I'll cut to the chase with the suggestions. Digg this if you like it.
1. Make comments appear in real-time - When you Digg an article, you can see the Digg number increment in real-time. Do the same for new comments. Why? Because of stories have a large number of comments, and refreshing the page every time to post a new comment or check for newly posted comments by others takes some time. Refreshing it over and over can get annoying for these more largely commented articles.
2. Comment Pagination - This branches off the same idea as the previous suggestion, refreshing pages with many comments takes a while, so why not have pages of comments? The number of comments displayed can be set in the user profile, like 10, 20, 50, etc.
That is all.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
My 2006 Miami Dolphins Madden Video
I've officially begun working on my new video, 2006 Miami Dolphins Season Review NFL Films Style with Madden. Here is the 2005 version. There are several mistakes in the old video. The video skips, the Audio is scratchy, the entire video has margins, the text is hard to read and goes by fast, some of the video is slow, some is fast, etc. Honestly, I rushed the old video, I was so excited with what I had, I couldn't wait to put it out. I'm taking my time with this to make it perfect.
Ever since I made the 2005 Video, I've been thinking of ideas. Now I have officially begun. I'm going to choreograph it all first with a script, then follow the script. If you have any ideas, please leave comments. If you ever wanna chat or anything, just leave you're AIM sn in the comments.
O and last thing, if you would have to put a title to the Dolphins' 06 season, what would that title be? Thanks.
Ever since I made the 2005 Video, I've been thinking of ideas. Now I have officially begun. I'm going to choreograph it all first with a script, then follow the script. If you have any ideas, please leave comments. If you ever wanna chat or anything, just leave you're AIM sn in the comments.
O and last thing, if you would have to put a title to the Dolphins' 06 season, what would that title be? Thanks.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Superbowl Prediction
Just like last year, I'm here to predict the superbowl.
In my opinion it comes down to this: Which matchup do you prefer, Colts Offense vs Bears Defense or Bears Offense vs Colts Defense? This brings up a issue that most forget about, how well the Colts defense is playing. Their defensive philosophy is to not allow the big play, which is all Grossman is, a big play. So they can shut down Grossman, but the Bears running game is still here. Thus I come to the conclusion that the Bears running game must win this game all by itsself. Which is unlikely considering how the Colts D has been playing against the run this post-season. Next, looking at how Manning played the second half of the pats game, I give the advantage to the Colts offense. Manning looked unstoppable.
I can see Thomas Jones and Benson combining for two touchdowns, and Hester getting another 1-2 touchdowns. The colts special teams defense looked very weak against the patriots. But I think Colts will still come out on top, simply because of Manning and Viniteri.
Final Score: 27-20 Colts
In my opinion it comes down to this: Which matchup do you prefer, Colts Offense vs Bears Defense or Bears Offense vs Colts Defense? This brings up a issue that most forget about, how well the Colts defense is playing. Their defensive philosophy is to not allow the big play, which is all Grossman is, a big play. So they can shut down Grossman, but the Bears running game is still here. Thus I come to the conclusion that the Bears running game must win this game all by itsself. Which is unlikely considering how the Colts D has been playing against the run this post-season. Next, looking at how Manning played the second half of the pats game, I give the advantage to the Colts offense. Manning looked unstoppable.
I can see Thomas Jones and Benson combining for two touchdowns, and Hester getting another 1-2 touchdowns. The colts special teams defense looked very weak against the patriots. But I think Colts will still come out on top, simply because of Manning and Viniteri.
Final Score: 27-20 Colts
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Fantasy Basketball Forumla
Many people have attempted a fanatasy basketball forumla, but most have failed. A successfull formula can lead you to fantasy victory. I have seen it first hand, a guy who knew nothing about basketball used a formula sheet with rankings, drafted, traded and picked up free agents accordingly, and won the league in a blowout. As it is every fantasy players dream to have an accurate ranking sheet, I am attempting one of my own.
So I sat down thinking, how can I develope a ranking system based on each statistic. I would have to weight each category, develope a point system for each category, then accumulate those points for an overall ranking system.
When you think of a good fantasy team, you think, Balance. You must account for the forgotten stats, turnovers, steals, fg%, ft%, and even 3pts. Each of the categories is worth one point, so blowing someone out in points is essentially the same as blowing him out in turnovers.
I wanted to make my player rating out of 100, for obvious reasons. Since there are 9 categories, each category must account for 100/9 points, or 11 1/9 or 11.111... So a perfect player would get a rating of 100.
Now, how to assign 0 to 11.11 points for each category? Well, what would make someone deserve a 11.11, if they are the best in the league. So, I take leader of that statistic, and use his number as a standard of measuring. At this moment in time, Redd leads the league in scoring with 356 points. Thus he would get the full 11.11 points.
But how to measure this, and how to assign lower points? So I use 11.11 as a multiplier, and I divide the Players pts by the maximum pts, and multiply that number by 11.11. So for Redd, 356/356 * 100/9 would give 11.11, the maximum points availible at that category. Now alittle lower on the list, Paul Pierce has 307 points. So 307(his pits)/356(pts leader) * 100/7, and this equals the points Pierce would get from the points category.
I did that for every category, except turnovers, in which the least number is the best. What I did to save myself the work is, I used the same formula with maximum turnovers being the standard, and I subtracted that number from the players overall rating.
I made a spreadsheet to calculate all of this, and use http://www.dougstats.com/ for the latest NBA statistics.
Here are the rankings that my ranking sheet generated as of today. And just for comparison, I listed Yahoo's Current Ranks:
My Formula Yahoo Rank
My overall rating generated is accurate to the hundred-millionths decimal place. Now I know that is not perfect, its FAR from it. I need ways to improve the formula, and I would love your suggestions.
