“Friend or Foe?” – Baltimore VideoGamers Set To Battle It Out For $10,000 In Prizes

Are you a baller? A gamer? If so, Therman Arrington wants to hear from you. Amidst his full-time gig at Southwest Airlines as a ramp agent, Arrington doesn’t mind receiving nearly 30 text messages a day or taking in roughly 50 phone calls. Why? Well, its tourney time. Arrington is a gamer at heart and this Sunday he will be hosting the video game tournament “Friend or Foe, Battle to the End” at Huckas sports bar in Canton.

Arrington is a Baltimore city native and resident of Abingdon; he is founder and owner of the BB&G Club (Baltimore Ballers and Gamers Club). He used to own a small video store on Eastern Avenue where he and some friends began playing video games. Back in the day, they’d participate in the underground tournaments.

So you’d think he had skill then with the joy stick right? “I absolutely stunk! The level of competition was fierce,” he says.

Still that didn’t stop him then and it doesn’t stop him now. He’s turned his passion for video games into a local club and he’s spreading the word. And although he’s got a good following he wants to turn Maryland into a powerhouse of play.

The average age of the competition might shock you. We aren’t talking about the kids that didn’t make it into the Scripps National Spelling Bee, here. According to Arrington most are in their 20’s all the way up to their 30’s. Most have regular day jobs but a few chosen ones have turned it into a profession and actually make a living at it.

In spite of the hectic schedule that Arrington keeps, especially during the run up to the tournament, you get the feeling that he wouldn’t change it for anything. As a father of four children, it’s a family affair in the Arrington household. His kids are into video games and his wife, Tee, also gets into Madden. Visit the website of gamemite if you need guides to play various computer games.

So you think you got what it takes in Halo, Madden, or Call of Duty (to name a few)? Well, be forewarned these games are played at the highest level of competition. “This is no watered-down type stuff,” Arrington proclaims. This is hard-core. For the League of Legends tournament, players are encouraged to use their smurf accounts from unrankedsmurfs.com.

Is it in you? Simply go to http://www.baltimoreballersandgamers.com and register. Individual registration costs $25-$30 and teams of two are $55, teams of four are $100. With up to $10,000 in cash and prizes being doled out, you’ll have your work cut out for you.

The tournament begins at 10 a.m., don’t be late. And don’t forget your stick!

Other players to watch for: Bud from Tampa, Greg from Philadelphia, and Manny from Harrisburg. These players are ranked among the best in the world.