Xbox Dad of the Year 2007 Contest Winner
Published June 19, 2007
We received thousands of entries for our Xbox Dad of the Year contest. Lots of kids nominated their fathers, tons of wives nominated their husbands, and best friends nominated each other. It was VERY hard to choose just one winner. But choose we must, so after days and days of reading, arguing amongst ourselves, and more reading, we've made a tough decision. The Xbox Dad of the Year 2007 is Brahm Bob Lahblaw Corstanje from Cincinnati, Ohio! The winning entry was written by his 14-year-old son, Kase GenePoolCleaner Corstanje. Dad will receive an Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment console, Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, and a VIP Xbox 360 Accessories Kit including a Wireless Controller, 64MB Memory Unit, a Wireless Networking Adapter, Universal Media Remote, 2 Play and Charge Kits and a Xbox 360 lockable metal travel case. Congratulations to GenePoolCleaner and his dad Bob Lahblaw! Here's the winning entry:
Why My Dad is the "Xbox Dad of the Year"
"Oh my Gawwwhhhhhhhhhhh … [sigh] … how come the chainsaw never freakin' works for me???!!!!!!"
Our winner!
That's my Dad. You wouldn't know it to hear his cries of anguish at being pwned yet again by me or one of my friends, but, he is without a doubt, the "Xbox Dad of the Year." Each weekend, about six of my friends and I get together to play Halo® 2, Gears of War®, and just this past Friday, Shadowrun™. You may be asking, "You and six friends … but won't the teams be uneven?" However, you haven't been formally introduced to the most important player: my Dad, also known as Bob Lahblaw.
I talked my friends out of getting PS3s and into getting Xbox 360s. My friends and I started to get together every week at my house to play on a set of old TVs … until my Dad became the coolest Dad ever. He built a set of shelves with a friend of his. After consulting with another friend of his, he obtained a 24-port LAN hub off of EBay, and then, after "consulting" with Mom, he purchased 6 flat screen high definition TVs to put on the gaming shelves. Now, when my friends come over, they set up their 360s on the lower shelf and connect to one of the LAN jacks under the set of shelves, and then we sit back and let the games begin. Oh yeah, there's one other screen left, the 12-foot projector screen. Guess who plays on that screen? I guess it's only fair that goes to Dad.
Must have good grades to enter!
Now, for all the people who say video games rot your brain, please take special note. My Dad only allows people who get an "A" or better average on their report cards to come over and game. So, if any of us get bad grades, we aren't allowed to play. This makes us understand that playing video games and having access to that kind of equipment is a privilege that one has to work for, and not a right. By being a responsible parent, my Dad has made me a responsible gamer.
My Dad is not the best gamer, far from it. He's actually, well, pretty bad. But, he makes it fun because he tries really hard. Unfortunately, he just can't keep up with us younger people. It amuses us at how hard he tries. Sometimes he does get a few kills, which makes him very happy. I give myself up sometimes and let him take out my player. I figure, hey, it's the least I can do for the access to six brand-new high def TVs.
My Dad is even cool enough to drive some of my friends home at the end of the evening, if their parents can't come to pick them up.So, my Dad may not be the best gamer, but I know one thing. He is the coolest Dad ever! That is why my Dad is the "Xbox Dad of the Year."
Excerpts from Other Great Entries
wildstar71 and his adoring fans
We have five kids in our Brady Bunch-esque household, between the ages of 2 and 14! Hardly a day goes by when he doesn't sit and play games with the kids. Jerry (wildstar71) commutes four hours daily, back and forth to work, comes home, and then becomes one with the sofa. The kids come rushing in to flop beside him. I bring him his dinner, as he fires up the game systems. Within moments, it's a frenzy of good-natured taunting and explosions. Kyle and Steve will join Jer in a game of Halo, up against one of Jer's friends from work. Kae and Lexi will battle him in Dance Dance Revolution and Viva Piñata™. Even the baby gets involved by strumming the bar on the guitar as he pushes the colored buttons, playing GH2! It's mayhem! It's chaos! It's family game time!
—Dani
My dad is POP7147. My Dad has done so much for me. He was the one who got me into gaming in the first place! He also got me into the GamerchiX. Being in the GamerchiX keeps him knowing I'm safe and lets me have fun. My Dad even got me playing with some of the Frag Dolls! I had a lot of fun doing it. He has done everything to keep me safe, whether it's over Xbox LIVE® or things in the real world. It's Super Dad to the rescue! What else can a girl ask for … ?
—CuddleBug13
Sgt cabose and his new recruit.
After ten hours of labor, my husband Sgt cabose tells me he brought something to use as a focal point until it was time to push. To no surprise of mine, he whips out our 360!! (Wish I had one of the nurses capture our gamer moment.) Lucky for our son, he wasn't named Scott Mitchell. So on February 17th, our son Noah was literally born into the next-gen world of 360 gaming. Since then, my husband has been showing our son the "rules" behind gaming, especially on Xbox LIVE. (Noah is only four months old, but by now I'm sure even he knows not to spawn camp.)
—Jenny
Attention husbands everywhere! Are you often nagged or bugged to death by your wife to stop gaming? Do you have to spend many late nights to get your gaming in? I have a solution for you. My husband uselessSABOTAGE is a gaming Dad who balances a full time job, two kids under two years old, cooking, laundry and more, yet still finds the time to keep unlocking those achievements.
So you ask, "Well, how does he do it?" The answer is he loves both his family and his Xbox (if you ask me, I think he might have added the Xbox to our dental plan). So husbands, sit down with your wives and work together to keep up your homes and when you get yourselves in gear, you'll see that you too can have the best of both worlds.
—Brittany