The flaws I see are, it doesn't take into account the margin of the lead. If Okafur dominates blocks, and leads by a large margin, then how would I take that into account? I'm not even sure what standard deviation does, haha. I might be able to use Calculus. Too bad I never too Statistics in school.
So I sat down thinking, how can I develope a ranking system based on each statistic. I would have to weight each category, develope a point system for each category, then accumulate those points for an overall ranking system.
When you think of a good fantasy team, you think, Balance. You must account for the forgotten stats, turnovers, steals, fg%, ft%, and even 3pts. Each of the categories is worth one point, so blowing someone out in points is essentially the same as blowing him out in turnovers.
I wanted to make my player rating out of 100, for obvious reasons. Since there are 9 categories, each category must account for 100/9 points, or 11 1/9 or 11.111... So a perfect player would get a rating of 100.
Now, how to assign 0 to 11.11 points for each category? Well, what would make someone deserve a 11.11, if they are the best in the league. So, I take leader of that statistic, and use his number as a standard of measuring. At this moment in time, Redd leads the league in scoring with 356 points. Thus he would get the full 11.11 points.
But how to measure this, and how to assign lower points? So I use 11.11 as a multiplier, and I divide the Players pts by the maximum pts, and multiply that number by 11.11. So for Redd, 356/356 * 100/9 would give 11.11, the maximum points availible at that category. Now alittle lower on the list, Paul Pierce has 307 points. So 307(his pits)/356(pts leader) * 100/7, and this equals the points Pierce would get from the points category.
I did that for every category, except turnovers, in which the least number is the best. What I did to save myself the work is, I used the same formula with maximum turnovers being the standard, and I subtracted that number from the players overall rating.
I made a spreadsheet to calculate all of this, and use http://www.dougstats.com/ for the latest NBA statistics.
Here are the rankings that my ranking sheet generated as of today. And just for comparison, I listed Yahoo's Current Ranks:
My Formula Yahoo Rank
| 1. james,lebron | 1. james,lebron | ||
| 2. arenas,gilbert | 2. arenas,gilbert | ||
| 3. lewis,rashard | 3. lewis,rashard | ||
| 4. allen,ray | 4. allen,ray | ||
| 5. marion,shawn | 5. marion,shawn | ||
| 6. okafor,emeka | 6. okafur,emeka | ||
| 7. garnett,kevin | 7. billups,chauncey | ||
| 8. billups,chauncey | 8. garnett,kevin | ||
| 9. davis,baron | 9. davis,baron | ||
| 10.nowitzki,dirk | 10.redd,michael | ||
| 11.redd,michael | 11.nowitzki,dirk | ||
| 12.artest,ron | 12.pierce,paul | ||
| 13.pierce,paul | 13.artest,ron | ||
| 14.barbosa,leandro | 14.barbosa,leandro | ||
| 15.kidd,jason | 15.wallace,rasheed | ||
| 16.carter,vince | 16.kidd,jason | ||
| 17.martin,kevin | 17.carter,vince | ||
| 18.mcgrady,tracy | 18.williams,deron | ||
| 19.boozer,carlos | 19.mcgrady,tracy | ||
| 20.stojakovic,peja | 20.martin,kevin | ||
| 21.ginobili,manu | 21.miller,mike | ||
| 22.jamison,antawn | 22.boozer,calos | ||
| 23.terry,jason | 23.ginobli,manu | ||
| 24.o'neal,jermaine | 24.stojakovic,peja | ||
| 25.ridnour,luke | 25.wade,dwayne |
My overall rating generated is accurate to the hundred-millionths decimal place. Now I know that is not perfect, its FAR from it. I need ways to improve the formula, and I would love your suggestions.
The flaws I see are, it doesn't take into account the margin of the lead. If Okafur dominates blocks, and leads by a large margin, then how would I take that into account? I'm not even sure what standard deviation does, haha. I might be able to use Calculus. Too bad I never too Statistics in school.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Matt Bryant Kick Video
This was an amazing kick, 62 yards as time expired. It was win or lose, as they were down by 1. And he nailed it. Amazing.
Edited on 10/26/06
So the NFL saw the video that I posted and they made YouTube take it down for copyright infringment. I was very pissed off, the video was extremely popular. It got over 10,000 views in 2 days, and almost 30 comments, favorited many times, and 8 honors.
Because of that, I made a new video. But this time, its Madden style...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svYnQmKVbKU
Edited on 10/26/06
So the NFL saw the video that I posted and they made YouTube take it down for copyright infringment. I was very pissed off, the video was extremely popular. It got over 10,000 views in 2 days, and almost 30 comments, favorited many times, and 8 honors.
Because of that, I made a new video. But this time, its Madden style...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svYnQmKVbKU
Monday, October 02, 2006
Fantasy Baseball Recap
Back in April I posted my baseball team. My draft was very bad, I got ARod in round one, who failed to live up to expectations. Randy Johnson in round two, we all know how that went. Well I said with proper managing I could win it all. Well I managed in the beginning and at the end. Like most people, I completely forgot about my team in July and August. In late June I figured I'd make the playoffs, so why waste my time with this team until then. I ended up 2nd place in the regular season with a total of 56 moves, and ended the playoffs in 3rd place.
