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Michael Vick, a former Atlanta Falcon, is now a free agent. Four or five years ago, you would have to be down-right insane to think that Vick would no longer be a “dirty bird.” To me, it’s practically unfathomable to the Falcons without Vick at quarterback.

But, here we are in 2009 without him. Many people are throwing around comments,
saying he can’t play anymore or will be too rusty after all the jail time.

If you’re one of those people asking if he can still play, I will strongly stand by the response that he can and will. Yes, Michael Vick has been away from the NFL for two years. Still, it’s hard to imagine he magically lost his feel for the game and his ability to play in that short amount of time. He may no longer have the ability or skill to serve as a prototypical first-string QB in today’s game, and I certainly don’t feel he’s going to resurface as a starter right off the bat. The simple fact is that no team is willing to invest much into him, which explains why the Falcons couldn’t trade him.

Never the less, sooner or later, I strongly believe you will see Vick back on the field, whether it’s as a backup, wideout, halfback, or quarterback. No matter how many people might continue to doubt this claim, I’ll stand by it time and time again–Michael Vick will return to the NFL and he will once again play at the intense and talented level he displayed as an Atlanta Falcon.

How does a person come up with their online nickname? What is the meaning behind their online ID? Is it a reflection of who they really are? There are endless possibilities when it comes to choosing and creating a nickname for online game play. The following are just a few examples of online player IDs and their meanings (the following are actual nicknames from PSN and XBL):

XMurkerX207X

Perhaps the scariest of all gamer tags are the ones where they threaten you with murder or give you the impression they are going to stab you in the neck with a rusty screwdriver. Let’s break it down section by section.

The “x” obviously means they are serious and are not to be messed with. Nobody uses the 24^th letter in the alphabet with the intention of wanting to have a long discussion about the political unrest of the Palestinian state of Israel and the potential implications of having a Jewish state. When there is an “x”in the name, it is a warning to all opponents that they mean business.

The next part is the word “murker.” This may not even be a real word (it is btw), but don’t tell this gamer either way. The word “murker” most likely comes from the word “murk” which means to defeat someone to the point that they shouldnever show their face again (urbandictionary.com).

Finally, we are left to deal with the numbers “207.” In most cases, three numbers usually represent a hometown of the player (Reggie Bush receives a 4 cent royalty fee for using these numbers ever since he made it cool when he put them on his eye-black patches). Where is area code 207 you might ask? None other than the OG (original gangsta) state of Maine. That’s right! Mother f’ing Maine, yo!

Bottom line is do not, I repeat, DO NOT, take this gamer lightly. When someone from Maine wants to defeat you to the point of utter embarrassment while carrying the weight of every “murker” in the state, topped off with the third to last letter of the alphabet incorporated into their name, you better be on your “A” game. One last piece of advice: you better start sleeping with a nightlight and blunt object hidden under your pillow if you defeat this player.

JuGGaL0 420

Upon first glance, there isn’t much to this simple nickname. There are a few cute letters strung together followed by a three-digit number (see above example for possible meaning of three digit number). Upon further examination however, it is clearly a complex nickname.

Take the first half-the word “Juggalo.” For those who live in a cave, this refers to a follower of the inspirational musical lyrics produced by the group ICP (Insane Clown Posse). Most likely, this player lives with a close family member in the back end of a mobile housing unit. Just because this player
barely qualified to attend their high school graduation does not mean they are a complete idiot. Ordinary idiots cannot talk their mom into putting a cartoon character of a man running with a hatchet on the back window of their1987 Buick Skylark in the form of a sticker. These types of people are advanced idiots.

The next half of the epithet is the number “420.” The uneducated may view this as the area code for the tropical paradise of Hawaii, but there is a 94% chance this gamer meant it to represent that he smokes….drum roll, please-marijuana. Marijuana is the drug of choice for these players and because he has the number four-two-zero in his online nickname, he most likely smokes it whenever possible. This player may have a short-lived video game career. Eventually, they will need to pawn off their gaming system to purchase a weekend of enjoyment accompanied by hits from a methamphetamine pipe or stamps of acid.

Final note: the “o” in the nickname is actually a zero, meaning this gamer is not alone and the ever-original nickname is in use by someone else. God help us all.

