TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Smackdown: The Best Street Fighter Player?

ADVERTISEMENT

By ANWAR RICHARDSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 16, 2007

Smackdown Results: Offense 7, Defense 3

There once was a time when friends actually had real names, not screen names.

Back then, the thought of playing a video game against someone who lived in another country seemed more unlikely than telephones without wires. Kids either rounded up their neighborhood friends to spend an afternoon feeding quarters into pinball, Galaga or Pac Man machines, or trekked to the local arcade and obtained new buddies in their favorite hangout spots.

Street Fighter was an immensely popular game when released by Capcom in 1987. It was a fighting game where a martial artist named Ryu competed in a worldwide martial arts tournament spanning five different countries (United States, Japan, China, England and Thailand) and 10 opponents (two per country). In layman's terms, you pressed a lot of buttons at the same time trying to whip somebody.

This week's Smackdown features fullback B.J. Askew vs. safety Kalvin Pearson vs. defensive end Patrick Chukwurah to determine the best Street Fighter player. Each has his own championship belts – compliments of Toys ''R'' Us – that they put on the line during each competition.

Normally, we pit one player against another in this space, but each athlete was so adamant they were better than each other that we're going with three this week. Bottom line is that Askew will need his special moves to represent Tampa Bay's offense and override two defensive players.

B.J. Askew, Fullback

If you ask Askew about his Street Fighter skills, and he can talk about them for hours, this game was invented for a gifted person like him.

''The last time Chuk and I played, I beat him about the first six games straight,'' Askew said. ''Now it's been worse than that. I've beat him almost 15 games. I've been a little light with him. Then he stole one of my belts. In fact, I'm going to get it right now.''

Askew has three belts displayed in his locker, and even has talked about putting up track lighting to show off his hardware – OK, plasticware.

''I mix it up [when he plays]. They think I'm always aggressive. Sometimes I lay back. They don't see me coming. I know what they are going to do,'' Askew said. ''Want to know what my secret is? When they think I'm about to throw something at them, like a fireball, I don't do it. Then my attack is wide open. You can put that in the paper because I don't really care. I can tell all my secrets because they can't beat me. I can't be stopped.''

Askew claims Pearson has been running from him for several weeks. Chukwurah, he says, is hands down the worst player. However, he is willing to challenge his teammates whenever they want to lose their belts.

''They are running. I got them both on the run. None of them really want to play me. They both are kind of scared right now,'' Askew said. ''Chuk has used his [shoulder] injury as an excuse. He asked for me to take it a little easy on him. That is why I never put that hardcore belt up against him. It really doesn't matter. Whoever the opponent is, I won't be defeated.''

Kalvin Pearson, Safety

As Askew pounds his chest and proclaims himself to be the undisputed Street Fighter champion, Pearson can only laugh at his teammate's accusation that he is running scared.

''B.J. hurt his ankle last week, so it's nice to be able to sit around, and he's been able to get in a lot of practice,'' Pearson said. ''When it comes to me, I've been concentrating on the football game a little more than him.

''It's crunch time and playoff time and I've had more emphasis than the [Street Fighter] game, but I'm going to give him a challenge. I never lose.''

Pearson disagreed with Askew's assertions of being the top Street Fighter player in their crew, but he did agree with one thing.

''Chuk is the worst player, hands down,'' Pearson said. ''If there was a varsity team, Chuk would be middle school. He goes through the longest droughts. I have at times felt bad for him and gave him a win or two. He's a nice competitor because he won't quit, but it's to a point when you've lost 13 in a row, there is nothing wrong with quitting. And that is how I'm going to deal with B.J.''

From left: Chukwurah, Pearson, Askew

Pearson also laughs at the notion put forth by Askew that because of his dominance, Pearson and Chukwurah demanded throwing be eliminated from the game to make it more fair.

''The throws are a glitch in the game. The throws can overthrow any other move that you do, so we took throws out to make it more competitive. We can all just sit back and throw each other, but we want to see that skill, which he's lacking. Severely,'' Pearson said. ''He tries to get into the crowd thing. Tries to get everybody behind him so he can get that extra boost, like the home-team advantage. He's trying to get it, but he ain't going to get it.''

Patrick Chukwurah, Defensive End

Chukwurah believes his critics have not provided enough proof to validate their beliefs that he's one of the worst Street Fighter players ever.

''Of course, they are going to say that. You talked to them first,'' said Chukwurah, who pointed out he was the last person to be interviewed about Street Fighter. ''Nobody is ever going to want to admit they are sorry, but the proof is in the pudding. I got the belts. Take a picture, click-click, whatever you want to do. The proof is in the pudding.''

To Chukwurah's defense, he did have a belt in his locker on Wednesday. Of course, Askew took it out Chukwurah's locker when he was not around and claimed it was won during a previous competition.

''B.J. bought two belts for himself. Keep that in mind,'' Chukwurah said. ''I've had two belts in my locker for two weeks now. The only reason I didn't have three is because K.P. [Pearson] has been scared to play. I played him yesterday, I beat him, and he didn't want to give the belt up. What can I say? Some people don't stand by their word.''

Chukwurah admits the most consecutive games he may have ever lost was three, but said Pearson's claim of 13 straight wins is more outlandish than hearing opponents throw games to keep him happy.

''I really hope you are making some of this up. I seriously hope you are,'' Chukwurah said. ''Like I said, whenever you want to see for yourself, we'll set it up. That's the only way to get the real truth. I got the belts. I don't know what else I can say. It is what it is.''

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT