White A Shoe In For The Hall
by Rob Shaunessy, special correspondent to the MWS.com

With Nationals 7 Weekend just around the corner and last weeks announcement regarding the establishment of the Madden Players Hall of Fame, there will be much speculation as to who should be in the Hall's first class. After all, the Hall of Fame should be reserved for those extra special players with extra ordinary gifts and talents. On that statement alone, Winky White qualifies. White was the first baller to be recognized for truly uncanny stick control. Whether it meant stopping on a dime, reversing field in heavy traffic, or getting through a maze of defenders when it looked impossible, White set the bar for what extra ordinary stick control was.

While many may focus on White's two championship game losses at Nationals, it should not be ignored that White won arguably the most competitive league in nation, The BFL, not once, not twice, but five times.

You may be able to question White's frame of mind when it comes to coaching in championship games, but you can't question his contributions to the game as a competitor. Sure White slept on The cREATOR in Nationals I, and you could also say that running out of bounds when he had a chance to score against Candyman was a bonehead play in retrospect. After all, who would have guessed the sure handed Fred Taylor would fumble two plays later at the goaline, costing Wink his first title?

But there is no questioning White's dominance in his local league as well as at the Nationals. The Nationals I & II runner up sits 3rd all time in Nationals wins. And coming into Nationals II, White was the hands down favorite to win it all.

Returning to Nationals II looking to avenge his fluke loss to The cREATOR at Nationals I, White was determined to prove he was the best in the nation. However, fate was not on his side as he fumbled away the title to an upstart by the name of Candyman. However in route to the title game, White treated us to a spectacular demonstration of greatness defeating the resilient D.C. in the elite 8 (an MWS Classic) before destroying online gaming legend Jay Kearney in the final four.

What White has also contributed to the community that he doesn't speak about much is his involvement with the development of National Tournament. Event founder The Swammi is quick to tell that White really came through for him to help make the first Nationals a success. "No question about it, Wink along with the BFL were instrumental in helping us set a phenomenal event," states Swammi on White's contribution. White is even credited with coining the phrase Nationals. "I always called it the Madden Games, but White subliminally kept saying the Nationals, and I just like the way it sounded. And it stuck from then on."

Stories tell of White and other members of the BFL showing what league hospitality was supposed to be at the inaugural Nationals. What ever Swammi needed for the tournament, they were right there to provide it if he didn't already have it taken care of. "He inspired me to continue on," Swammi continued. "After he told me about his vision, and what the Nationals could be, I was inspired to continue on, and because of that, we are here today 6 years later."

White's name may go down in history as one of the great players to play the game. But his greatest talent could be his contributions to Nationals I. Because, if the first ever Madden Games would have been a flop, who knows if there would have ever been another Nationals, an MWS, or a Madden Players Hall of Fame.