(Photo courtesy of "ndfan93" at Photobucket.com. . .get your own full-sized version by clicking on the picture.)

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, even after I said that I wouldn't be getting the game after EA Sports made the announcement about who was going to be on the cover, with the changes the Vikings have made this season, I couldn't help but succumb to the annual madness that was the release of Madden NFL 2009.  While it was tempting to spend the extra $30 or so that would have been required to get the Collector's Edition of the game, I thought I'd hold onto that money, get a sweet customized cover like the one you see to the right there (curse-free, thank you very much) and go about the business of leading my virtual team to glory.

One of the unique aspects of this year's version of Madden NFL is what's called "Madden IQ."  The first time you fire up the game, you're given the opportunity to play in a Tron-esque world of red and blue football players, going through various drills to determine your Madden IQ, which sets your own personal difficulty level for the games you're going to play.  The game rates your skills at running the football, throwing it, stopping the run, and defending the pass.  You're also given the opportunity to re-visit the simulator after games and pretty much any other time you'd like as well.

While the Madden IQ feature is a good idea in theory, its implementation seems to need a little bit of work.  For the most part, the offensive drills seem to be way too easy.  What this means is that, for example, you get a higher rating in your "run offense" rating. . .which, in turn, makes it harder to run the football when you actually get on the field.  For a team with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor manning the backfield, I've been averaging right around three yards per carry, which is pretty awful.  After each game the ratings adjust based on your performance on that particular afternoon/evening, so I suppose eventually your real "Madden IQ" will come out based on your play style, but the time it takes to make that adjustment is a bit frustrating.

Graphically, this is one of the prettiest darn things that will grace your TV set short of one of TNT's bi-weekly "Charmed" marathons.  After seeming to lag behind the power curve of the next generation systems for a season or two, Madden '09 finally takes full advantage of the processing capabilities of the PlayStation 3 and the XBox 360.  I have the 360 version at my house, and I don't think that there's a game in my entire collection that even approaches this game graphics-wise.  From the opening shots of the stadium to the weather effects and everything in between, this game is a graphical bonanza.

The game has many of the same modes that you're used to, including the Franchise mode, which I'm completely immersed in right now.  I'm not sure how (or if) the off-season activity stuff has been upgraded, as I'm only 4 games into the first season of my franchise, but a lot of the other reports I've read are saying that it's the same as it ever was.  For me, that's plenty good enough. . .I usually don't like to bother with contract negotiations or anything like that, but I DO love me some draft day activity and things like that.

The gameplay seems to have definitely been tightened up from last year's version as well.  The camera automatically adjusts to keep all of your team's players on the field, so there are no more "cross your fingers and chuck it" passes to players you can't see that may or may not be covered.  The play control is pretty smooth as well, and each team has their own customized playbook that's in tune with the real life team's play tendencies.

All in all, this is definitely the best version of Madden that's come out for the next generation systems.  I can't speak as much for the PS3 version or any of the other versions, but I can say that the XBox 360 version is nothing short of outstanding.  If you can find the Collector's Edition, it comes with some interesting throw-ins, including a playable version of Madden '93 and a copy of EA Sports' NFL Head Coach.  From what I've heard about Head Coach, it's kind of like Out of the Park Baseball from a management standpoint, and if that's the case, it would definitely be worth your time (I'm a closet OOTP junkie, myself).

If I were to assign a numerical rating to this year's version of Madden, it would be firmly in the 9-out of-10 range.  It's a very good addition to the library of any sports gamer.  I can only hope that some of you out there are having as much fun with the game as I am.

Speaking of having fun, enjoy the rest of your Wednesday, and we'll see you back here tomorrow!

As you're well aware, The Daily Norseman might just be the finest damn blog that covers the Beloved Purple on this entire Interweb of ours.  And as I'm sure you're also aware, it's also a part of the finest damn sports blog network anywhere.  Right now I'd like to take a little time to promote some of SBNation's other outstanding NFL blogs, with an emphasis on those that will have some connection to the Vikings in 2008.

Division Rivals

-The folks over at Acme Packing Company are keeping an eye on some of their players that are nursing injuries, as well as contemplating their "performance" against San Francisco this past weekend.

-Windy City Gridiron is contemplating whether Bernard Berrian was a bad signing for the Vikings.  In a related story, a team that's going to be lining Marty Booker up as their #1 receiver in a couple of weeks is questioning another team's signing of Bernard Berrian.