In the 2nd round of the playoffs, I ended up tied with my opponent and he got the victory because he had a lower ERA. This is complete bullshit. Its basically saying that ERA is the most important stat and more important than others. Techincally speaking, the point value of ERA becomes 1.1, the 0.1 addition coming from the fact that era is a tiebreaker. If thats how it is in the playoffs, why not give it that point value in the regular season? Because its not the most important. Infact its one of the worst stats to judge by. Pitchers can have bad games very easily. If a reliever gives up 2 runs and loses the game, his Era will be through the roof. Does that 1 game accurately measure the quality of the player? Hell no. Era is one of the most inconsistant stats because of that. The tiebreaker should be regular season record. That way the most deserving team goes on.
Next, heres my 3rd place team:
C: I. Rodriguez
1B: A. Dunn
2B: T. Iguchi
3B: A. Rodriguez
SS: J. Lugo
OF: M. Holliday
OF: Del. Young
OF: B. Bonds
Util: H. Matsui
SP: R. Hill
SP: C. James
RP: Jo. Nelson
RP: S. Torress
P: J. Suppan
P: M. Timlin
P: Jo Johnson
BN: C. Hamels
BN: B. Myers
BN: Ra. Johnson
BN: Roy Halladay
That might look like crap, but it got me the win. After 1 week I realized I had Strikeouts locked up and needed Saves, so I picked up some hot closers. The guys I had to end the season whom I dropped later were: Billingsley, Beak, Hillenbrand, Liriano, Juan Rivera, Todd Jones, Brad Penny, Carmona, Griffey, and Mathews Jr.
Well my lesson has been learned. Get at most two baseball teams, because no matter how excited you are in the beginning, it will wear down on you by July and you will get bored of baseball fast.
In the 2nd round of the playoffs, I ended up tied with my opponent and he got the victory because he had a lower ERA. This is complete bullshit. Its basically saying that ERA is the most important stat and more important than others. Techincally speaking, the point value of ERA becomes 1.1, the 0.1 addition coming from the fact that era is a tiebreaker. If thats how it is in the playoffs, why not give it that point value in the regular season? Because its not the most important. Infact its one of the worst stats to judge by. Pitchers can have bad games very easily. If a reliever gives up 2 runs and loses the game, his Era will be through the roof. Does that 1 game accurately measure the quality of the player? Hell no. Era is one of the most inconsistant stats because of that. The tiebreaker should be regular season record. That way the most deserving team goes on.
Next, heres my 3rd place team:
C: I. Rodriguez
1B: A. Dunn
2B: T. Iguchi
3B: A. Rodriguez
SS: J. Lugo
OF: M. Holliday
OF: Del. Young
OF: B. Bonds
Util: H. Matsui
SP: R. Hill
SP: C. James
RP: Jo. Nelson
RP: S. Torress
P: J. Suppan
P: M. Timlin
P: Jo Johnson
BN: C. Hamels
BN: B. Myers
BN: Ra. Johnson
BN: Roy Halladay
That might look like crap, but it got me the win. After 1 week I realized I had Strikeouts locked up and needed Saves, so I picked up some hot closers. The guys I had to end the season whom I dropped later were: Billingsley, Beak, Hillenbrand, Liriano, Juan Rivera, Todd Jones, Brad Penny, Carmona, Griffey, and Mathews Jr.
Well my lesson has been learned. Get at most two baseball teams, because no matter how excited you are in the beginning, it will wear down on you by July and you will get bored of baseball fast.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Screw Oklahoma
Oklahoma has the right to complain about the officials the call is one of the worst calls ever, but they're taking it too far. Its near the end of the week and they're still complaining. Its the coach's job to get his team to forget the previous game and focus on the game ahead, and it seems as if he's failing to do that.
Oklahoma had plenty of chances to win the game. Their defense had 2 chances to stop the Oregon. But they just stopped playing with 3 minutes to go. After the kickoff, they gave up a 3 play touchdown drive. Still they had a chance to win it at the end with a field goal, which they had blocked. From the way they played at the end they didn't deserve to win.
Now they're talking about not playing Washington next year. If stoops has the power to boycott Pac-10 games, then college football is on a slipery slope. Whats next, coaches picking whoever they want to play, No interconfrence play...
I say force him to play, if he doesn't, they forfeit the game, and it would count as a loss. He gets to show his disliking of the Pac-10 as well as get his point across, but has to take the hit for it. OU signed the contract to play those games, they have to live up to it.
Nothing is going to change, no records are going to be cleaned, the game counts as a loss for them. If anything they should use the loss as motivation and whup Washington next year as a revenge game. Because of Oklahomas constant complaining and threats to not play Pac-10 teams, I'm officially putting Oklahoma on my wall of shame.
Oklahoma had plenty of chances to win the game. Their defense had 2 chances to stop the Oregon. But they just stopped playing with 3 minutes to go. After the kickoff, they gave up a 3 play touchdown drive. Still they had a chance to win it at the end with a field goal, which they had blocked. From the way they played at the end they didn't deserve to win.
Now they're talking about not playing Washington next year. If stoops has the power to boycott Pac-10 games, then college football is on a slipery slope. Whats next, coaches picking whoever they want to play, No interconfrence play...
I say force him to play, if he doesn't, they forfeit the game, and it would count as a loss. He gets to show his disliking of the Pac-10 as well as get his point across, but has to take the hit for it. OU signed the contract to play those games, they have to live up to it.
Nothing is going to change, no records are going to be cleaned, the game counts as a loss for them. If anything they should use the loss as motivation and whup Washington next year as a revenge game. Because of Oklahomas constant complaining and threats to not play Pac-10 teams, I'm officially putting Oklahoma on my wall of shame.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Are You Ready For Some Football?
