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Fans cheer video game; last call at the Porpoise
© St. Petersburg Times Thirty men sit in a bar with no music, no dancing and no chance of connecting with that special someone. Pitchers of beer are on sale for $2, but that hardly seems enough to hold their attention. Unless, of course, you understand the maddening grip of Madden NFL 2003, the latest version of EA Sports' NFL Football video game. The addictive properties of the game, which has been wildly popular for more than a decade, are legendary. "Sometimes I wake up in the morning and say, "I gotta play Madden,"' said Frank Lafeir, 21. Such adoration has spawned weekly tournaments. Cowhead, co-host of the comical Replacements show on WQYK-AM 1010, started the tournaments by teaming up with the Dallas Bull on U.S. 301 in east Hillsborough about a year ago. Players gather every Wednesday about 8 p.m. and play single-elimination games, sometimes past midnight. Those who lose often stay to root on winners -- and to do a little coaching from the sidelines. "I was just tired of playing against the computer at home," said Cowhead, who joked about his struggles trying to teach his girlfriend how to play. Participants control animated football players by maneuvering buttons on a hand-held control. Thanks to licensing agreements, NFL teams, players and stadiums are simulated on the screen with startling accuracy. "If you know football, you love the game," said 23-year-old Neil "Doc" Brothers, a Naval Reserve officer and the winner of several tournaments. Other than mentions on the radio show, the bar has done little to promote the tournaments. But they have drawn a loyal following. Dallas Bull manager Ed Sanderson figures there are about 75 regulars who come out to play on various weeks. Entry is $3, and the winner gets a $50 prize. Bradenton's Rodney Waters, 28, is hoping to change that. He learned about the tournaments two weeks ago and is now driving up every week. A high school teammate of Green Bay Packer and former Manatee High standout Tyrone Williams, Waters said he told Williams about the tournaments and Williams sent him a trophy to be awarded to Wednesday night's winner. He was hoping to walk away with the trophy, but lost in the final to LeRon Hundley. Cowhead said he is worried about the tournament's future now that players can hook up their PlayStation 2 consoles to a modem and challenge others around the country. But the tournament may continue to blossom. Pop City at Channelside picked up on the trend and has had weekly tournaments for the past seven weeks, also on Wednesdays. They're offering the winner a $50 prize plus a $50 bar tab. A seven-year dream for PAWS of Hillsborough County will move a little closer to reality when the group receives a $10,000 check next week from the DeBartolo Family Foundation. PAWS has been trying to raise money to build an animal shelter that won't put pets to sleep. It also would have an education and adoption center. On Dec. 11, the group will add the DeBartolo Foundation's Spirit of Humanity Award and a check for $15,000 to the $10,000 it already has raised. Another $10,000 should give PAWS enough money to buy land. If you see some Gator alums looking glum today, understand it has to do with losing something greater than a football game against Florida State. Thursday night was the last and final call for the Purple Porpoise in Gainesville. The oyster pub was a University Avenue icon for 20 years, best known for providing drinks to Florida fans who exited nearby Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at halftime for a quick brew. I also know two married couples who first met at the Porpoise. But now when they take their kids to Gainesville, the best they can hope to see is a rethemed bar called Gator Ugly. Change the Porpoise? Why don't you add a third arm to the Statue of Liberty or take Roosevelt's mustache off Mount Rushmore? How about putting a cork in Old Faithful? Man, I'm through with progress. That's all I'm saying. -- Ernest Hooper can be reached at 226-3406 or hooper@sptimes.com .
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