Game day attitude

If you haven't read my "tagged" post, skip down and read it first. I promised to elaborate on #10, my board game competitive streak. This myspace blog from about a year ago really sums it all up well. I also posted the comments at the bottom, but I removed my comments back and the names to protect the innocent:

Monday, January 29, 2007

You could say I am a little competitive..... Category: Games

Or you could say I am very competitive. One could even go as far as to say I am super competitive.
Anyway you slice it, that is me. I acknowledge the fact that this is what I am, and it usually takes someone playing a game with me for about an hour to acknowledge it as well.
For instance, a lovely couple that knows my husband and I well, as well as good friends with my in laws, invites all of us over for dinner and games last weekend. We begin by playing "Curses" a brand new game to all of us which is hilarious. I consider myself pretty well behaved during this part of the game night. Sure, I am the one that is calling people on their mistakes more than all the other players combined, but that is the object of the game, and I even kind of refrianed from a few just so I wouldn't seem too bitchy.
Then another couple that I had never met joined us. As we wrap "Curses" the game "Catch Phrase" is suggested. I agree semi reluctuantly, but I save my father in law the priveledge of reminding me (and annoucing to everyone of course) of my embarrsing moment during our last game of "Catch phrase" by bringing it up myself and making a joke out of it. Father in law stated he didn't remember it until I just brought it up. Yeah, right.
So we start the game, things go smoothly at first, girls vs guys is proving to be enough of a challenge for the group. And then it happens, I am passed the stupid wheel thing and get the phrase, "Hail Mary Pass" WTF?!?
Let me first say, I have never pretended to know a lot about football, so of course, I don't realize this is a football term. Normally I would have probably figured it out in a couple seconds, but with the pressure of the game, I am not totally thinking clearly. So with quick thinking I tell my team it is three words, they get hail pretty quickly, and when I tell them the second word is mother ___ they actually get mary quickly, so when I am trying to coax them to put the two words together, they just keep saying mother mary. This goes on for about five seconds, while the little timer just keeps getting faster and faster, so I start screaming, "no, that is the second word! No! Just the second word!" Then I start pounding my hand on the table in frustration. The timer stops and we lose. Then I realize Nathan has grabbed my hand and is shhhing me. Then father in law starts doing this as well. Then they start patting me the back to calm me down. Well that pisses me off which of course makes it worse as I am trying to explain that I didn't know it was a football term, and like any of the women on my team would either.
On that note, let me digress a moment. I realize that was a sexist/sterotype comment to think that women wouldn't know a football term. But I stand by my sexist/sterotype comment because football is one of the few sports that women do not play or usually follow that much. I would not have made that statement had it been a baseball/softball, basketball, tennis, golf, etc. As it turns out, one of the women on my team did know it. To return to the story........
I finally get free of the back patting and sssshhhing because it makes me feel as if I am being made fun of. The game continues and ends (we lost by the way) and as I try and make a break for the door, the group insists upon one more game. I think, oh whatever, I am already pissed (for being patted not for losing) but oh well. The teams are switched up and we continue.
Things start out fine again, I was doing well with my clues and answers, but then the stupid wheel thing comes to me again with little time left. The phrase, "Be prepared" is shown. I think oh hell that is easy! I smile knowing that the timer will stop on the next person and quickly say, "The Boy Scout motto!" I get dumbfounded looks and yell, "THE BOY SCOUT MOTTTO!" Still dumb looks. A split second before the timer runs out, my father in law raises his hand because he knows it and knows he can steal the point once the timer runs out. "I look at him and yell, "YOU"RE ON MY TEAM!!!!!" The timer then stops and I yell again, "YOU WERE ON MY TEAM!!!!" He, of course, had gotten confused in the team swicthing even though we had played the entire game and this was the winning point for the other team.
Sadly, this is a pretty normal occurence, I yell, pound my fists, piss people off and have even made someone cry during a heated moment of a simple board game.
So this is where I get defensive about the whole thing. First off, I don't try to be like this. I don't want to piss people off or make people cry. I do like getting into games, because I think that is what makes them fun, but I don't like where it ends up going ulitmately. Secondly, I don't even realize what is happening until it has already blown up. In fact, seeing it all now in type makes me really think about how riduculous I have gotten before. I know this sounds strange, but it is almost like I am a drug addict that gets high and does things they wouldn't ever do, and when they step back and see what they did, they really can't believe it. Third, people pointing it out makes me really ashamed. Not to the point of never playing a game ever again, but I guess more when I think people think that I am this way on purpose. I honestly try not to be but the behavior just seems to slip out.
Usually I try to make a moral to the story at the end of my blogs, but this one is freakin long for me so I will just end it here.....plus I am thinking this one may get a lot of comments.


