en-us http://www.intensedebate.com/users/335580 Comments by Mr_EA_Sports http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/10/29/madden-10-roster-update-8-details#IDComment41093936 Pasta, I noticed that they Crabtree is listed as the #2 WR (X-WR) but eventually he will be moved to the #1 (Z-WR). My question is really related to the proper positions related on the field. The flanker and split-end positions are two very different positions and require a different skill set. Pasta, do you think that EA will properly implement this in future installments by taking a rating hit when switching positions? Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:16:03 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/10/29/madden-10-roster-update-8-details#IDComment41093936 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/25/madden-10-roster-update-4-details#IDComment35927654 Good point on Newman he should have received a huge decrease as he is basically letting WR's score at will. The entire secondary of Dallas is among the leagues worse. I'm not just saying this as I go by the film that I am required to watch daily. He has WR's who are not even known for speed running past him. The whole Dallas defense should get a downgrade as they have a total of 0-sacks, 0-interceptions, & 0-fumbles recoveries in 2 full games against a bad TB team and a NYG team without any true WR's. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:58:56 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/25/madden-10-roster-update-4-details#IDComment35927654 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/25/madden-10-roster-update-4-details#IDComment35927042 DeSean Jackson on that punt return looked like the fastest man alive lol. If he is a 98 then I wonder who gets a 99? A lot of people run fast on a track but under pads they don't have the same ability i.e. Heyward Bey Jason Avant run good routes but what makes him special is that he catches anything that touches his hands. He has a hard time getting to balls but if it hits his hands he will bring it in. Celek looks like a beast. I don't know if it's his contract year but I expect to see a huge improvement in statistics for him this year. He still is a little on the weakside in regards to run-blocking but maybe he can fix that issue throughout the season O.Gaither issue is that he has to put too much emphasize on run stopping as he is undersized. He was never a good pass defender so he will always be exposed to playaction until he learns to read plays better. Brown is a great corner and exceptional at the jam. IMO the Eagles play better with two jamming corners playing man. Samuel is a good player but his gambling on zone coverage cost way too many TD's. The person the eagles should have targeted was that stud out in Oakland A.Jordan shows a lot of promise. I don't know how good he can be but he seems to have a knack for the ball and big plays. I will enjoy seeing how he plays out the season. Q.Mikell is a great safety. If he was allowed to roam the field instead of picking up everyone else's slack he would put up Troy.P numbers. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:49:58 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/25/madden-10-roster-update-4-details#IDComment35927042 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/25/madden-10-roster-update-4-details#IDComment35925621 Here's my take on some of the ratings: 1) Mario Manningham has become the #1 target for Eli so his rating should go up but an 11 point increase is a bit much I think 3-5 is more in his range. 2)Antwan Odom is a good end but not a great end. He got his 5 sacks because the 2nd most important man on the field got injured. Most teams only have 1 legit LT and if they go down the passing game is basically screwed. GB had to move the entire line around to fill the void and had 4 people playing out of position. 3)Drew Brees & Darrelle Revis are very deserving of their upgrades as they have dominated the early part of the season. 4)Hakeem Nicks shouldn't have a drop in ratings as he has barely even played yet. 5)Patrick Crayton I think we all saw this a mile away as EA love them some Cowboys. This guy dropped about 3 ball last Sunday but somehow is entitiled to an upgrade. 6) Dallas Clark should have received a bigger upgrade as he looked like Usain Bolt out there on Monday running by himself 7)Where is the downgrade for Tony Romo? At what point will EA put their feelings side for the Cowboys and adjust that team with a decrease in ratings in bad defeats like they do when they adjust their ratings higher after huge wins? Just my take fellas Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:36:26 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/25/madden-10-roster-update-4-details#IDComment35925621 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/25/madden-10-roster-update-4-details#IDComment35923974 Pasta, I haven't heard anyone mention this yet or maybe I just missed it but I still see one issue with Madden franchise. Some of the statistics are way off for RB's and WR's. I see a lot of starting RB's averaging less than 2 yards a carry and speed WR's averaging 10 yard a catch. Is anyone else having this problem? Does EA know about it or plan to fix it within the 2nd patch? Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:16:53 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/25/madden-10-roster-update-4-details#IDComment35923974 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/24/madden-10-afl-dlc-now-available#IDComment35835427 Pasta, I was just playing with the Dallas Cowboys in the new stadium using the *new* broadcast camera but had a hard time seeing the field due to the oversize projection screen. Is EA going to fix this issue? Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:07:31 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/24/madden-10-afl-dlc-now-available#IDComment35835427 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/24/madden-10-patch-1-now-available#IDComment35787309 I stand corrected. I was under the impression that you had to start a franchise after the patch for it to take into effect. Thanks Halosniper52 for clearing that up and I apologize for any confusion that I may have caused. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:23:46 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/24/madden-10-patch-1-now-available#IDComment35787309 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/24/madden-10-patch-1-now-available#IDComment35779776 Yes, for any changes from the patch to be implemented into your Franchise you would have to start a franchise after the patch update. That is one of the reasons I have waited so long to start my franchise. Now after this weekend's roster update I will begin my long awaited franchise. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:08:23 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/24/madden-10-patch-1-now-available#IDComment35779776 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/24/madden-10-patch-1-now-available#IDComment35770125 To help clarify the stop clock on the out of bounds issue here is an earlier posting: The rules are perfectly displayed in this game. I think what you are referring to is when a player gets tackled near the boundary line all the way out of bounds and the clock keeps running. In the NFL when a player is tackled in the field on play with any portion of his body remaining in the field of play the the officials can not stop the clock For the clock to officially stop within the 2 minutes of the 1st and 2nd half the ball carrier must have his body completely out of bounds. This is implemented well in Madden.So if you want to stop the clock within 2 minutes of the 1st and 2nd half when you have the ball then you have to get the ball-carrier's entire body out of bounds. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:32:26 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/24/madden-10-patch-1-now-available#IDComment35770125 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/24/madden-10-patch-1-now-available#IDComment35769989 The rules are perfectly displayed in this game. I think what you are referring to is when a player gets tackled near the boundary line all the way out of bounds and the clock keeps running. In the NFL when a player is tackled in the field on play with any portion of his body remaining in the field of play the the officials can not stop the clock. For the clock to officially stop within the 2 minutes of the 1st and 2nd half the ball carrier must have his body completely out of bounds. This is implemented well in Madden.So if you want to stop the clock within 2 minutes of the 1st and 2nd half when you have the ball then you have to get the ball-carrier's entire body out of bounds. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:30:57 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/24/madden-10-patch-1-now-available#IDComment35769989 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/12/august-09-sales-numbers#IDComment34139308 I agree with you on Fight Night being a great game. I also agree with you on people being selective but do you think that the MMA game that came out just before FN4 took away a lot of sales from FN4? Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:27:37 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/12/august-09-sales-numbers#IDComment34139308 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/12/august-09-sales-numbers#IDComment34139103 I see your gripe but that is the "beast " of the free market, you can set your product to generate as much money as humanly possible. In the short term it's only for extras that doesn't destroy the game but eventually it will become more integrated to interfere with basic functions of the game forcing you to purchase content to just enjoy the game. Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:24:15 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/12/august-09-sales-numbers#IDComment34139103 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/12/august-09-sales-numbers#IDComment34138756 To be fair I don't think that a bad word of mouth is a chief contributor to lack of sales. All across the board sales have fallen sharply be it automobiles, houses, stocks, appliances, and even season tickets in sports. So the video game world is not immune to the dramatic decrease in consumer purchases. So to only have a 3% drop in a economic climate where consumer confidence has dropped over 80% is a definitive win. Now with NCAA they have felt the economic crush and along with Fight Night and have had similar competition in close proximity of their respective release dates . Although I still think Fight Night is a great game it's timing should have been before the MMA game instead of after it. This year people are willing to purchase a game but instead of previous years where they would buy more than 1 game of the same genre this year they are only saving for 1 game of similar titles. So the MMA got the fight sales and Madden receive the football sales. I expect to see low numbers for both NBA 2K and NBA Live as they will probably split the revenue to minimal results. Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:18:08 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/12/august-09-sales-numbers#IDComment34138756 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/12/august-09-sales-numbers#IDComment34136928 Pasta, you may or may not already know that next season the NFL will have an uncapped year being that it's the last year of the owner's and player union's collective bargaining agreement. Now with that on the horizon and the severe restrictions on player movement, contract eligibility and ramifications on team finances it will dramatically change the landscape of the NFL. I know that people will think that the rich will get richer in personnel i.e. New York Yankees while technically that is possible but it's really not that simple. A team that has a high cap number in 2010 from rapid spending could be forced to cut half their team if a new collective agreement is implemented for the following 2011 season. For example WAS has an 200 million payroll for 2010 the 2011 collective agreement sets the new salary cap to 150 million, so WAS has to release over 50 million in salary virtually rendering the team a cap casualty for the next several years. Just to bring up a few changes here are some of the high points The top eight playoff finishers from the previous season would be allowed to sign free agents only at the rate at which they lose them. Players would need six NFL seasons to be eligible for free agency, rather than four. Each team would be allowed to restrict two eligible free agents with "franchise" or "transition" player tags, rather than one. So my question is how is the Madden team and EA sports going to compensate for this change? Do they plan on giving us the current system in Madden 10 or will they try to accommodate the the actual NFL agreement of the 2010 season in next year's Madden game? Also, Pasta what is your take on the whole collective bargaining agreement? Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:45:21 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/12/august-09-sales-numbers#IDComment34136928 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/05/michael-crabtree-remains-unsigned#IDComment33409135 I have some info on your points. The rookie contract has a far greater power then just the salary of the top 10 rookies. It determines the "market value" of veteran free agents and on-team players who restructure their contracts. Although, the owners are constantly complaining about the money paid to unproven talent they are ultimately responsible for the escalation of the current contract system. There isn't anything in the collective bargaining agreement that states that a player must make a certain % more than a similar pick from last year. Also with the revenue and value of the product and teams the salary cap has increased almost making the high contracts a moot point. Unless a team is selecting a QB in the top 5 their contracts really do not a hinder a club. Now on Crabtree if he reenters the draft no team will take him in the top 10 so he will lose on top 10 money again next year as well. I don't know if SF will do it but I would call his bluff to sitting out an entire season to get top 5 money. On film this guy isn't the second coming of Randy Moss and he will not make the SF 49'ers that much better. Sun, 6 Sep 2009 15:56:16 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/05/michael-crabtree-remains-unsigned#IDComment33409135 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/05/michael-crabtree-remains-unsigned#IDComment33270723 So you think that people are dying to play with Arnaz Battle instead of Michael Crabtree? I don't think so Sun, 6 Sep 2009 02:07:55 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/05/michael-crabtree-remains-unsigned#IDComment33270723 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/05/michael-crabtree-remains-unsigned#IDComment33269102 I agree with you. Taking off a full year as a wide receiver will absolutely destroy his career. That is a very technical position based on timing, hands and confidence. It normally takes wide receivers 2-3 years to learn the position without taking a year off. Taking a full year off will either delay or destroy his development. A perfect example is Mike Williams who took off a full year and never regained his form. Crabtree is not even in the same ballpark talent wise as Mike Williams so his ability to adjust will be even greater. In college most receivers are allowed to run freely but in the pro game he will have a corner who will jam him at the LOS to impede his progress. Just by watching a WR's hands at the LOS you can tell who will be successful i.e Desean Jackson and who won't i.e. Freddie Mitchell. Also when you add that next year may be uncapped or without an collective agreement and you have just setup a perfect scenario to fail. An uncapped year isn't a good thing because there are a ton of restrictions placed on both teams and players. If they do lockout then he will have a full 2 seasons without football or an actual NFL PAYCHECK. Whoever his advisers are they are doing him a huge disservice Sun, 6 Sep 2009 01:37:25 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/05/michael-crabtree-remains-unsigned#IDComment33269102 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/05/michael-crabtree-remains-unsigned#IDComment33268066 To clarify this issue all NFL players upon entering the league sign an agreement with the player association thereby entitling them to benefits such as pensions and royalties. Although it might seem minuscule Crabtree along with other NFL players receive a few thousand just for being featured in the game. Sun, 6 Sep 2009 01:17:45 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/09/05/michael-crabtree-remains-unsigned#IDComment33268066 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/08/10/madden-nfl-10-impressions#IDComment30391285 There is some very good football talk on here, that's nice to see. I like how a few people on here have clarified the rules to everyone in regards to the forced out and stop clock in the 2nd and 4th quarters. Good work guys and good work Pasta. I'm looking forward to the "Public" release this upcoming Friday. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:03:03 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/08/10/madden-nfl-10-impressions#IDComment30391285 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/07/30/patches-for-fnr4-and-ufc-2009-now-out#IDComment28889480 The patches sounds great for FN4. Pasta, do you have any further details on the "Live Tournament Feature?" Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:17:11 +0000 http://www.pastapadre.com/2009/07/30/patches-for-fnr4-and-ufc-2009-now-out#IDComment28889480