Pros vs. GI Joes - Military Video Games, computer games, games, gaming - Navy Times

Pros vs. GI Joes

Think you can pwn Pedroia? Put the smack down on Shaq? Hammer Holyfield?

In your dreams, n00b!

Or maybe not.

A grass-roots campaign launched by a military spouse and his soldier wife is designed to give military gamers the chance to take on sport stars and other celebs in online matchups.

Dubbed Pro vs. GI Joe, the nonprofit organization is the brainchild of Greg Zinone, who wanted to find a better way to support the troops when his wife, Addie, a staff sergeant in the Army Reserve, deployed to Iraq.

“I wanted to do something meaningful beyond just sending care packages,” Zinone says.

After Addie mentioned that all her battle buddies were spending off-duty time jacked into Xbox, Zinone knew he wouldhit gold if he could convince sport stars to go head-to-head with troops downrange for some friendly, virtual showdowns.

Turns out that would be the easy part.

A year after their first event, they’ve nabbed stars from a full bowl of professional athlete soup, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, NASCAR, WWE, PGA, WNBA, IRL and boxing to play troops at six USO centers in Kuwait, Qatar, Germany and the U.S.

Trash talk

Marine Cpl. Tim Headrick couldn’t believe he was going to get to play his Green Bay Packer idol, offensive lineman Mark Tauscher.

“I was so excited that I almost lost the game,” wrote Headrick in an e-mail from Iraq. “However, I did end up winning in double overtime, 6-0. Mark Tauscher is a very funny man and we exchanged a few jokes and trash talk. Everything was amazing and I couldn’t believe that I was actually playing Madden against one of the best tackles in the NFL.”

The athletes have been just as excited.

“I know they’ve been looking forward to this, but I have been looking forward to it since I found out about it,” said Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback Matt Leinart after a recent matchup. “It was an awesome experience. Those guys are fighting every day for our country and for all of us. I’m fortunate to be able to play football, but those guys are the ones who are fighting for our country, and just to be able to spend a little time with them is awesome.”

“It was exciting, man. I felt like I was out there on the front lines!” added Cardinals’ offensive lineman Taitusi “Deuce” Lutui. “It’s really a blessing for them to be out there for us, the least we can do is play a little Madden with them.”

Their latest event July 13 pitted Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, the American League’s reigning most valuable player, against Boston fans at Camp Virginia, Kuwait. In addition to playing online, troops and athletes can trash talk via Webcam while they play.

For each event, Pro vs. GI Joe works with the military to get troops from the hometown of whatever team or athlete has signed up. So, during the Indianapolis 500 in May, for example, a slew of Indiana National Guard troops got to race against some of their favorite drivers online.

The Zinones also invite family members to the stateside events to watch their troops compete, and to get some one-on-one family time on the Webcams when their troops are overseas.

“We’ve been able to get troops pulled off the line in Iraq and Afghanistan to compete in Kuwait and Qatar,” Addie says. “It’s been amazing; some troops are seeing their babies for the first time via Webcam at some of these events. That’s what keeps motivating us to keep at this.”

And while the troops are psyched to compete against sports heroes, she says, “it’s the pros who are the ones that are really excited about doing this.”

Enter the MOG

Now, with the USO installing a new satellite system for its centers downrange, Pro vs. GI Joe events are set to expand into three centers in Iraq and three more in Afghanistan, plus South Korea and several stateside spots. They expect to be doing three or four big events a month.

But that’s just for starters.

Partnering with online gaming giant GGL Global Gaming, the pair have launched a military-only gamers Web site.

Dubbed the MOG — shorthand for Military Online Gaming — the site promises to become an epicenter for everything from Mario Kart contests to Halo tournaments.

“The MOG is tailored to fit your unique and often transient lifestyle,” reads the welcome page, “allowing you to battle one another from wherever you are in the world.”

The Zinones are promising regular prize offerings, as well, including Xbox and Wii giveaways, sneak-peek copies of the latest games and big tournament pots.

Special tournaments will help pick who gets to compete in Pro vs. GI Joe events, as well.

To kick off the site, Pro vs. GI Joe has launched a “Call of Duty: World at War” tournament. The top 10 winners will be flown to Atlanta (or a Persian Gulf-area USO center, if they’re downrange) for a final match and a chance to test their video game skills against the Atlanta Falcons at their training facility Sept. 15.

The master blaster will take home the grand prize, a new Honda ATV.

Read how to enter here.

Although the MOG only went live this month, it’s already garnered more than 1,500 members.

The couple estimates they’ve spent about $70,000 out of pocket, including all of Addie’s re-enlistment bonus, to get everything up and running.

“We’re in the hole big time,” says Greg, “but when you see what it does for the family members and the troops overseas, that’s definitely what carries you to the next event.”