The Arrival of Madden 15.

We have seen Kevin Hart and a Franco brother endorse it. We have even seen Damian Lillard in the new commercial. Well , the time has come...MADDEN 15 IS IN STORES TODAY. Football fans all over the nation can now enjoy the new Madden. Now that it's out, let's talk about some of the new features on the game that seperates it from Madden 14.

NEW FEATURES:

(via EASports.com)

-Pass rush mechanics
A new feature called "jump snap" allows for gamers to have a jump start towards the quarterback if timed correctly. If not, people will get the 5 yard penalty.

-Tackling
There are 4 different types of tackling that have been implemented into the game. Pressing A+X makes for a conservative tackle, pressing LT + A/X performs a conservative 'breakdown' tackle (sure tackle) , X is a diving tackle, and using the right stick is the big hit. Just like there was a passing cone for quarterbacks in Madden 06, there is a tackling cone for defensive players. Let's see if this feature will truly make defense more fun.

-Game Prep and Confidence
In this year's Madden game, look out for "confidence" ratings to affect players. Players will have a confidence rating between 1-99. In Madden, a player's confidence can be affected by a number of different factors: whether a player is a starter or backup, margin of victory/loss, and their performance in a big game. If a player's confidence drops below 30, you will see a change in his ratings. If his confidence rating reaches a 75 or higher, his overall rating will increase.

NFL Fantasy Draft Sleepers: Robert Griffin III

We all know that Robert Griffin III (RGIII) had one of the most exciting rookie seasons in the history of the game. After starting off 3-6, the Redskins went on to win 6 straight games to finish the season 9-7. During that winning streak, RGIII  threw 12 touchdowns and just under 1,000 yards. This past season, RGIII and the Redskins underachieved expectations, finishing 3-13. For fantasy owners, RGIII is a bit of a risk. Even though he was injured most of the year, RGIII consistently played poor. In addition, if people want to ensure having a mobile solid quarterback, they can easily choose to pick Colin Kaepernick or Cam Newton. With that being said , I say that it's wise to go with RGIII as one of your quarterbacks.

1) COACHING
Throughout last season, RGIII and head coach Mike Shanahan were in disagreement with a number of issues. There were times disagreements on whether or not RGIII should play due to his knee injury, the play style of the offense, and concluding why the team was not winning. After such a dismal 2013 season, Shanahan was fired as the head coach. This off-season, the Redskins hired Jay Gruden. So far, RGII has been very pleased with Gruden and plans to make a big splash heading into his third season. To put it into simple terms: Happy RGIII = more production.

2) DESEAN JACKSON
 One thing that the Redskins lacked at times was a deeper receiving core. They have Pierre Garcon, but they didn't have a consistency from anyone else. They have a Santana Moss that is slightly past his prime , a hot/cold Lenord Hankerson, and others who are questionable. This off-season, the Redskins were able to get one of the most explosive receivers in the game: DeSean Jackson. Between Jackson and Garcon, RGIII will only have to do one thing: get them the ball, and let them do the rest.

Between a new head coach, and the addition of DeSean Jackson, RGIII will be looking to get back to his explosive ways. Look for him to be healthier, faster, and more productive with his upgrade at the receiver position.
#HTTR

5 Teams You Should Be Looking Forward To Playing With On Madden

With the anticipation of Madden growing larger, we have made a short list of teams that should be fun to play with this year. In no particular order:

Washington Redskins
In Madden, you simply cannot go wrong with using RGIII. He's simply a dual-threat quarterback that is due to make big plays at any given time. With the style of offense that the Skins run, Alfred Morris is the perfect fit to help balance out the offense. This year, expect the Skins to be more explosive with the addition of DeSean Jackson. This will open up things for Pierre Garcon, Lenard Hankerson, and tight end Jordan Reed. Look out for the Skins.

San Franciso 49ers 

The 49ers are hands down the most exciting team that can be fun to play with from one side of the field to the other. On offense, the center of everything starts with the 6'4 quarterback from the University of Nevada. Colin Kaepernick is one of the most precision passers in the league. In addition to his passing skills, Kaepernick is a GREAT decision maker when running the option. Behind him is one of the most consistently overlooked running backs in the league, Frank Gore. Gore has rushed for over 1000 yards the past three seasons and looks to continue that streak. With options like Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, and Anquan Boldin, the 49ers are a threat anytime they step on the field. The defense side is equally as explosive. Justin Smith leads the way on the defensive line. The linebackers are a SICK group led by Patrick Willis, and Eric Reid and Donte Whitner are great at protecting the back end. Can't go wrong in ANY way with the 49ers.