The comments:

*I always cry when you come over and we play games teresa. But that is after you leave, because I already miss you ; p
My opinion is, people can get the fuck over it, or not play games with you. I know when I am playing with you that we are playing for keeps.

*Well, Teresa, this does not come as a suprise to me. I vividly remember the terror of game nights at Becky's. You should play a game with Tyler sometime-now that would be interesting. Now I will anlayze you. Maybe you should spend some time thinking about why you act the way you do. What do you get out of it? It sounds like there are some negative things (patting, being treated like a child), but maybe there are some positive things as well. Think about it.
I would think that all the attention you get when you are in full manic episode might be rewarding. I mean, not that you like to be the center of attention or anything...

*WOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!! Sounds like my kind of game night!!! Pack up the Pictionary and come on over any time!!!! Now that I know the strategy, that is.....when you start to win, I'll just pat you on the back and shhhh you a little until you lose your cool and then I'LL BE THE WINNER!!!! Hee hee.....I say anybody who gets mad can't take it. Be you. Own it. We are all different and if that doesn't do it for ya, think about how many times you have shrugged your shoulders at something somebody else did that you didn't get. That's why Baskin Robbins has done so well---we are all different!!!

*Okay Woman...I give you LOTS of shit about playing games...however, I have a little secret that i should probably let you in on. I am one of the most competitive people on the planet. I have pissed off my husband while playing monopoly to the point of us going to bed without speaking because I cannot just WIN the game...but I must WIN the game and then throw in a nice loud BOOYAH and possibly a little booty dance just to rub it ALL the way in. I have also played Street Basketball and Street Football on PS2 with Shawn to the point of absolute gleeful screaming and throwing the controller when I defeated him while his otherwise powerful sense of manliness diminished nearly to the point of pouting. I'm not proud of this. I too feel as though I may have a problem. So let me just be the first to light my candle and admit...My name is Becky...................and I'm a competitiveness-aholic. *SOB* I feel so much better now....mostly because i was the first one to admit it....which means I WIN!!!

*Okay, I'm thinking that you, me and this Mrs. Rebecca Long person all fuel up the Monte and head to Tunica. IF we win, we will be rich. IF not, we will be the most obnoxious losers EVER!!! But, I'll bet we have some fun. Let me know when to pencil it in......

*Gee you don't get that from your older sister or anything.

*Teresa, I love you!!! This so made me laugh, I'm that way too. Don't ever change for anyone!

*I personally, am not very competitive, because to "conflict-phobes" like myself, competitiveness can lead to fights. Just writing the word "fight" makes me uncomfortable. God, that's fucked up.
But anyhoo, as long as no one is crying by the end of the game, usually the competitiveness doesn't bother me. After all, it's a board game. But if you Teresa, really get into the game, that's fine with me. I mean as long as the guns in the house are safely locked up, and their aren't any blunt objects within reach I don't see what the problem is......
Just kidding. Teresa don't worry about it. It's part of your charm, seriously. If everybody reacted the same way to every situation, how boring would life be? You're just adding a little spice to a dull board game. Perhaps the fellow players should just take the time to thank you while they're cowering behind the couch.....
Love ya!
Ps. Patting and shhing would piss me off too. I'd probably would have left.