After being bombarded with insults for guaranteeing a Madden Challenge regional championship this year, Truth added a little bite to his bark by coming away from an independent tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich. with the $1,000 first prize.

"I didn't really run any of my money plays so people couldn't steal them," Truth said. "I'm focused on winning a Madden Challenge more than this, but I still won regardless. A lot of my critics came to the tourney and played and lost. I was undefeated in the round robin and got to the finals where I ended up winning my final game 17-0."

The tournament was held by Chuck Hollywood, who debuted on ESPN's Madden Nation last night. Hollywood formed the tournament, which included other big names such as Clark Kent and KornStar of the Madden Lab.

jbussa@gotfrag.com