-Pride of Detroit has an analysis of the Motor City Kitties' performance against the Bengals from this past Sunday.

Pre-Season Opponents

-Behind the Steel Curtain has some observations on the Steelers after their first two pre-season games.

-Blogging the Boys wonders if Wade Phillips is too soft to guide the Cowboys to glory.  (Past precedent may not be an indicator of future performance. . .but yes.)

Regular Season Opponents

-Stampede Blue has a lot of recent stories up about a lot of different matters. . .none directly connected to the Beloved Purple, per se, it's all good reading.

-Cat Scratch Reader has much analysis of Carolina's second pre-season game, a 24-13 loss to Philadelphia

-The Titans fans at Music City Miracles are discussing what they should expect from Vince Young in 2008.  I'd throw in an opinion, but my mother always taught me that if you can't say anything nice. . .

-Canal Street Chronicles has broken down the second pre-season game of the year for the Saints

-The aforementioned Saints game was against the Houston Texans.  As you might imagine, Battle Red Blog has their own take on things.

-Buc 'Em, our Tampa Bay blog, is looking at some injuries to their team, as well as their pre-season victory over New England

-In addition to the standard pre-season fare, the folks at Big Cat Country have put together a review of Madden '09, something that I'll also be doing once I've played around with it some more.  (I'm 2-1 in the first season of my franchise. . .and the one I lost probably isn't the one you'd think I'd lose.)

-The folks at Lambda Lambda Lambda Revenge of the Birds seem to be focusing a lot on their wide receivers, particularly the situation with Anquan Boldin and his happiness (or complete lack thereof)

-The Falcoholic celebrates the release of Joe Horn, among other things.

-And, finally, Big Blue View has a lot of good stuff about the defending NFL Champs, including their stomping of Cleveland the other night (yes, I know the final score was close. . .when the starters were all in, it was a stomping).

Hey, you know what?  Now would be as good a time as any to bookmark all of those fine SBNation blogs so that you have easy access to them when the season comes around and the Vikings are taking on all those teams.  And heck, after that, there's only got to be a dozen or so SBNation NFL blogs left, so feel free to bounce around and bookmark all of those, too.  There are NO bad NFL blogs on SBNation, so you really can't go wrong with any of them.

And that's all for tonight, ladies and gentlemen.  I've got a podcast interview that I'm preparing for tomorrow (which will have a link available immediately after I get word of it being posted).  I've also got to get a Madden '09 review up here eventually, and all sort of good stuff between now and Saturday's nationally televised pre-season game against the Steelers.  As always, we'll see you back here tomorrow, folks!

Hey, remember yesterday when I said that Tarvaris Jackson's sprained MCL would most likely have him out of this Saturday's pre-season game with the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Of course you don't.

waves hand in front of you, Ben Kenobi-style

I never said Jackson would be out on Saturday.  These are not the droids you are looking for.

Apparently, Brad Childress is preparing for Saturday's game like Jackson is going to play after all.

Childress said he’s not ruling Jackson in or out for Saturday’s preseason game against Pittsburgh.

“He’s treating it just like he would during a normal game week and the push to Saturday,” Childress said. “That’s an important part of it. Guys don’t always feel chipper the first part of the week when they get dinged up but they find a way to push to Saturday. That’s how he’s approaching the thing. That’s how we’re approaching the thing, to play in Saturday’s game.”

Asked again if that means there’s a possibility Jackson might play Saturday, Childress said: “That’s exactly the way we’re both approaching it.”

I'm not sure if I like the sound of this whole thing.  I know the Access Vikings post says that it's still likely that Jackson won't play Saturday, but who only knows what's going on in the mind of Brad Childress.  I guess nobody will know for sure until about 7 PM on Saturday night..

I, personally, am of the mind that Jackson should stay out of this one.  Yes, I know the importance of the third pre-season game, but I also know the importance of #7 being healthy and ready to go on 8 September as opposed to taking a risk with him on 23 August.  What do you all think?

That's all for tonight, folks. . .enjoy what's left of your Monday night, and we'll see you back here for more excitement tomorrow.

Access Vikings is saying that the injury to Tarvaris Jackson is a sprained MCL, which is better than it could have been, I guess, but it's still a bad thing for a guy that's looked so good to this point of the pre-season.

The injury means that he's pretty much certain to miss Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is crappy because the third game is generally the game where the starters get the most playing time and is generally their last real action prior to the start of the regular season, as the final pre-season game against Dallas will be largely a dog-and-pony show for the backup players to establish their roles.

