With the current CBA situation, there is a certain lack of football news and developments that have us all on edge. This time of the year is generally filled with signings, OTAs, and all kinds of random nuggets of football news. With no football developments outside of the courtroom, I have turned to the Madden video game franchise. I own Madden 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. At this point, it's the closest thing I have to actual football (although I enjoy a Jacksonville Sharks game from time to time).
With my return to football video games, I've realized some of the things that irk me about the game. First and foremost, the game seemingly rates players and teams retroactively with no foresight. That's fine with me. I can always go into the settings and change players. It's a hassle, but I can live with it.
The biggest complaint that I have with the Madden games is the lack of defensive ability in recent years. I find myself gravitating to Madden 2008 on the Nintendo Gamecube for my football amusement. It gave a good balance of offense and defense. Madden 2011, on the other hand, gives the user no ability to play defense, especially against human opponents. That's just unacceptable.
The other savior of the lockout would seem to be NFL Network. I don't watch it for their news of CBA developments, because; that's what ESPN and the internet is for, but I enjoy their programming in general. For example, I watched a show dedicated to the Super Bowl winning Buccaneers earlier today, and it was fantastic entertainment.
This whole CBA thing is really beginning to bite in a big way. It's throwing my whole spring/summer rituals out of whack, and it really pisses me off (sorry, but there's no better term for it). Madden games and the NFL Network are my ways of keeping football in my life through the lockout, what's yours?