a good strong defense and a predominantly run-style of offense, and they both happened to use the Seattle Seahawks. From the opening kickoff, it was “T.O.” who took control of the game by starting off with a field goal on his opening drive, then forcing a huge turnover and converting it into a touchdown before the half. There was no looking back from there as Tyrone “T.O.” Owens was crowned the Los Angeles Champion of the Ultimate Gamers Showdown.
Next stop for him is Dallas, where he looks to take the championship down against seven fellow competitors. Bring that title home for Los Angeles!
If you have Madden questions for Problem, post them in the comments below. And for complete domination on the Madden NFL gridiron, get the Winner’s Kit today!
