In retrospect, it was a poor decision, but it seemed like a great idea at the time.

It was winter of 2003, and I was nearing the conclusion of my undergraduate career at a certain Big Ten school. As usual, I was thickly engrossed in an NCAA 04 dynasty) with my roommate. We were nearing the end of our first season, both sporting undefeated records, his with Florida State, mine with USC. I had one final regular season game to play against UCLA, and we seemed destined to play for the national championship.

The day in question was a Friday , and as was the case with most Friday evenings, there was fun to be had at a local watering hole. Around 3 a.m., we returned to our second-floor apartment just north of campus, La Bamba's burritos and Super Nachos in hand. Rather than eat ourselves to sleep watching ESPN or National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, I decided that it would be a fantastic idea if I played my last regular season game that evening/early morning. This way we could complete the first season the following Saturday morning, and move on into recruiting...In theory, it was a fantastic idea. In theory...

In practice, it was a disaster. An utterly ridiculous decision, that posed a threat to hours of previous gameplay. The result? A catastrophic, season-ending defeat at the hands of my CPU controlled arch-rival, all because my coordination and decision-making skills were, well, less than adequate at the time. My roommate went on to win a national championship. I never played another game in that dynasty. My heart just wasn’t in it.

There is, of course, a point to this tale of personal woe. As sports gamers, we have a certain fanaticism about the season/franchise/dynasty modes of our favorite games. With the exception of those hardcore RPG’ers, we sports gamers have a larger, more involved time-commitment to our craft than the average Joe Playstation. And for whatever reason, we take it very seriously. Probably too seriously. Hours and hours are spent building a team to greatness, and just like real sports, one false move can bring things crashing down. Here are just few of those false moves, and how to prevent and avoid them.



There is nothing worse than having technology failures ruin your life. We’ve all had technical pains in the posterior at one time or another, in fact, I’m going through one right now with my laptop. However, never is the pain so agonizing, as when it brings a sports game season to an abrupt halt.

I have had a few minor brushes with disaster throughout my gaming tenure. Suffice to say that whenever you are saving a file on your console, it behooves you to heed the warning prompt that tells you not to turn off the power. Otherwise, you will want to jump into the bathtub with a running hairdryer…

I also did have one of those infamous Xbox 360 issues. A mere 8 days, prior to the release of Halo 3, my 360 deemed it appropriate to stop reading discs of any kind. Thank God for the Best Buy service plan.

But of my own technical half-disasters, none equal this tragedy that struck fellow OS writer T.J. Cutini:

“I had a weekend marathon of playing RTTS mode in MLB: 07 The Show while my wife was away. I didn't turn the PS3 off all weekend and unfortunately, never saved either. Sunday afternoon, my PS3 locked up, and I lost about 60 games worth of progress. I never could muster up the patience to go back to it and it's sat unplayed ever since.”

I can only imagine the depths of your despair, TJ. But this testimonial brings to light a couple of preventative activities to keep from suffering through a similar fate.

First, save early, and save often. Save after every game. Save, save, save. And then save again. For the mere 10 seconds it takes you away from gaming, it’s worth avoiding the heartache. Backing up important files on a memory card never hurts either.

My second preventative measure, is simply, try to play in moderation. I know I know...this is blasphemy, right? But giving yourself a couple of hours off during a marathon session can help your system cool down for a bit. This is especially true for us Xbox 360 owners. Overheating is the bane of my existence. In fact, I have an oscillating fan aimed at my 360 as I type, and I fire it up every time I power up the console. Am I a little crazy? Absolutely. But I sleep well each night, knowing my gaming files are safe. Pathetic, isn’t it?

I choose my words carefully, as I am certain that not all of you are of legal age to enjoy the occasional recreational beverage. But re-read my opening anecdote carefully. There is a moral to this story. First of all, La Bamba’s nachos are delicious, especially after 3 a.m. Secondly, don’t consume and play.

This type of activity can mix well with Halo, or GTA, or better yet, Mario Party 2 for the old N64. I have had countless phenomenal Mario Party 2 games that frankly, I don’t remember. But partying just doesn’t mix well with Dynasty Mode. Keep your late night, post-pub gaming to genres other than sports. That way, your next day regrets can be limited to all of the other bad decisions you made, and your dynasty will remain intact.

Over-thinking = Brain Farts

This is more of an in-game problem, but is no less devastating than the previous two issues. Too much analysis in big moments during big games can often equate to a loss. Going with your gut is what wins championships.

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen good players choke in close games, because they tried something new. Trust your instincts, people. Chances are, by the time you reach the playoffs or championship, you have pretty good handle on the game.

Fourth and goal in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, with 4 seconds remaining and down by six? Call a play that you are comfortable with. Don’t try to be too clever. Use your experience to your advantage. Don’t try to explore new territory when it matters most.

If you happen to be playing your dynasty with a friend or two, do yourself a favor, and watch them play. Playing the game against the game’s AI, and playing it against a skilled human opponent are two very different things. Meeting a human opponent in the playoffs or championship can be jarring if you have spent the whole season dominating the CPU. Often times, this will cause your brain to short-circuit when it matters most. You can combat this by watching your opponent play throughout the season. Watch how he/she reacts to different situations, and devise a gameplan to use once you face them in head-to-head play. A little nerdy, but it’s worth the impending ridicule.


Hopefully everything I have discussed here can be a wake up call to all of you reckless, seat-of-your-pants gamers. I consider myself a humanitarian, and I am happy to share the knowledge that his resulted from years of experience and blatant stupidity. Please, learn from my missteps, and protect your dynasties like you would your first born.