As all bored youths are, I too was a video gamer from a young age. Starting with the likes of Mortal Kombat and GoldenEye 007, I moved up the ladder to Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty. So it was on this clout that I based my virtual self image, and would state myself as a competent gamer. Playing Xbox 360 or Wii in my spare time is rather common, and I would be lying if I said I hadn’t stayed up till the early hours of the morning with my assistant trying to achieve pro status in golf on Wii Sports. After all I am your average 26 year old, that just travels a little more than others.
It is with this background that we proceed closer to the now. Last week I got a call from ESPN asking if I would be interested in photographing Heath Bell, of the San Diego Padres, playing Wii Fit for an article in their upcoming issue. I have to say that I was worried, but not about the images, or players, but about whether or not I would be able to photograph and resist hopping in on pick-up games. Delightfully I OK’d the photoshoot, and boxed up my Wii console, for I needed the veritable “home field advantage” (what a delightful pun you say), and off to Padres field where I would set up in the locker room.
Enter Heath Bell, 6 foot 2 inch, 240 pound monster that throws in the upper 90’s and takes no prisoners when it comes to Wii. With a chip on his shoulder since learning or David Eckstein’s Wii Fit records, Bell was here to do some damage. Seeing as he is a bit taller than me and has over 100 pounds on me, I guess I should be grateful that video games were the chosen platform of such competition.
In a fateful move I picked up my Wii mote and challenged him to a tennis match with warning that I had played a few times before…… and he kicked my ass
I challenged him to a game of Downhill Ski Jumping, less experience on my side, but a bit of a balance advantage…… and he kicked my ass
With that I pulled out the trump card and challenged him to bowling…… and he kicked my ass (destroyed my dreams, and sent me home feeling like a little girl)
….
Yeah, I got the photo, so what, my dreams are shattered and now I must find a video game that I am good at…………. damn MLB players
