i won't be buying a new video game today

today is a big day.

about nine hours ago, at Wal-marts across the Central Time Zone, the latest installment of the Madden 2012 franchise became available for purchase. and as you can see, this year's game has a Cleveland Brown on its cover for some reason.

now, i love video games. i love Madden football (during my college years, i once showed up at a Wal-mart at midnight to purchase a copy). i love the Cleveland Browns.

yet, it is currently 9:06 and i do not have a copy of Madden 2012 in my hands.

i have decided to hold off on buying this year's edition of Madden 2012. i will, of course, buy it eventually because this is the greatest thing to ever happen to the awful football franchise that i root for.

why have i not bought it? well, first off i just don't have that much time to play video games these days because as much as i love myself some cyber-football, my life is pretty consumed with the real thing these days. i also don't have $50 to just throw around because i am trying to wipe out the debt attached to my name, set up a 401k account (yes, i know) and save up for some bling because there is a girl that i kind of like who i'd like to keep around.

in the past, this wouldn't have been a dilemma. put that video game purchase on my credit card? no problem. pay for that video game instead of my water bill? showers are overrated. buy the video game and work a 9-5 shift in front of my Playstation 2? no one needs to show pride and devotion to their actual job when they are leading the St. Louis Rams to back-to-back-to-back-to-back Super Bowl wins.

but i'm growing up. the other day, i tried to watch 10 minutes of the MTV Music Video awards and i had to switch it to Curb Your Enthusiasm. i go to bed by 10 p.m. every day. i can count on one hand the amount of times that i've been to the Dirty 6th over the past three years. i enjoy game night. i don't camp out for video games anymore and my DVD collection is missing the final two seasons of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, the 14th season of South Park and next month, i won't be buying the most recent seasons of How I Met Your Mother or The Office either (Christmas present suggestion, cough cough).

go adulthood.

Lil Wayne, play us out.