Madden officially ushers in football season

Do you know how to tell when football season is officially back? It’s not when the Packers begin training camp and hold their first pre-season game, like they did Saturday. It’s not when local high school and college football players begin practice, like they have in recent weeks. And it’s not when you get your issue of The Gazette’s football preview, which is included with this week’s paper.
Football season officially returns when Electronic Arts releases its latest Madden football video game, like the company did Tuesday, Aug. 14, with Madden NFL 08.
The Madden series has sold 60 million copies in numerous video game formats since it began 17 years ago. That’s a staggering number, especially when you consider the game costs at least $50 in most stores.
I’ve shelled this money out several times throughout the years and it’s always been money well spent, in my opinion.
The first time I did so was in 1994 for a Madden football game for the Super Nintendo system. At the time, Super Tecmo Bowl was the most popular football video game, even though it had serious limitations. I remember being able to sack the opposing team’s quarterback almost every play just by doing a little juke move and diving with the nose tackle at the start of the play. Even though this little cheat made every game an easy win for the player, it was still fun, especially since it kept track of statistics, every fan’s reason for following any particular sport.
Madden eliminated these limitations and gave players a real challenge. Unlike Super Tecmo Bowl, which presented game play in a horizontal, side-view perspective, Madden featured play from a first-person perspective, something it still does today. For the first time you felt like you were the quarterback, running back, receiver, linebacker or safety. Essentially, the game gave millions of people the opportunity to live out their dreams of playing big league football.
Even better, you could do so by being your favorite player, like Brett Favre or Peyton Manning. Personally, I created my own players, named them after myself or friends, and incorporated them into the game.
Scott Steuck, the football player, has been the league’s best receiver, quarterback, running back and defensive end throughout many different seasons. I think he deserves a shot at the Hall of Fame, should he ever decide to retire.
When the latest Madden game debuted Tuesday, it did so like a rock star. “Maddenoliday” festivities were held in Times Square in New York City. Past players like Eric Dickerson, Warren Moon, Marshall Faulk and Tiki Barber were there to sign autographs and meet with fans. Ozzy Osbourne, the guy who once bit the head off a bat, was also there to sing a song featured in the game.
The game even has its own curse. Players like Marshall Faulk and Donovan McNabb suffered major injuries during the season they were on the game’s cover. The curse just caught up with Michael Vick who was on the cover in 2003. He probably won’t play this year, because he’ll be in jail. However, one could argue he, not the curse, caused his own downfall.
Although I still play an occasional Madden season, it’s been almost a year since I last did so. Family life, for both me and the friends I used to play with, has taken precedence. But I always smile when the latest game hits store shelves. I know football season is here and fall, my favorite season, is right around the corner. Long live Madden.