nfl

Madden 10: We have it, we've played it

The start of an NFL season begins with a few things: training camp, weeks of preseason games, and the launch of the yearly Madden. With Madden 10 now out in stores for nearly every system imaginable, we also are presented with the yearly question: is it worth it? After two weeks of playing the final boxed version for the Xbox 360, here's our final verdict on the only game in town. Or, almost the only game in town: Gameloft's NFL 2010 for the iPhone/iPod Touch uses full NFL license and rosters as well.

(Click to read our take on Gameloft's NFL 2010 for iPhone/iPod Touch).

Scott: I've played this game since 2001 pretty much obsessively, and almost always as the New York Jets. Take that with whatever grain of salt or other spice you like, but at least you now know that I've been playing with a handicap. Compared with Madden 09, my first impression a month ago was that the new Madden was slow. Apologies to EA, but it's better now. While Madden 10 still operates at a less arcade-like speed, the flow of gameplay doesn't feel as slow-mo as it did in early builds. Maybe I've gotten used to it, but the change actually makes passing and running more realistic. Here's why:… Read more

Marines, NFL in assault on Twitter, Facebook?

Alright now, you know-it-alls, show-it-alls, and tell-it-alls. It's time you people learned a little discipline, a little social decorum, a little good old fashioned discretion.

So here are the rules. No more Twittering. No more friending. And definitely no more updating people on your latest moods, feelings, lovers, and hangnails.

Yes, in what seems like a concerted effort on the part of traditional culture, two highly similar organizations, the Marines and the NFL, have decided to fight back against all the careless talk.

They have each reportedly begun to ban Twitter and Facebook.

Let's start with the Marines. … Read more

Madden 10 in real time, and it's slow: Scott and Jeff face off

In just a few weeks, John Madden will unleash his annual iteration of a yearly purchase obsession for NFL fans worldwide. For some, this matters little. For die-hard fans like Scott, though, it's an addiction that must be tempered with some sense of restraint. While Jeff enjoys Madden but prefers NHL, Scott has a year-long addiction to endless New York Jets franchise seasons that borders on complete OCD.

In previous years, we had gotten a chance to play Madden a little earlier on. This year, however, our enthusiasm (or at least Scott's) had to wait until EA's Holiday Showcase this week in New York City, where Madden 10 lay waiting, along with a sofa. We had a promise to each other: Jeff would take on Scott for half of Madden, and Scott would try to keep up with Jeff in NHL 10 afterward.

How did it play? This is our story.… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1016: Summon the royal Twitterer

The monarchy comes to Twitter, but of course the Queen doesn't sully her fingers on the keyboard, she has a royal twitterer do that. We also discuss whether the new Universal Music Group deal with TuneCore will change the landscape of music. We also absolve North Korea of the botnet.

Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video) EPISODE 1016

Universal/TuneCore deal opens major doors for indie artists http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2009/07/universaltunecore-deal-opens-major-doors-for-indie-artists.ars http://news.cnet.com/8301-13526_3-10283224-27.html

Korean DDoS Bots To Self-Destruct http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/07/10/0452256/Korean-DDoS-Bots-To-Self-Destruct … Read more

Yahoo drops fantasy football suit against NFL union

Yahoo has decided to punt rather than continue to oppose the National Football League's players union.

The company filed a notice of voluntary dismissal with the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota on Monday, effectively ending a lawsuit it filed just a month ago seeking a judgment that Yahoo shouldn't have to pay for access to the player stats needed to run a fantasy football Web site. The AP, which spotted the filing, reported that both Yahoo and the union declined to comment on the suit's dismissal.

Fantasy football requires a wealth of statistical … Read more

NFL coach tries to sell Xbox screenplay idea to Hollywood

When you hear an NFL coach uttering the phrase "screenplay," you expect he has a scowl on his face and his team is 3rd and 7.

However, according to The Times-Picayune, New Orleans Saints' head coach, Sean Payton, has had a full-contact drill with his artistic side and penned an outline for a movie screenplay.

Because it's such a fine idea, or because he has just the right connections, Payton has hired famed Hollywood agents CAA to fulfill his dream of Oscar contention. Which might come slightly sooner than Super Bowl contention.

You will, I know, love the story. It revolves around a little boy whose grandfather gives him a special refurbished Xbox with whizzo magical powers.

This Xbox can control the outcome of NFL games.… Read more

Yahoo sues NFL players group over fantasy stats

Yahoo has filed a lawsuit against the NFL Players Association, contending that it shouldn't be forced to pay royalties for using players' names, statistics, and photos in its online fantasy football game because the information is publicly available.

The complaint (PDF), which was filed Monday in U.S. District Court for Minnesota, alleges that the players group has threatened to sue the Internet giant if it doesn't pay licensing fees for the information. Yahoo had licensing agreements with the players union for previous football seasons, but the last of those deals expired on March 1, according to the … Read more

Poor calendar substitute

Keeping dates and times straight is a necessity in today's overbooked world. Cotton Calendar claims to be a dynamic program to help users get themselves organized, but it falls flat on nearly every promise it makes.

This program looks about as simple as a calendar can. It features a small month-view calendar with some simple buttons along the top. Users can cycle through the months and year by using these buttons, but they are very confusing. The monthly view of the calendar is disappointing because users cannot intuitively click on a day and add a note. While we acknowledge … Read more

This Week: Cars of NFL Stars

I'd imagine that quite a few readers out there spent this last weekend checking out the 2009 NFL Draft, hoping for the best for each of your favorite NFL teams. So it seemed like a neat idea to dedicate this week's set of blogs to the fabulously tricked-out rides of NFL stars.

This vid was produced by the NFL network, checking out the bad-ass rides of a few NFL players. To say these cars have been customized is a severe understatement. Big Pat Williams of the Minnesota Vikings shows off his flashy Range Rover as modified by Automotive … Read more

For draft, NFL goes deep on social media

Update (9:12 a.m.): This story has been edited to reflect the fact that NFL Mobile Live is available only to Sprint users, as well as the league's plans for Twittering the draft.

For serious football fans, there is likely no bigger single event--except the Super Bowl--than the annual amateur draft. And as the NFL gets ready for two days of hysteria over where dozens of pro prospects end up, the league has deployed its deepest roster ever of social media tools to ensure that fans' thirst for even the most minute news is quenched.

There's no … Read more