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 Assistant designer Jonathan Crankshaw lets you in on all the searing Excel spreadsheet action.
Let's get right down to it—who puts the Madden ratings together?
It's me, I have the final say. Before a game comes out, I assemble a group of media experts, around 10 people or so, and a bunch of college athletes, and I show them where I think I'm going as far as ratings go.
How do you make the numerical transition from how athletes perform on the field to how they perform in the game?
I look at a couple of things. First is public perception—everyone knows a certain player can do one thing, so he has to be rated as such. Second is what he did last year and what I think he can do this year. We now do roster updates every two to three weeks, so at home I have several TVs along with my laptop documenting everything players do. Some guys are in better situations for stats than others, so you have to watch that. For example, the Patriots' Laurence Maroney got very few rushing attempts last year because Tom Brady passed all the time. But when Maroney did get attempts, he ran real hard. Same thing with a guy like Steve Smith compared to Terrell Owens. T.O. was in a prolific offense that put up 35 points a game while Smith's team was juggling quarterbacks all season, so it was hard for him to get going. You have to read between the lines sometimes.
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As you know by now, I spent most of the day shooting photos of the gorgeous New England Patriots cheerleaders. These are just a taste so check back for more images of these beautiful ladies than you can shake some pom poms at.
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There's nothing more satisfying than seeing TV personalities go ape crap, which is why this clip of Boomer yelling at his staff has been on constant repeat this afternoon. Hearing him say "screw" is like watching a bear ride a bike or a fat guy drink a diet soda. Here's a breakdown of the curses:
- "Jesus": 5
- "Goddam": 2
- "Screw": 3
- "It's like no one here has worked on TV before": 2
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Apparently Mark Yost, a writer for the venerable Wall Street Journal, has the same soft spot for tiny, electric football matches that we do. Of course, his article is about the Official Electric Football Super Bowl and Convention where guys actually play the game rather than using it to re-enact classic Super Bowl moments. But it all boils down to a bunch of grown men playing with toys meant for 10 year-olds and having a hell of a good time doing it. Click here to check out the article and then go bust out your old bubble hockey table in anticipation for the Stanley Cup. |
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