Madden Challenge 2004 LA Regionals

by Christopher Kirkman · Published November 23, 2004 · Updated February 1, 2016

This is the third year for EA Sports’ Madden Challenge in which gamers
compete across the country for a chance at a big bundle o’ cash. This
year, 50 grand is on the line and competitors from 32 cities will
compete regionally before the finals are held on December 10, 11 and
12th in Las Vegas.

Madden
NFL 2005 is the game, and we were at the Los Angeles regionals to take
a look at the competition. Gamers were serious about bringing their
game, not to mention seriously cold, as Santa Monica’s 3rd street
Promenade was in the middle of a cold snap not often associated with
Southern California. Players were warmed by the glow from several dozen
monitors and the massive crowds gathered to watch the winners tree
dwindle down to one regional champ.

Additionally, players were
entered into a drawing to take on Madden expert, Dwayne “D-Train”
Harrison, in one of 5, $1000 match games. D-Train is a 2002 finalist
who helped to beta-test Madden 2005 and has stood nearly unbeatable
across the country, going 5-0 at the Los Angeles event.

Ultimately,
only one of the 512 ballers in competition could come out on top of the
L.A. regionals, and that was Luis Gonzalez, 26, of Bakersfield, CA.
“Tru Legend” Gonzalez went up against Paul “Hollow Man” Wright in the
final game: Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings. Hollow Man lost his
starting quarterback early in the game to injury and it was all
downhill from there giving Tru Legend the run of the field, breezing
into a 31 to 7 final score.

Gonazalez will have a seat waiting
for him in Vegas against 31 other champs for his chance at the $50,000
grand prize, but not before the remaining regional medals are awarded.
Seattle regionals take place on November 26th and 27th at Qwest Field
and at SBC Park in San Francisco on the 28th.

For more information on registering for the event, previous winners, details on the game and more, click here.
EA Sports Madden NFL 2005 is available now for the PSOne, PS2, Xbox,
PC, Nintendo Game Boy Advance and in limited release for the Nintendo
DS.