I would watch every game if I could and still be left wanting more. But I don't have the NFL network, all I have is cable and internet. If you're like me, heres some sites that you'll love:
http://www.gribblenation.net/nflmaps/ - This site shows which games are televised in which areas.
http://www.thegamelive.com/ - This site has links to online radio stations that broadcast the games. I'm a Dolphin fan in California, and that is the only way I can be updated on the game live. The gametrackers on Yahoo and NFL.com just aren't that exciting.
Here are my predictions for the season. I realized that they are probably impossible, and I did not look at their schedules. I went by pure instinct. 11-13 wins is elite, 10 wins is playoff caliber but no more, 9 wins is not quite good enough for the playoffs, 8-7 wins is still have work to do, some big pieces of missing, or the team is disrupted by injuries. Under 6 means the team flat out isn't going anywhere.
East
Miami 10-6
New England 10-6
Buffalo 7-9
NY Jets 4-12
North
Cincinnati 11-5
Baltimore 10-6
Pittsburgh 10-6
Cleveland 8-8
South
Indianapolis 12-4
Jacksonville 10-6
Houston 5-11
Tennessee 2-14
West
Denver 11-5
Kansas City 9-7
San Diego 9-7
Oakland 5-11
East
Philadelphia 10-6
NY Giants 10-6
Dallas 10-6
Washington 8-8
North
Chicago 12-4
Detroit 8-8
Green Bay 7-9
Minnesota 7-9
South
Carolina 11-5
Atlanta 10-6
New Orleans 9-7
Tampa Bay 9-7
West
Seattle 13-3
Arizona 9-7
St. Louis 8-8
San Francisco 5-11
Championship Games
AFC
Indianapolis vs Cincinnati
NFC
Carolina over Seattle
Superbowl
Carolina over Indianapolis
http://www.gribblenation.net/nflmaps/ - This site shows which games are televised in which areas.
http://www.thegamelive.com/ - This site has links to online radio stations that broadcast the games. I'm a Dolphin fan in California, and that is the only way I can be updated on the game live. The gametrackers on Yahoo and NFL.com just aren't that exciting.
Here are my predictions for the season. I realized that they are probably impossible, and I did not look at their schedules. I went by pure instinct. 11-13 wins is elite, 10 wins is playoff caliber but no more, 9 wins is not quite good enough for the playoffs, 8-7 wins is still have work to do, some big pieces of missing, or the team is disrupted by injuries. Under 6 means the team flat out isn't going anywhere.
East
Miami 10-6
New England 10-6
Buffalo 7-9
NY Jets 4-12
North
Cincinnati 11-5
Baltimore 10-6
Pittsburgh 10-6
Cleveland 8-8
South
Indianapolis 12-4
Jacksonville 10-6
Houston 5-11
Tennessee 2-14
West
Denver 11-5
Kansas City 9-7
San Diego 9-7
Oakland 5-11
East
Philadelphia 10-6
NY Giants 10-6
Dallas 10-6
Washington 8-8
North
Chicago 12-4
Detroit 8-8
Green Bay 7-9
Minnesota 7-9
South
Carolina 11-5
Atlanta 10-6
New Orleans 9-7
Tampa Bay 9-7
West
Seattle 13-3
Arizona 9-7
St. Louis 8-8
San Francisco 5-11
Championship Games
AFC
Indianapolis vs Cincinnati
NFC
Carolina over Seattle
Superbowl
Carolina over Indianapolis
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Stephen A. Smith a Bit Rusty
I've always liked listening to Stephen A. Smith especially on his show Quite Frankly. I may not always agree with him, but I respect the fact that he speaks his mind no matter how sensitive the issue is, he asks the questions that everyone wants answered in interviews, and most of all, he's never on the fense on any issue. He always puts up good arguements, but in todays show you could see he was very rusty from his long vacation.
First he started the show talking about golf. To summarize it, he basically said he knew almost nothing about golf and he stinks at playing golf. Then based on that, he said Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer ever. Very nice Stephen A., very nice.
Later in his show he talked about fantasy football. This is where he really killed it. As I was reading the list of players in his league, I noticed a bunch of random people like John Rocker, along with Mariotti and Michael Smith who were the only guys that knew what they were doing. It seemed like a below average league. Then I saw another name that made me lose any tiny confidence I had in the league. In my eyes the league went from mediocre to complete garbage when I read the name...Sean Salisberry.
To compliment the list of people who knew nothing about football was Stephen A himself. He had a team of advisors tell him who to pick. In the first round, he said he was thinking about Quarterback. The advisors were quick to tell him otherwise. When they were talking about tight ends, he brought up Shockey. He even picked Domanick Davis in round 8. Any normal football fan would know about that injury in a day, two days at most. Why he didnt know, and why his advisors didn't tell him anything is a mystery to me.
Some more evidence of the league being a joke, Rocker picked Chad Johnson with the 3rd pick. The 2nd pick chose Manning. Edge dropped to round 2 while Harrison dropped to late round 3. I wish I was in that league.
Stephen A. should stick to what made the show so good, talking about controversial issues in sports, and not trying to analyze the sports he knows nothing about.
First he started the show talking about golf. To summarize it, he basically said he knew almost nothing about golf and he stinks at playing golf. Then based on that, he said Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer ever. Very nice Stephen A., very nice.
Later in his show he talked about fantasy football. This is where he really killed it. As I was reading the list of players in his league, I noticed a bunch of random people like John Rocker, along with Mariotti and Michael Smith who were the only guys that knew what they were doing. It seemed like a below average league. Then I saw another name that made me lose any tiny confidence I had in the league. In my eyes the league went from mediocre to complete garbage when I read the name...Sean Salisberry.
