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Editor’s Note: Every once in a while, the memories you make with your kids are too good not to preserve in writing. What follows is a playful, over-the-top ESPN-style recap of an 8-team Tecmo Bowl the Board Game tournament my son and I played at our kitchen table.

It was one of those nights that reminded me how something as simple as a board game can become a snapshot of childhood, laughter, and the kind of moments you hope your kids remember long after the final score is forgotten. 

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By Matt Chicoine, ESPN Family Desk

The dynasty was born somewhere between a bowl of Goldfish crackers and a bent corner of the kitchen-table playmat.

Eight teams entered. One left as champion. In the process, Tecmo Bowl the Board Game delivered a tournament that felt less like cardboard and dice and more like January football glory.

FIRST ROUND: DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS… UNTIL IT DOESN’T

The left side of the bracket opened with Minnesota edging Los Angeles, 10–7, in a game that felt like a vintage slugfest. Minnesota leaned hard into its scouting report of big passing offense and tough run defense, and it showed. Los Angeles was hard to tackle but could not shake loose when it mattered.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis blanked Chicago 7–0, bludgeoning its way through with power football that neutralized Chicago’s supposed advantages of great receivers and a brick-wall defense.

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