Is it too late to ask him out?

All right. I’m at a local friendly watering hole on Friday night. Having a good time. I start talking to a couple of men, one engaged, one not. There’s some interest with the uninvolved one. Eventually, we work around to the fact that I’m a pretty good Tecmo Bowl (for original Nintendo) player. He says he can beat me. (He is deluded, but that’s okay. He’s also friendly and attractive, so I can overlook a certain amount of delusion.) We work our way up to a challenge.

On Saturday, I was supposed to go over to his place and kick his Minnesota butt. But I failed to go. I failed to call. I was out with my mother and sister. They kept telling me to call, but I felt at the late time (I was to be there around 4; it was about 2), I would just appear a jerk.

Now I appear even more of a jerk, of course. Something I failed to consider. D’oh!

My question to you, oh great SDMBers, is: Can this potential Nintendo rivalry with possible action on the side be saved? Can I call him now, apologize (and I really would mean it), and go kick his butt a little later this week? What do YOU think?

Absolutely it can be saved, if he’s reasonable. Apologize and go play him as soon as possible.

try, you never know!

Guys don’t obsess like that, and Minnesota has the highest per capita Tecmo bowl professionals of the nation.

Call him. He’ll still kick your butt. And he’ll be happy to hear from you. You could make up an excuse that you were kidnapped by a race of poodles from the planet kjsdkjhs. He won’t care. He’s a guy.

Yeah, I’m with the others. Call him and apologize and I’m sure he’ll be fine. More than anything, he’s probably just disappointed that he didn’t from you and will be relieved to hear that you’re sorry for it.

Give it a shot!

Would a rivalry be business or pleasure?

Call him. Apologize and ask to reschedule. If he is interested, it will be OK. I confess that I’m somewhat unforgiving when I’ve been stood up, but that is one of my personal quirks. Most men don’t share it. It is worth a call.

So if I spent more time at bars, would I often end up with women talking trash to me about their ability to beat me at video games?

Man! I need to get out of the house/SDMB more often…

Well, MaxTheVool, that’s the way I operate, at least. But only with old video games. And Goldeneye. I also trash-talked him on test scores. And NurseCarmen, solid advice but I think your assessment of the great state of Minnesota’s Tecmo Bowl skills may be skewed.

I’ve taken everyone’s advice. I have called. Just said I was sorry and that I’d still like to give him the ass-kicking I promised. He seemed amenable if a little surprised that I called. So it’s all fine. Ass-kicking will commence later this week. I’ll let you know how it goes. Not that I expect you to care or anything. Still, this is the first time I’ve asked the Dopers for advice and I feel it’s polite to follow up. (Shut up! Usually I’m quite polite!)

Speaking only for myself, it’s always a pleasure to hear from the ladies, moreso if I’ve gotten the impression they weren’t interested.

Stood up: “Oh well, guess she wasn’t interested. That’s life, I suppose.”

Then,

She calls: “Whoo-hoo!”

Take Denver. John Elway ALWAYS laid the smack down in Tecmo Bowl. That shotgun formation won me many a game.

It’s either Denver with the shotgun or else it’s gotta be the great receivers in San Fran (their QB isn’t too shabby either). I love me some Tecmo Bowl.

Is it really that weird that I play old video games? Is it weirder because I’m a woman? Everyone comments on it, but I just think they’re great.

Genseric, is that “Whoo-hoo!” in Homer Simpson fashion? Because that’s incredibly charming if so.

bristlesage, it is indeed.

By the way, bristlesage, old video games = fun. Girls who play video games = interesting. Girls who play old video games = fun x interesting.

It’s mathematically proven.

When you call, stress the possible ‘action on the side’ aspect rather than the game aspect.

Then you’re golden.

put it this way - you call, if he yells at you excessively for blowing him off, just hang up. Not so bad.

you call, he busts your chops a little, then you get together. Good thing.

you don’t call, you’ll always wonder if you should have. REAL bad thing.

You know you want to, that’s why you’re asking. Call.

I think it’s charming, personally. But back to business.

I liked S.F. too. And you know who was good? Minnesota always did good. Those unfortunate teams that got running plays sucked. Running plays weren’t nearly as fun and didn’t work all that often.

Of course you can call him, and if you play with the Giants, you can whoop him silly. There’s a bug in one of their plays, a little drop pass to Walter Payton, that is always good for at least 15 yards.

(a) the woo hoo there is dead on…

(b) it’s charming that you play old video games. It’s just a shame that you play the wrong old video games.

Ahh, my recurring dream in which I meet a woman who can beat me at Streetfighter II. Or WWF Superstars. Or Ghouls n’ Ghosts. Or Buster Brothers. Or Golden Axe. Or Elevator Action…

New & Improved, that would be with Chicago. However, I always liked a challenge, and took Seattle. Something about those terrible colors that had nothing to do with their normal in-real-life colors. Plus, Largent (is that right? - the LB just behind the line) could break up nearly every other PAT/FG. And the reverse is always a good time.