Seattle Seahawks
If you are looking for the most fun defense to play with, look no further. This defense is the perfect balance for anybody. The Seahawks have a very good front 7, led by Bobby Wagner. With that being said, every football fan knows what makes the Seahawks the best defense in the league: the Seattle Seahawks secondary also known as the Legion of Boom. Byron Maxwell, Earl Thomas , Kam Chancellor, and Richard Sherman fly to the ball like no other secondary in the league. They are known to really squeeze and disrupt an offense's gameplan. They can  jam and recover when beaten by a receiver. Being as cohesive as they are , they know when to help each other. What seperates them from a lot of secondary groups is their ability to TACKLE. They can tackle like no other, which is not seen very often in the NFL.

  

New Orleans Saints
Two words to describe the Saints offense: Drew Brees. Throughout his career, Brees has broken single season records and career records. Brees has the record for most consecutive games with at least 1 TD, highest completion percentage, and the most seasons with 5000 yards just to name a few. Plus, with a target like Jimmy Graham, the Saints are at times unstoppable. If you love passing the ball down the field, the Saints are the team to use.

Cleveland Browns
Normally, the Browns would be one of the first teams that you would thinks to use (unless you are a Browns fan). However, in the 2014 NFL Draft, with the 22nd pick the Cleveland Browns drafted a player by the name of Johnny Manziel. So , now the Browns are on the list as a fun team to play for that reason. The thing about Manziel that fans love is his ability to make plays. This guy will make whatever crazy throw, dangerous run, and even tackle just to win the game. Manziel is simply one of a kind. In other words, Manziel will either turn out to be a bust, or a superstar. As for right now, fans should enjoy playing with him as a rookie.

NFL Fantasy Draft Sleepers: Mike Wallace

Coming off of a sub-par year, Miami Dolphins wide reciever Mike Wallace will be looking to be more productive and effective this season.  Yardage wise , Wallace did not have a bad year. Wallace finished with 930 yards. With that being said, it's not up to his standards. In both the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Wallace finished the year with at least 1,190 yards and 8 touchdowns.



With new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor , look for Mike Wallace to be moved around in order for him to get the ball in his hands. One thing that fans must not forget is that Wallace is still one of the fastest receivers in today's game.  If you are looking for a late-round receiver to add to your team, really consider Mike Wallace.

Fantasy Draft Time Sleeper of the Day: Cam Newton

While Cam Newton is considered by many as one of the better players in the league, he is a mid-level quarterback in the fantasy draft. There are at least 5 quarterbacks that are going before Cam in a draft:    Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Arron Rodgers, Andrew Luck. Even with these five gone, that still leaves Jay Cutler, Matthew Stafford, Colin Kaepernick, and Nick Fowles.

There is a lot of uncertainty as the recievers have no true expierence with Cam Newton. With that being said, he will rack up points running TD's as well as the passing TD's.  

One thing that will help Cam is the fact that the Panthers is great. The Panthers finished 2nd in both points and yards. Their defense can provide Cam with at least decent field position a decent amount of times in which Cam will have the opportunity to capitalize on. With the addition of Kelvin Benjamin, look for a lot of red zone scores.   

My Comparison: Jadaveon Clowney

"My Madden rating for Jadeveon Clowney is: 79" were the last words that I wrote pertaining to the number 1 pick in the Draft. Granted, it was the highest rating given out of this year's draft. While my rating was lower than EA Sports, (which is an 83) it wasn't too far off. Let's take a quick look at why the rating is what it is.

To put this in simple terms, Jadeveon will be a BEAST to play with on Madden. Who else do you know  has a power move of a 94 and the speed of 88?? No one. While I did think this speed and power moves would be high,  what will separate him the most from other defensive linemen is his acceleration. With a 92 rating , he will be able to basically chase down anyone. Running backs, receivers, quarterbacks, doesn't matter. Clowney will by far be the most exciting defensive linemen to play with in Madden.

Rating Jadeveon Clowney: Madden NFL 15

This guy is simply a FREAK OF NATURE. Standing at 6'6 270lbs, he runs just as fast as the average running back. In college , Jadeveon had 24 sacks in three years at South Carolina, where he made a name for himself.

Jadeveon Clowney is projected to be the number 1 draft pick by the Houston Texans. Funny thing is Clowney would not be the Texans number 1 need. The Texans are in need of  a quarterback, in which there are 3 projected to go in the first round (Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, and Blake Bortles).

STRENGHTS
Jadeveon has the potential to be everything that an NFL Team would and more from a defensive end. Jadeveon possesses the ability to drive through offensive linemen with his strength. With his large frame and long wing span, Clowney can also deflect alot of passes that quarterbacks throw along the line of scrimmage. When one-on-one with an offensive linemen, he has the speed to run right around offensive linemen.