GoDZ-PuRPoz

God works in mysterious ways. This player obviously had a vision of the almighty creator, and it told him to serve his holiness through the world of video games. It is not essential to spell things properly, let alone your online player ID, when serving a greater power. Saving souls and putting the letter “z” to use whenever remotely possible is the agenda of this player. If the letter “s” and the correct spelling would have been used, it would have lost all meaning and this gamer would be doomed to a life of correct grammar and be just another ordinary electronic thespian.

Just having the word of a supreme being in your nickname will give you a distinct advantage over your opponent. Let’s just hope this player does not rest their controller on top of the book known as the Bible while they are attending church. A controller soaking up all that knowledge via osmosis would render the player unstoppable and their thumbs a tool of supreme deity in the gaming world.

Many people in life need to embrace the grace of divinity. That is this gamer’s purpose. Obviously.

For most of this year’s Madden 09 campaign, the Dallas Cowboys were the team of choice. One obvious reason was their massive amount of offensive talent. With Tony Romo’s speed and accuracy, he was a combo threat to either run or throw. Terrell Owens gave gamers a viable counterpart for opponents who used the seemingly unstoppable tandem of Tom Brady and Randy Moss. With the new tackle breaking system implemented in Madden 09, Marion Barber has been the prototypical running back.

In most cases, Madden tournament players roll with the Cowboys and are either high scorers or clock controllers. Tourney gamers who can combine both of these elements have had the most success, scoring at will and slowing the game down to keep their opponent off the field with three nice running backs in Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice.

In Madden 10, the Cowboys will continue to be a clock killer’s dream. Their running attack will be top five in the game for sure. Barber is easily the every down back. With his lethal speed, Jones can be used for pass catching and toss/sweeps. Choice is a very capable backup who can be utilized just in case Barber or Jones are injured. Running a clock-controlling scheme out of fullhouse will most likely be the main offense used by Cowboy gamers.

Defensively in Madden 09, the Cowboys were a tremendous problem early on. When Adam “Pacman” Jones was added to the game, the Cowboys had three speedy corner backs, including Terence Newman and Orlando Scandrick. The Cowboys defensive front seven was a steady wall to run against and they also had a decent pass rush. The raw combination of strength and speed EA gave the Cowboys made it hard for any offense to counter. The only holes for the Cowboy’s defense in Madden 10 will be safety and the down 3 in their 3-4 defense.

Simply put, the Cowboys are and still will be a great Madden team despite the departure of Terrell Owens and Pacman. The main Madden gamers selecting the Cowboys will continue to probably be clock controller and heavy runners. Although it won’t be as high of a rating as it was just a year ago, the Cowboys overall team rating for Madden 10 will start at 82.

As we delve further and further into the Madden 09 offseason, EA Sports continues to leak out exciting new information to keep gamers excited about the upcoming release of Madden 10. With that said, I was pumped to see EA unveil the team ratings at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) but there was one team’s rating that had me flabbergasted-the Denver Broncos.

Looking through the ratings, it’s very obvious early on that EA has completely revamped their team rating’s system. Instead of having 11 teams rated in the 90s at this point last year, there are now only two-the New England Patriots (93) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (92). Simply put, both of these teams have heralded the word “dynasty” in discussions about them in recent years and are very deserving of their high ratings.

Further glancing at the list, other notable teams and their ranks would be last year’s 8-8 San Diego Chargers (88), the 9-7 Dallas Cowboys (85), the 8-8 Washington Redskins (79), the 4-12 Seattle Seahawks (77) and the Detroit Lions (65).

Yet, the biggest glaring teams and their ratings for me would have to be last year’s 5-11 Oakland Raiders (71) and the Broncos (70). Even after keeping the Jay Cutler trade made earlier this offseason in mind, I am completely puzzled and baffled as to why the Broncos are rated so low. Adding more salt to my wounds, it’s nearly impossible for me to fathom that EA rated them worse than the lowly, insignificant Raiders. If I remember right, EA is touting that this version of Madden will be the “most realistic football game ever,” but how can that be if they are trying to pass off ridiculous team ratings like this?

In the end, I respect the amount of talent and speed the Raiders have, but only on Madden. In real life, the only two players that are even worth a damn for them are RB Darren McFadden and CB Nnamdi Asomugha. On the other hand, the Broncos are full of weapons, such as WR Brandon Marshall, WR Eddie Royal, CB Champ Bailey and MLB DJ Williams. That’s not even including the six or so solid RBs they have stowed away.

