Football has never been my game. Not in real life, not in video games. I’m just not good at assessing the risk involved in each play, the progression of the game, the fact that the Hail Mary is both fun and stupid, and not just fun. All through college, though, I endured a rivalry between two of my closest friends in whatever Madden game was the most recent.

It got intense. There was yelling, swearing, controllers were broken, consoles powered off mid-game, shouting matches across bathroom stalls, but the game count usually ended up pretty close. And every year about this time, each friend would pick their Super Bowl favorite and stage the game, complete with an array of beer, snacks, and of course, more yelling. As little interest as I have in football, it was always a good time (it was also easy to talk everyone into some Halo once the game was done).

It’s strange, but I’ve missed that these past several years. I’m still in touch with my friends, which means I know things I have no business knowing about the sport. I know my friend Brian, a Browns fanatic, might weep like a child if the Steelers win. I’ve heard the Packers are favored over the Steelers (although checking the lines at the BetUS Sportsbook shows the Steelers +110, whatever that means).

For all that, though, I wish I could sit down, drink some beer, and watch my friends hash things out on Madden. I probably won’t watch the Super Bowl this year, not even for the commercials, but I’d be willing to watch two people play a video game of the same game, because for me, it’s a much more personal rivalry.

There are plenty of people who think the Madden Curse is fake. Yet somehow every year fate finds a way to prove those people wrong. It could have something to do with repeatedly putting oneself in harm’s way for sport. Maybe it’s bad luck. Either way, we’re half way to fulfillment this year, as Troy Palamalu is sitting a few games. Will Larry Fitzgerald share that fate? Why not bet on it?

That’s what Playblackjack.com is asking. The site takes sportsbetting to a new level,` giving users a chance to pick the game in which Fitzgerald will meet his fate. Get it right and the payout is 9 to 1. There are quite a few games left in the season, but your cut’s pretty nice if you pick the right date. If Fitz makes it through the season, (I can’t believe I’m going to write this in its original context) all bets are off. You’ll get your money back if Fitzgerald somehow makes it through the season injury free.

It looks like the world is finally catching on that Madden doesn’t change much from year to year, and they’ve stopped buying. Sales are so bad, in fact, that even EA is calling the numbers “discouraging.”

How bad is bad? According to IndustryGamers, the Wii version of Madden only sold 67,000 copies in the month of August. In case you don’t remember, EA was supposed to completely rework the game for the Wii because the game just didn’t work on the platform. By this time last year, Madden 09 for the Wii had sold almost twice that number.

Sales for the other consoles looked a good bit better, but still not great for such a major franchise. EA shouldn’t be surprised, though. Why in the midst of a recession would gamers blow money on a game that, as I think I mentioned, doesn’t really change. When the industry’s down, you can bet the first thing to go will be yearly reworks of the same concept.

If you’re a Madden fan looking to get the latest release, you may want to consider signing up for a year of Sports Illustrated instead. The sports mag is actually giving away a copy of Madden 10 with your yearly subscription for free, and for the console of your choice.

From a financial standpoint it’s a great pick. You get 28 issues of the magazine for $49 (and get yourself enrolled for automatic renewal), plus a bonus Madden documentary and, of course, a free copy of Madden 10 (which retails for $60 for PS3 and Xbox 360). I’m willing to call it $125 worth of merchandise for just under $50.

Remember, the deal’s only good if you live in the US or Canada.

Madden 10 has already gone gold, leaving just one question to my mind: Is the game any good? I think we all knew it was going to sell, regardless of what’s actually inside the box. Luckily, though, EA is giving people a chance to play the game before the August 14th release.

On July 30th, both Xbox 360 and PS3 owners will be able to download the regular demo, which features a night game between the Cowboys and the Giants during a snowstorm. Nothing like snow and specular lighting to show off a game’s new looks, right?

Those of you who went out and preordered from Gamestop will get an extra special treat. For starters, you get your very own demo, available just one week from today – July 23rd. That demo hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Arizona Cardinals in a rematch where you can prove just how bad the cardinals really were. Make those twenty minutes count. We wouldn’t want Kurt Warner to get a big head.

Downloads will be available at midnight.

Source: Kotaku