Even Pro Athletes Can Be Power Gamers 30
jht writes "Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is known primarily as one of the best power pitchers in the game of baseball. He has a different side, though, as a huge RPG fan, of both board and online games. Curt is even the owner of a company called Multi-Man Publishing that publishes material for Avalon Hill wargames. But Curt is possibly best known in the gaming world for his avowed EverQuest addiction. ESPN Gamer recently published an interview with Schilling about his MMORPG habits and platform choices - an interesting read."
It's not the fame... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:It's not the fame... (Score:2)
I don't play sports games. Can I get
Re:Slow news day on slashdot (Score:5, Insightful)
What I think the story conveys is a message that RPGs appeal to a wider audience that is more mainstream than the greasy haired social reject that is so frequently portrayed as a D&D player.
What's wrong with Flying Saucers?
Re:Slow news day on slashdot (Score:1)
The message for /. is this: Schilling has a wife and four kids--geeks _can_ find fertile wives.
Just as long as he's not a PK'er... (Score:5, Funny)
(Note for those of you who don't follow baseball/are humor-impaired/aren't from the U.S.: the Boston Red Sox are an American League team, and thus the pitcher does not bat. Contrast this to a National League team like the Pittsburgh Pirates, where the pitcher does bat.)
Re:Just as long as he's not a PK'er... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Just as long as he's not a PK'er... (Score:1)
What do they do in the World series?
Re:Just as long as he's not a PK'er... (Score:5, Informative)
Switching gears, Jayson Stark wrote a short bit in a column [go.com] on Schilling's EQ habit a few years ago.
Re:Just as long as he's not a PK'er... (Score:1)
Re:Just as long as he's not a PK'er... (Score:2)
Have you SEEN some of the swings of life long AL pitchers that play their first World Series? Some of them can be down right pathetic.
He's Pretty Tech Savy (Score:1)
Not that Shocking (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Not that Shocking (Score:2, Interesting)
Ahhhhh memories. I played that damn game for close to a decade.
Re:Not that Shocking (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Not that Shocking (Score:2, Interesting)
Advanced Squad Leader is pretty hardcore wargaming. I don't know if he's into researching and writing that line of games, but playing it is serious enough. If you play it, you probably have a ton of opinions about the rules, and lots of house rules, so you might just as well be writing and researching. (I used to play ASL.)
R and R (Score:2)
He is also an occasional habitue on the lists. Good egg. I believe we'd see him more at cons, but his real-life job seems to keep him busy during Oktoberfestungenzeit.
ha, conspiracy (Score:2)
You aren't by any chance suggesting that Vin Diesel is not a dork are you?!?
Re:Pro Athlete? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Pro Athlete? (Score:3, Informative)
The Calagry Flames are Age of Kings players (Score:5, Informative)
It seems that a bunch of these guys are serious Conquerors (Age of Kings expansion) players, to the point where they've gone out and bought new laptops and carry on a portable network switch onto their flights and have major LAN game battles when flying from city to city between hockey games.
When they came over we gave them the red carpet treatment and showed them around our offices. Yet they were far more like awe-struck fan boys than pro athletes who are used to people approaching them as fans. A couple of the guys were so looking forward to the visit they said they were glad they weren't traded before visting Dallas... and I don't think they were joking.
Anyway, after showing them around we set up some team games for them to take on a few of our best players. (full story on our site). They had a blast, and we had a blast.
Considering that most pro athletes are males ages 22 to 36, which makes them part of the generation that grew up with Nintendo, etc, and have persued a life a professional cometitive gaming, its not surprising to find a bunch of them are passionate about computer and video games.
-Mp
Video games? Aww, you lovable rascal you! (Score:5, Insightful)
If this is a shining example of the media holding up gaming as a reasonable and normal pastime...
I mean, "fiddling with joysticks." God. You don't see interviews like, "I hear you like to play poker with your friends. How long have you been 'shuffling' 'decks of cards', slugger?" Or, "We figure a tough guy like you always picks the thimble when he plays Monopoly, eh, champ?"
Re:Video games? Aww, you lovable rascal you! (Score:1)
People who live such dull, stupid lives shouldn't be allowed to post alongside giants such as ourselves.
-Jeff
He also wrote a review on an expansion as well... (Score:4, Informative)
Was about as good as most professional game reviews I've seen in any of the print mags (insert sarcastic comment here). One thing you could definitely tell reading the review was that he was pretty serious about the game...