But, enough with the whining. I’m sure EA had a method to their madness and it will all work out in the end. Hopefully, at some point in the season, the Broncos will perform at a high level and they will be rewarded with a higher rating during a seasonal update. If they end up stinking up the place, then I will concede that their rating will have been deserved.

All I know is that Madden gamers everywhere better be ready to lose to me when I use the best 70-rated team in the game!

Team Ratings:
1st Patriots 93
2nd Steelers 92
3rd Giants 89
4th Chargers 88
5th Eagles 88
6th Titans 87
7th Colts 87
8th Cardinals 86
9th Cowboys 85
10th Panthers 83
11th Ravens 82
12th Falcons 81
13th Vikings 80
14th Bears 79
15th Redskins 79
16th Jets 78
17th Packers 78
18th Dolphins 77
19th Seahawks 77
20th Bills 76
21st Texans 75
22nd Saints 74
23rd Buccaneers 74
24th 49ers 73
25th Jaguars 71
26th Raiders 71
27th Broncos 70
28th Chiefs 69
29th Browns 68
30th Bengals 67
31st Rams 66
32nd Lions 65

While most people associate an offseason with real, live sports like the NFL, MLB and NBA, hardcore Madden gamers tend to experience an offseason of our own around this time of year.

The offseason for Madden usually starts after the franchise’s last official tournament. This year’s last Madden event/tournament was the Players Bowl in Philadelphia.

Madden’s offseason feels like the game is dying. People have no need to play it anymore. Leagues slow down, lobbies are no longer as full, people trade the game in, everyone runs the playbooks/schemes/plays, everyone knows the glitches, and traffic on your Madden site decreases.

There is a universal offseason for almost every sports game and I believe it is around the end of March or early April for Madden. E3—Electronic Entertainment Expo—gets everyone excited for up-and-coming games with long-awaited trailers, release dates, and hands-on demos that drive Madden players insane because the next year’s version always seems better than the present one. E3 usually marks the halfway point between the offseason and the upcoming season.

The offseason is the time when most hardcore Madden players take a break and unwind. Some of you might be wondering how I survive the offseason. This time last year, all I played was Call of Duty 4. My love for Madden was not as strong as it is now, but I am now practicing my video-making skills for Madden 10 to make my site the biggest on the net. Last year, I all but forgot I even had the game. This go round though, there isn’t a game that catches my eye like Madden still does.

For hardcore madden gamers, E3 is a win/lose situation. We win because we finally get a chance to see live gameplay and exclusives. On the other hand though, we lose because we have two more painstaking months of agony and boredom. But, if you are like me, E3 is also a sign that the preseason is almost here. Preseason? You know what I’m talking about—NCAA Football 10.

We have all played witness to the rollercoaster career of wide receiver Terrell Owens, as he has gone from an unknown face as a 49er, to a celebrity in Philly, to the toast of the town in Dallas–and now as a Buffalo Bill. The Bills signed T.O. to a one,year $6.5 million contract. With the signing, it leads many critics to wonder if Owens will become the all-too-familiar superstar that he was in recent years, or yet again prove to be another disgruntled nightmare for his newest quarterback, Trent Edwards?

For me, this is a difficult question to answer considering that the Bills already have another No. 1 wide receiver who will line up on the opposite side of the field in Lee Evans, who racked up 63 receptions and 1,017 yards last season. I know T.O. said he came to Buffalo just to help the team win ball games, but that sounds oddly familiar. We heard that from him back in Dallas, and I’m pretty sure none of us have already forgotten how badly that saga ended. When they were winning games, Owens had a big smile, but when they lost, it was certain that he would be blasting off to the media about something. With that being said, the Bills finished last season with a 7-9 record, last in the AFC East.

Like all athletes, T.O. isn’t a big fan of losing. We can assume he will give his all for the first few weeks, but if and when the Bills start losing, I wonder what will happen then? With him being in one the hardest divisions in the NFL, it will be essential for him to keep playing hard week in and week out, or this could be Owen’s first–and last–year as a Bill.

With the highly anticipated Aug. 14 release date getting closer by the day, it’s causing many fans of the storied franchise to ponder exactly what Madden 10 will be like. To be honest, I don’t have the slightest clue. Take it as gossip or rumor if you please, but I can tell you that I heard from someone who attended E3 that there will be no more rocket catching in the upcoming version of the game. Also, he said that pure user catching has been improved and that the passing style will be tuned more towards how Madden has played on the ps2.