To compliment the list of people who knew nothing about football was Stephen A himself. He had a team of advisors tell him who to pick. In the first round, he said he was thinking about Quarterback. The advisors were quick to tell him otherwise. When they were talking about tight ends, he brought up Shockey. He even picked Domanick Davis in round 8. Any normal football fan would know about that injury in a day, two days at most. Why he didnt know, and why his advisors didn't tell him anything is a mystery to me.
Some more evidence of the league being a joke, Rocker picked Chad Johnson with the 3rd pick. The 2nd pick chose Manning. Edge dropped to round 2 while Harrison dropped to late round 3. I wish I was in that league.
Stephen A. should stick to what made the show so good, talking about controversial issues in sports, and not trying to analyze the sports he knows nothing about.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Madden 07 Review (PC)
Two Strong Gamemodes Make the Game As Good As Ever
It is time once again for Madden to take its spot in the sports gaming limelight. As always there are new features that add new dimensions to the game, some that the fans will love, and some that fans won't. Every year, the PC version is one of the worst versions of Madden. This year is no exception, the PC version is missing a few features, which will cause more and more fans to turn away. But overall Madden 07 is an upgrade from Madden 06, and in fact has better gameplay than the 360 version.
Audio: 6/10
The sound track is compiled of Rock and Pop songs along with some classic NFL Films music. The NFL films music was featured last year as well, and it is great that EA brought it back. But the Rock and Pop songs simply are bad. You'll find yourself trying to get the game started, or even listening to the Tony Bruno Radio show more often, instead of listening to the music. The sound quality is fine, however in superstar mode, the commentary seems to lag about five seconds behind on some occasions. The in-game announcer in the superstar mode is a pain to listen to, regardless of the significance of the play, the announcer’s voice is flat. But the on-field sounds that you will hear are great. They really make you feel like you are in game.
Video: 7.5/10
Although many gaming computers can handle next-gen graphics, Madden PC gamers are stuck with current generation graphics once again. The graphics are about the same as Madden 06. Graphics should not be a reason to buy this game, nor should it be a reason to reject this game. They are good enough. As for player visuals, the rookies in the game do not look anything like themselves in real life. All of the rookies have the same hair style and color, and the faces are not at all accurate. This is not a huge problem, as the faces are never even seen in the helmet, but it would be nice to see A.J. Hawks' hair coming out under his helmet, or Vernon Davis' dreadlocks just to add to the realism.
Gameplay: 9.5/10
One of the big new features in the gameplay is Lead Blocking in which you can control a blocker and lead the runner. Whether you try to turn the corner or run between the tackles, this feature can help you run for huge gains. This is a very fun new feature, but gets old fairly quickly. You'll find yourself forgetting that it ever existed. There are not many flaws with the blocking system, you either like it or you don't. Another big addition is the highlight stick, which gives smaller elusive runningbacks moves to get by defenders, while big power runningbacks can continue to run people over. This feature really advances the running game. It gives users a strong running option if needed, unlike the past Madden games where passing was the easiest and most efficient option. A strong running game makes gameplay more complete. The highlight stick is a much bigger feature than Lead Blocking. However EA left the new kicking meter out of the PC games, PC gamers get the traditional kicking meter. Just like Madden 06, PC gamers still cannot make their own plays.
The franchise mode is the same as the past maddens. The training camp is the same, regardless of what you may have heard, however scouting is different. For scouting players you must put them through certain combine mini-camps, some of which are new, to get information. This basically makes the scouting more personal. It's nothing special, but it's certainly an upgrade. In addition to this new scouting, you can play the college all-star game and really get a feel for the prospects. This is a great feature, 40-times, bench reps, and Mel Kiper can only tell you tell you so much, but there is nothing like actually playing with the players. You can really get personal with the prospects. The franchise mode is still strong.
Superstar mode has been significantly upgraded from last year. Anyone who has ever had a dream of playing in the NFL will love this mode. Like in franchise mode when you put the prospects through training camp tests, in superstar mode, you are put through those tests and eventually drafted. The in-game play of superstar mode has been greatly improved. You only have control of your player only, but you control the whole team on the other side of the ball. The camera angle changes, and is in the player's point of view. The whole point of a football game is to give you the player experience, and nothing does it better than this. Superstar mode is as good as franchise mode this year, if not better.
The actual football gameplay has been improved also. Many players move and seem just like their real life counterparts. The animations of juking are great. Playing with Reggie Bush is almost as exciting as watching him in real life. This is where alot of criticism comes in. Some say that the highlight stick is too powerful, that users can easily get by three or four defenders which makes the game unrealistic. However it is not powerful enough to be considered a cheap move. It was just like the truck stick last year when weaker guys could run over big linebackers. It was like Madden 05 when small defensive backs could take out power runningbacks. The same flaws come with the highlightstick. Maybee they'll perfect it next year. There are some noticable glitches here and there, but nothing that will significantly take away from the game.
Overall: 8/10
The only reason for buying this game on PC should be for the gameplay. The gameplay is improved over last year's Madden, and the two strong gamemodes make the game great. I recommend this game for one of two conditions, one, if you haven't had a Madden in a while, and two, if you've loved the past two Maddens you'll love 07. If you thought Madden 06 was mediocre, you probably won't like 07.
It is time once again for Madden to take its spot in the sports gaming limelight. As always there are new features that add new dimensions to the game, some that the fans will love, and some that fans won't. Every year, the PC version is one of the worst versions of Madden. This year is no exception, the PC version is missing a few features, which will cause more and more fans to turn away. But overall Madden 07 is an upgrade from Madden 06, and in fact has better gameplay than the 360 version.
