Since Grifball is dominated by young males it’s sometimes refreshing to get a different perspective on things. Sure – there are old farts like Puppy & Highlnd floating around, but let’s here from one of the really interesting groups. That’s right – couples who play Grifball. Yeah it does happen!

1. Do you think you play better as a team or separately?

Goose: I think we definitely play better as a team. Being able to look on his screen during a Grifball match is like having another pair of eyes. We’ve also been playing Halo together for 5 years, so we’re adept at anticipating each other’s moves, needs, and ideas.

Kal: We play better together, for sure. We’ve logged so many hours of Halo over the years that much of what we do together is simply second nature. While playing non-Grifball Halo, we’d juggle weapons and intuitively know what the other is doing. In Grifball, it certainly doesn’t hurt that we’ve never played a league game without each other and that we always play on the same screen. Screen watching isn’t a bad thing when you’re on the same team.

2. If one of you were to retire, would the other also retire?

Goose: If Kal retired, I would keep playing. If I retired, I think he’d probably stop.

Kal: Probably. I know I would most likely no longer play Grifball if Goose decided to quit cold turkey. If I lost interest in the game, though, I could see her wanting to continue playing. She’d be a hot free agent, that’s for sure.

3. Who was the first to be in the league? Did joining the league influence your significant other to join – or did they join for other reasons?

Goose: We joined the league at the same time, but it was Kal who discovered Grifball. When it comes to gaming, we do almost everything together, so I was the natural first recruit.

Kal: We both entered the league for SML08. I created the Ways and Means Committee for myself, Goose, and our college buddies to try out the Grifball League. Over time, Goose, myself, and Fifty-Two Ninjas have stuck it out. Goose and I both played Grifball for the first time together, which endeared us to the sport.

4. Did you see an improvement in your significant other over this past season? What was the most significant improvement you noticed?

Goose: Kal has definitely become a better runner. He’s become more confident with his stiff arms, a little more daring near the goal line and is more open to trying ridiculous things that sometimes pay off.

Kal: Yes. It’s tough to pick out where Goose has improved from where the team has improved, as Goose is the heart and soul of the team. On the court I vocalize the plays, but she is really running the show. I would say her tanking is constantly improving as she gets better at dancing, reading her radar, and stopping the other team from executing clutch plays.

5. Do you think more women should be involved with Grifball? If so, what positive influence do you believe it would bring to the community?

Goose: I definitely think that more girls should get involved in gaming overall and that goes for Grifball as well. There might be a few less “OMG it’s a girl!!11!11!” comments, but that’s about it.

Kal: I think there should be more female gamers, period. Unlike, say, real physical sports where men have an obvious advantage over most women, there is nothing in video games that make men inherently superior to women. It must be a culture thing that allows young boys to sit in front of the idiot box, but discourages little girls to expand their horizons past Barbie Horse Adventure. I don’t think there would be a noticeable difference if we had more female gamers in Grifball, except maybe some of the boys on the forums would be on better behavior.

6. Do you play any other games with each other besides Halo 3/Grifball?

Goose: We currently play Rock Band and Left 4 Dead together as well as the Ace Attorney series on our DS’s. We also play Xbox arcade games like Castle Crashers and 1 vs 100.

Kal: We each own a DS, but we don’t play together–I like RPGs, and she likes more Action-type games. We played an ungodly amount of Halo 2 while in college. We occasionally play Xbox Live Arcade games like Castle Crashers or 1 vs. 100. We also play other shooters, like Left 4 Dead.

7. Which one of you is a better player? Why?

Goose: Well Grifball double XP stats don’t lie, so I’m going to have to say myself. lol! Honestly, Kal is a better runner than I am, but I’m better at everything else. The main reason he became a runner is because he couldn’t tank his way out of a wet paper bag. We each have our strengths and weaknesses, but they tend to compliment and support each other.

Kal: That’s a tough question. I’m confident that I’m a better runner (most likely because I just have more experience running the ball). Goose is undoubtedly the better tank, though. Then again, only one of us has been in an All-Star game, so maybe therein lies the answer.

8. What do you believe is the biggest positive change/addition to the Grifball community this year? (such as being on Bungie.net news, GrifballHub, new Admin structure etc.)

Goose: I think the creation of Committee Heads and their minions has definitely been the biggest improvement. This set up has allowed for more community members to become involved in the league and has also helped to organize the creativity of the community. I also have to say that the re-launch of the Hub has been pretty influential as well, particularly Pup and Friends getting on Bungie news. The more exposure Grifball gets,the longer the league will last.

Kal: I think setting up the committees and getting more community members involved has been a serious boon for Grifball.com. I remember the controversy last summer/fall about all sorts of things, such as the division of the leagues, the lack of a FL08 season, etc. MooCow and the Admins really hit the nail on the head by creating the Rules, Events, and I- and T-Stats Committees. It’s less work for those in charge and it brings the community closer to the people on top. Definitely a wise decision.