WEAKNESS
The major concern that teams have with Clowney is his "work ethic". In the past he has shown signs of possibliy not going the extra mile, which is something that every great player must do. In college, he did not play the last few regular season games in his college career to aviod aggrevating an injury even more. While working out for South Carolina , he initially stated that he was only working out there and not for any teams. Examples such as these do raise questions as to whether or not he would do the same in the NFL.

Overall, this guy has the potentail to become one of the greatest defensive ends ever. Guys with his size and athletic ability just don't come around that often. My Madden rating for Jadeveon Clowney is: 79.

NFL Slam Dunk: GONE

On March 25th, the NFL released a statement saying that any players that dunk on the goalpost will be fined. This is one a rule that I think alot of players and fans question. This type of celebration is in no way, shape, or form better for the league. For one, the celebration is not insulting to the opposing team when done. No one is getting offended because a player dunks the football.

Secondly, no one has gotten seriously injured by doing this touchdown celebration in the NFL. More players have gotten hurt due to running into the wall, items on the side, or photographers than they have with the goalpost. If any rule should be added, photographers would have to be further away from the sideline.

Lastly, the NFL seems to be taking the fun out of the game by adding this rule. In ANY type of competition, whether it be for job positions, college acceptance letters, or touchdowns, people celebrate when they are successful. The NFL has already taken out any possibility of being really creative. (Basically because of Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens) One of the last few types of a legal celebration is now gone.

While some may say that celebrations can be lengthy and prolong the game, fans want to be entertained. Majority of the NFL fans do enjoy seeing touchdown celebrations, especially creativity. If anything , one were to think that ratings would go up even more because people will view games just to see a touchdown games. I'm sure many fans used to watch Bengals games just to see Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) celebrate.

The touchdown celebration was once very big. There were even options of how to celebrate a touchdown in Madden 09. When something like that is incorporated into Madden you know it's making an impact on the NFL culture.

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Six Players to Watch in Superbowl XLVIII: 1. Kam Chancellor

#31, Kam Chancellor, Seattle Seahawks.                

Strong Safety.
6'3 , 231lbs.
Madden Rating: 92

   Surprise, surprise. The first player to be named as one of the players to watch out for is Seattle Seahawks strong safety, # 31 Kam Chancellor. Like Sherman, Chancellor was a late round draft pick developed into a beast. Drafted  #133 in the 2010 draft, Chancellor would quickly earn playing time as a rookie. Being 6'3 and a strong 231lbs, Chancellor is a tackling machine. After obtaining the starting position in the 2011 season, Chancellor recorded 97 total tackles and 4 interceptions, earning him his first Pro Bowl appearance.

   These past two seasons, Chancellor has made a combined 200 tackles and 4 interceptions. Throughout this postseason, Chancellor is beginning to receive national recognition as one of the top strong safeties in the league.  Against the Saints, Chancellor recorded 14 tackles and 2 pass deflections. The very next game, Chancellor recorded 11 tackles and 1 interception. While Chnacellor has recently been playing great, him and the Seahawks secondary will have their hands full. They are playing the number 1 offense in the league. Plus, the quarterback on the other side is a legend.

   Look for Chancellor to be all over the field in Sunday's game. The Broncos love to have at least 3 receivers out on the field , so  Chancellor will be focusing mainly on pass coverage.

Business in Madden

     
                                                             

        Once upon a time, the Madden game was at an all time high when gamers had a  realistic experience   being an owner of the team. Whether you owned a current professional NFL team, or used innovation in creating one, you were forced to make pivotal decisions in both the football world and in the business world!
        In Madden 2004, before each season you were forced to come up with prices for items such as: hot dogs, nachos, soda, beer, and even foam fingers. Parallel to real life, if the prices were too high, then people would not purchase food. Otherwise, revenue would continuously increase. Beer was very important within the food sales industry. On Madden, the average price of beer was $8. As a owner, you were able to get away with selling it up $11, but any price above that was ridiculous. Jersey's were also a valuable item that would be sold. As an owner , every gamer had the choice to either an average price for jerseys around the league, and to heighten or  lower the price. With money earned, each year franchises had the opportunity to relocate their teams, or renovate their stadiums. If an owner had the money to add renovations  then they could. Their were options that carried from adding 5-star restaurants to personal televisions on each seat.
   
        Madden has been the epitome  of professional football games for the past 20 years, and there has always been an authenticated game-play within it. However, I believe that Madden 2004 was one of the greatest Madden games produced because it also provided an educational part into the game.(Not to mention having the greatest Madden soundtrack that was ever made.) Being a little kid, I learned about revenue and losses because of Madden, player's contracts, and stadium renovations.  The constant decisions that I had to make about how I can make more money were real and authentic, since real NFL owners are forced to do the same. For anyone who still has a Play Station 2 or Nintendo GameCube,  I highly recommend that you invest some money into this game. It's currently on eBay for prices as low as $3.99.