Audio: 6/10
The sound track is compiled of Rock and Pop songs along with some classic NFL Films music. The NFL films music was featured last year as well, and it is great that EA brought it back. But the Rock and Pop songs simply are bad. You'll find yourself trying to get the game started, or even listening to the Tony Bruno Radio show more often, instead of listening to the music. The sound quality is fine, however in superstar mode, the commentary seems to lag about five seconds behind on some occasions. The in-game announcer in the superstar mode is a pain to listen to, regardless of the significance of the play, the announcer’s voice is flat. But the on-field sounds that you will hear are great. They really make you feel like you are in game.
Video: 7.5/10
Although many gaming computers can handle next-gen graphics, Madden PC gamers are stuck with current generation graphics once again. The graphics are about the same as Madden 06. Graphics should not be a reason to buy this game, nor should it be a reason to reject this game. They are good enough. As for player visuals, the rookies in the game do not look anything like themselves in real life. All of the rookies have the same hair style and color, and the faces are not at all accurate. This is not a huge problem, as the faces are never even seen in the helmet, but it would be nice to see A.J. Hawks' hair coming out under his helmet, or Vernon Davis' dreadlocks just to add to the realism.
Gameplay: 9.5/10
One of the big new features in the gameplay is Lead Blocking in which you can control a blocker and lead the runner. Whether you try to turn the corner or run between the tackles, this feature can help you run for huge gains. This is a very fun new feature, but gets old fairly quickly. You'll find yourself forgetting that it ever existed. There are not many flaws with the blocking system, you either like it or you don't. Another big addition is the highlight stick, which gives smaller elusive runningbacks moves to get by defenders, while big power runningbacks can continue to run people over. This feature really advances the running game. It gives users a strong running option if needed, unlike the past Madden games where passing was the easiest and most efficient option. A strong running game makes gameplay more complete. The highlight stick is a much bigger feature than Lead Blocking. However EA left the new kicking meter out of the PC games, PC gamers get the traditional kicking meter. Just like Madden 06, PC gamers still cannot make their own plays.
The franchise mode is the same as the past maddens. The training camp is the same, regardless of what you may have heard, however scouting is different. For scouting players you must put them through certain combine mini-camps, some of which are new, to get information. This basically makes the scouting more personal. It's nothing special, but it's certainly an upgrade. In addition to this new scouting, you can play the college all-star game and really get a feel for the prospects. This is a great feature, 40-times, bench reps, and Mel Kiper can only tell you tell you so much, but there is nothing like actually playing with the players. You can really get personal with the prospects. The franchise mode is still strong.
Superstar mode has been significantly upgraded from last year. Anyone who has ever had a dream of playing in the NFL will love this mode. Like in franchise mode when you put the prospects through training camp tests, in superstar mode, you are put through those tests and eventually drafted. The in-game play of superstar mode has been greatly improved. You only have control of your player only, but you control the whole team on the other side of the ball. The camera angle changes, and is in the player's point of view. The whole point of a football game is to give you the player experience, and nothing does it better than this. Superstar mode is as good as franchise mode this year, if not better.
The actual football gameplay has been improved also. Many players move and seem just like their real life counterparts. The animations of juking are great. Playing with Reggie Bush is almost as exciting as watching him in real life. This is where alot of criticism comes in. Some say that the highlight stick is too powerful, that users can easily get by three or four defenders which makes the game unrealistic. However it is not powerful enough to be considered a cheap move. It was just like the truck stick last year when weaker guys could run over big linebackers. It was like Madden 05 when small defensive backs could take out power runningbacks. The same flaws come with the highlightstick. Maybee they'll perfect it next year. There are some noticable glitches here and there, but nothing that will significantly take away from the game.
Overall: 8/10
The only reason for buying this game on PC should be for the gameplay. The gameplay is improved over last year's Madden, and the two strong gamemodes make the game great. I recommend this game for one of two conditions, one, if you haven't had a Madden in a while, and two, if you've loved the past two Maddens you'll love 07. If you thought Madden 06 was mediocre, you probably won't like 07.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Madden Curse Preview
So as I was playing superstar mode, I started browsing my website, and I noticed the list of injuries. I checked to see who was injured the worst, and it was none other than coverboy Shaun Alexander. He was out for career with a complete PCL tear. Is this a preview of what is to come?
In all seriousness, Alexander is a great guy, I really hope nothing happens to him.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Baseball: Who's Hot
Here are some unknown guys who've been hot recently. They're worth checking out and maybee picking up, as most of these guys are probably still free agents.
Shin-See Choo, OF - In his last 10 games he's had 14 RBIs, 6 runs, and is hitting .395. He's really young and still learning, but this is a very nice hot streak.
Mark DeRosa, 2B, OF - In his last 10 games, he's hitting .385, 20 RBIs, 11 runs, and 5 homeruns.
Joe Saunders, SP - He's 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA, with 18 Ks and a whip of 1.04. Hes on the Angels who are making a run at the division, so he'll be a good pickup.
John Maine, SP - In his last 4 games, he's had 3 shutouts and 21 strikeouts.
Chad Billingsley, SP - He had a slow start but has been hot recently. Its not certain if he'll continue to be in the rotation, but as long as he is, he's a good pitcher.
Shin-See Choo, OF - In his last 10 games he's had 14 RBIs, 6 runs, and is hitting .395. He's really young and still learning, but this is a very nice hot streak.
Mark DeRosa, 2B, OF - In his last 10 games, he's hitting .385, 20 RBIs, 11 runs, and 5 homeruns.