For self-proclaimed, offensive geniuses like myself, Madden has always been seen as a venue used to display a tight gameplan and a professional looking passing game similar to what you would see on any given Sunday. As most of us have already noticed, passing in Madden 09 was fairly easy, not including such faulty animations as the dreaded bionic swat and the defensive backs magically swatting passes down that they somehow saw with the two eyes on the back of their head. From what I’ve hear though, passing in madden 10 will be revamped and more realistic. Sticking with the information I have heard from a source, the new physics engine won’t allow the dreaded rocket catch that plagued this year’s game. Putting it as simple as possible, it’s most likely that Madden gamers will no longer be able to rely on stopping their wide receiver on a dime, turning him around and holding the catch button, only to have the ball go directly into his hands, no matter how many people were covering him. .

User catching is something that has always been used by big-time Madden players to judge skill level. Simply put, it’s looking like Madden 10 will require more than just user catching. Recognizing coverages and timing will also be key to success in the passing game. For the first time in years, maybe ever, You will actually need a real gameplan and precise execution to become an elite player in Madden 10.

Chad Johnson, once the face of the Cincinnati Bengals, is now percieved as somewhat of a bother. He’s made it public that he does not want to be a Bengal any more, and it’s quite apparent that he wants very little to do the with organization. Will Chad come back in 2009 and be the “old” Chad again, or will he again be known as just a big mouth distraction?  He has stated that not only will he be back this season, but he will be back to a top notch wideout for the Bengals. In an interview with NFL Network when asked about mini camp, he said “Of course, why not go and show off the product?”  When asked if he would be present at the team’s upcoming minicamp he continued, “Why not leave my coaches’ mouths wide open? I’m sure all the people in Cincinnati think I’m really not doing that much, but you’ll see the results with the work I’m putting in right now.”

With that being said, Chad is apparently looking to have a breakout 2009 season and become the go to guy once again. Looking at some of Chad’s 2008 stats, he only had 53 receptions and 540 yards. Those stats are career lows since his rookie season.  Many sports analysts say that he’s playing for all the wrong reasons and he doesn’t have that same drive and hunger he once had.  Chad like usual doesn’t care what the analysts have to say, claiming that “He will be hungrier than ever.”

In my personal opinion, I believe that Chad now thinks that he has something to prove; To the Bengals, the fans, the NFL, and most importantly himself.  He’ll be that game changer that has to be accounted for. But, with 2 years left on his contract the question remains, does he still want to be a Cincinnati Bengal?

The talk among madden fans this offseason has been all about the new miami playbook and its inclusion of the wildcat formation.  Because of that, Kansas city’s playbook and its unique pistol formation has been completly overlooked.  The pistol formation could be a favorite among hardcore madden players because you are far enough back to aviod instant sacks when going against a nano blitz, but you still have a running back lined up behind the quarterback for effective running.  I have a feeling that motioning out the running back to create an empty backfield in the pistol formation could be used as many baller’s go to formation.

Some other new formations coming to Madden 10

• The shotgun formations in general have a more realistic look
• New Orleans Saints Playbook- Shotgun Empty Stack Formation
• Baltimore Ravens Playbook- Unbalanced Shotgun Trips Formation
• Indianapolis Colts Playbook- Singleback TE Slot

In this sneak peak video of madden 10, the lead designer of franchise mode talks about what he has changed in the franchise mode in madden 10.  The video itself isn’t all that revealing, although it does give you a look into madden 10 gameplay.   Just listen to what the guy in the background is saying.  He talks about the improvements they made to the franchise mode like improved draft logic, and more realistic weather conditions.  I can’t tell you how many times my computer generated draft boards in my personal franchise would have 3 fullbackers a kicker and a left outside linebacker as the players I needed to draft in the first round, even though I didnt’t have a decent wide receiver or defensive tackle.  It is the little things that make or break games.  The madden 10 development team seem to have caught on.

Some other things I noticed in the video:

• The jaguars uniforms are sick.  If they weren’t already my favorite team, I would play with them just to use those jerseys and helmets
• Man to man defense is greatly improved.
• The pocket is well formed and gives you time to get a pass off while staying in the pocket.