Joe Saunders, SP - He's 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA, with 18 Ks and a whip of 1.04. Hes on the Angels who are making a run at the division, so he'll be a good pickup.
John Maine, SP - In his last 4 games, he's had 3 shutouts and 21 strikeouts.
Chad Billingsley, SP - He had a slow start but has been hot recently. Its not certain if he'll continue to be in the rotation, but as long as he is, he's a good pitcher.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Madden NFL Films Miami Dolphins 2005
Took me about 10 hours total to script, film, and edit. Its an NFL films type movie about the Dolphins last year. Almost all of the plays in the movie are real plays. If not exactly real, similar to real. It was pretty fun making it. I'm definately going to do one for this upcoming season. What you guys think? What did you guys like/dislike? This is my first ever movie, I'd appreciate some feedback.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1lu9DJUG9s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1lu9DJUG9s
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Steve Nash Shaves His Head
"I don't really have a rhyme or reason. I felt like taking it off." Not much to say about that. Now he looks like a old man who just came out of the hospital. Personally, I liked the hair better.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
My Cheatsheet
Rankings first, then explanation, then some other stuff. I play in Yahoo leagues with default settings. 6 points for any touchdown, 50 yards passing is 1 point, 20 yards rushing or receiving is 1 point.
1. Larry Johnson, RB
2. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB
3. Shaun Alexander, RB
4. Clinton Portis, RB
5. Tiki Barber, RB
6. Peyton Manning, QB
7. Steven Jackson, RB
8. Edgerrin James, RB
9. Rudi Johnson, RB
10. Steve Smith, WR
11. LaMont Jordan, RB
12. Ronnie Brown, RB
13. Terrell Owens, WR
14. Carnell Williams, RB
15. Chad Johnson, WR
16. Brian Westbrook, RB
17. Marvin Harrison, WR
18. Torry Holt, WR
19. Randy Moss, WR
20. Larry Fitzgerald, WR
21. Anquan Boldin, WR
22. Julius Jones, RB
23. Chris Chambers, WR
24. Hines Ward, WR
25. Willis McGahee, RB
26. Tom Brady, QB
28. Antonio Gates, TE
29. Domanick Davis, RB
30. Reggie Wayne, WR
31. Carson Palmer, QB
32. Eli Manning, QB
33. Tony Gonzalez, TE
34. Plaxico Burress, WR
35. Reuben Droughns, RB
36. Corey Dillon, WR
37. Darrell Jackson, WR
38. Roy Williams, WR
39. Jeromey Shockey, TE
40. Willie Parker, RB
41.Warrick Dunn, RB
42. Matt Hasselbeck, QB
43. Jamal Lewis, RB
44. Joey Galloway, WR
45. Santana Moss, RB
46. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR
47. Reggie Bush, WR
48. Donald Driver, WR
49. Nate Burleson, WR
50. Thomas Jones, RB
The Chargers lost Drew Brees last season and Philip Rivers is new starting QB. LT will get alot more carries, he'll also be a nice target for Rivers. With Yahoo's messed up default scoring settings, Manning will be money. With a much weaker running game, Manning will need to pass to score and win games. Rhodes and Addai are both small guys, they won't be pounding it in the trenched very often. Alot of people have Barber as the number 4 guy. But he's getting older now, and the Giants will be using powerback Brandon Jacobs more and more in goalline situations. Theres not really much else to explain.
Guys to Avoid
Willis McGahee-The offense has no passing game and a bad offensive line. McGahee is a playmaker, but in the situation he's in, no playmaker can shine. Defenses will stack the line, he'll be mediocre.
Antonio Gates-He's been one of the most productive TEs for the past two years. But he had Brees throwing to him. With Rivers now in the drivers seat, Gates won't be as good as past years.
Domanick Davis-In 2004 he had 13 TDs, but only 1100 yards and less than 80 yards per game. In the next year, he had 2 touchdowns. Although his yards per game increased to 88, the Texans won't be seeing the redzone very often. You'll need to pray every gameday for him to get 10 TDs. However, if he falls past the 4th round, he'll be a steal. If you really have no one to pick, you should get him in the 4th.
Kevin Jones-Just like McGahee, theres no QB, and the line isnt very good. They both had down years last year for this reason.
Denver Wide Runningbacks-First, they all split carries. Although Bell will probably get around 15-20 carries a game. Second, the denver o-line isn't built for the goaline runs. Most of their TDs will come on long runs. Bell will probably go somewhere in the 6, 7, or 8th round. He'll be a good pick in the 7th, 6th if you need a RB.
Sleepers
Jamal Lewis-He spent last years training camp in jail. He's back 100% this year. With an actual threat at QB, lewis will have alot better runs. We all know what he is capable of, he's only 26 years old. He'll probably go in the 5th to 6th round.
Chester Taylor-The Tony Richardson from the Chiefs to block, Hutchingson, one of the best run-blocking lineman. They have an average offense, and he will be carrying it.
Fred Taylor-When he was healthy, he produced. He's had a yards per carry in the high 4s all his life. He'll be healthy this year. He's 30 years old, and the way he runs, he's got plenty of seasons left in him.
Steve McNair-Everyone thinks he's done. He knows this is his last chance in the NFL. He's fragile, but hes healthy. Plus he'll be reunited with his old widereciever. And now, unlike the last few years, he'll have a running game to take off pressure. He'll be an excellent backup QB.
Aaron Brooks-He didn't play badly when he had Deuce. Now he has a chance to ressurrect his career. He's only 30 years old, and has 4 good receivers to throw to, 2 of which are great. If Kerry Collins can get 3700+ yards, and 20 TDs, anyone can. Plus Moss is completely healthy this year. And what Moss said was true, Brooks can run around and that gives time for Moss to get open deep and make plays.
Braylon Edwards-This will be his 2nd year, and he will be Fryes 2nd favorite target. He's a decent backup WR for the late late rounds or even free agent.
Deuce McAllister-He's been injured every year for the past 3 years so people really have low expectations now. Bush and Deuce on the field at the same time will give defensive coordinators headaches. They can split in the backfield, or Bush can lineup as WR. Either way, it'll open up lanes for Deuce, he'll be better than previous years.
1. Larry Johnson, RB
2. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB
3. Shaun Alexander, RB
4. Clinton Portis, RB
5. Tiki Barber, RB
6. Peyton Manning, QB
7. Steven Jackson, RB
8. Edgerrin James, RB
9. Rudi Johnson, RB
10. Steve Smith, WR
11. LaMont Jordan, RB
12. Ronnie Brown, RB
13. Terrell Owens, WR
14. Carnell Williams, RB
15. Chad Johnson, WR
16. Brian Westbrook, RB
17. Marvin Harrison, WR
18. Torry Holt, WR
19. Randy Moss, WR
20. Larry Fitzgerald, WR
21. Anquan Boldin, WR
22. Julius Jones, RB
23. Chris Chambers, WR
24. Hines Ward, WR
25. Willis McGahee, RB
26. Tom Brady, QB
28. Antonio Gates, TE
29. Domanick Davis, RB
30. Reggie Wayne, WR
31. Carson Palmer, QB
32. Eli Manning, QB
33. Tony Gonzalez, TE
34. Plaxico Burress, WR
35. Reuben Droughns, RB
36. Corey Dillon, WR
37. Darrell Jackson, WR
38. Roy Williams, WR
39. Jeromey Shockey, TE
40. Willie Parker, RB
41.Warrick Dunn, RB
42. Matt Hasselbeck, QB
43. Jamal Lewis, RB
44. Joey Galloway, WR
45. Santana Moss, RB
46. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR
47. Reggie Bush, WR
48. Donald Driver, WR
49. Nate Burleson, WR
50. Thomas Jones, RB
The Chargers lost Drew Brees last season and Philip Rivers is new starting QB. LT will get alot more carries, he'll also be a nice target for Rivers. With Yahoo's messed up default scoring settings, Manning will be money. With a much weaker running game, Manning will need to pass to score and win games. Rhodes and Addai are both small guys, they won't be pounding it in the trenched very often. Alot of people have Barber as the number 4 guy. But he's getting older now, and the Giants will be using powerback Brandon Jacobs more and more in goalline situations. Theres not really much else to explain.
Guys to Avoid
Willis McGahee-The offense has no passing game and a bad offensive line. McGahee is a playmaker, but in the situation he's in, no playmaker can shine. Defenses will stack the line, he'll be mediocre.
Antonio Gates-He's been one of the most productive TEs for the past two years. But he had Brees throwing to him. With Rivers now in the drivers seat, Gates won't be as good as past years.
Domanick Davis-In 2004 he had 13 TDs, but only 1100 yards and less than 80 yards per game. In the next year, he had 2 touchdowns. Although his yards per game increased to 88, the Texans won't be seeing the redzone very often. You'll need to pray every gameday for him to get 10 TDs. However, if he falls past the 4th round, he'll be a steal. If you really have no one to pick, you should get him in the 4th.
Kevin Jones-Just like McGahee, theres no QB, and the line isnt very good. They both had down years last year for this reason.
Denver Wide Runningbacks-First, they all split carries. Although Bell will probably get around 15-20 carries a game. Second, the denver o-line isn't built for the goaline runs. Most of their TDs will come on long runs. Bell will probably go somewhere in the 6, 7, or 8th round. He'll be a good pick in the 7th, 6th if you need a RB.
Sleepers
Jamal Lewis-He spent last years training camp in jail. He's back 100% this year. With an actual threat at QB, lewis will have alot better runs. We all know what he is capable of, he's only 26 years old. He'll probably go in the 5th to 6th round.
Chester Taylor-The Tony Richardson from the Chiefs to block, Hutchingson, one of the best run-blocking lineman. They have an average offense, and he will be carrying it.
Fred Taylor-When he was healthy, he produced. He's had a yards per carry in the high 4s all his life. He'll be healthy this year. He's 30 years old, and the way he runs, he's got plenty of seasons left in him.
Steve McNair-Everyone thinks he's done. He knows this is his last chance in the NFL. He's fragile, but hes healthy. Plus he'll be reunited with his old widereciever. And now, unlike the last few years, he'll have a running game to take off pressure. He'll be an excellent backup QB.
Aaron Brooks-He didn't play badly when he had Deuce. Now he has a chance to ressurrect his career. He's only 30 years old, and has 4 good receivers to throw to, 2 of which are great. If Kerry Collins can get 3700+ yards, and 20 TDs, anyone can. Plus Moss is completely healthy this year. And what Moss said was true, Brooks can run around and that gives time for Moss to get open deep and make plays.
Braylon Edwards-This will be his 2nd year, and he will be Fryes 2nd favorite target. He's a decent backup WR for the late late rounds or even free agent.
Deuce McAllister-He's been injured every year for the past 3 years so people really have low expectations now. Bush and Deuce on the field at the same time will give defensive coordinators headaches. They can split in the backfield, or Bush can lineup as WR. Either way, it'll open up lanes for Deuce, he'll be better than previous years.
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