Hate to do a hit and run here, but that's all I can say about that at the moment.  Hopefully I'll be able to put together something a bit more in depth tomorrow.  Enjoy what's left of Sunday night, folks, and we'll see you back here tomorrow!

How many times do you think we heard that during the off-season this past year?  A dozen?  A hundred?  A thousand?  I'm not totally sure, either, but it was a lot.

Well. . .just for fun, here's the performances for the first two pre-season games from some of the quarterbacks that will be hanging around the rosters of NFC North teams this season.  Prospective starters are in italics.

Honestly, I don't know who the starter in Chicago is going to be. . .or the primary backup in Detroit.  That's why things are the way they are in the table.  I'll probably update this after Detroit has played their second pre-season game this evening against Cincinnati.

But, yeah. . .which team is a quarterback away from being a contender again?

Also. . .isn't it amazing how much less impressive Green Bay's offensive line, wide receivers, and running backs look without that certain someone behind center taking the snaps?

Yes, I know. . .it's only pre-season, none of this matters, yadda yadda blah blah.  But, really. . .isn't it about time for folks outside of Minnesota to stop crapping all over Tarvaris Jackson at every opportunity?  Particularly looking at what he's surrounded by at the position in this division?

If Tarvaris Jackson isn't already the best quarterback in this division. . .and I, personally, think that he is, but I'm biased. . .he will be by the halfway point of the 2008 season at the latest.

As it sits right now, we're about two hours away from kickoff of the Vikings' second pre-season football game, as they travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens.

The starters are expected to play the entire first half this evening, and hopefully we'll see a continuing of the improvement of Tarvaris Jackson that he showed in last week's debut against Seattle.  Adrian Peterson might even carry the football this evening for the Beloved Purple.

Looking at the other side, 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith draws the start for the Ravens tonight, and the Ravens will also be without Willis McGahee.  I'm sure we'll see a lot of first-round pick Joe Flacco this evening, as well as an appearance by Kyle "If Throwing the Football From Your Knees Was a Real NFL Skill, I'd Be an MVP" Boller.

As has been pointed out in the FanPosts by Nefarien, the NFL Network re-broadcast of this game has been moved up to 9:30 PM Central time.  It wasn't supposed to be done until tomorrow, but apparently the time has been changed.  So, if you can pull yourself away from Michael Phelps' race for his 8th Olympic gold medal in Beijing. . .and I can't guarantee that I'm going to be able to. . .you can catch the Beloved Purple on the NFL Network.

Phelps is a native of Baltimore, by the way. . .so tonight's Vikings/Ravens game is only the second most important event taking place in Charm City tonight.  The Ravens have even gotten the go-ahead to show Phelps' race on the big screens at M&T Bank Stadium after tonight's game, which would be sort of cool to see.

Kickoff in about two hours, folks. . .if anyone comes up with a solid online stream for the game, please feel free to post it in the comments section.  Otherwise, we'll see you here for the game and/or the replay!

A couple of days ago, I sent e-mails out to five people that had been selected to take the random spots in the Daily Norseman Fantasy Football League.

If you do not sign into FleaFlicker and claim your spots by Monday morning, your spot will be put up for grabs.  No ifs, ands, or buts.

As of right now, here are the people that I have signed up for the league (FleaFlicker user names):

TheGonz (that's me)
speedlod (invited)
FSUViking (invited)
chadly0102 (invited)
RobertRence (invited)
UncleBillyBonz (invited)
cruton647 (invited)
VikingEric64 (randomly chosen)
Pmak (randomly chosen)
dinopurple10 (randomly chosen)

That leaves two open spots.  Again, if they're not claimed by Monday morning, I'll e-mail everyone that I have on my list of people who applied, and the spots will become available on a first come, first serve basis.

In case anyone has forgotten that Adrian Peterson is as great a man off of the football field as he is a player when he's on it, you need to check out the latest article by Grandpa Sports over at the Star-Tribune.

The headline alone. . .Peterson Says Poor Outings Were His Fault. . .is surprising enough in this day and age, but what AP has to say to Sid is pretty refreshing to hear.

"I studied the film and I was always amazed on a lot of plays, it was really me," Peterson said. "It wasn't the offensive line not getting a block or anything like that, or anything they were doing really. It was really me kind of hurting myself."

After watching the film, Peterson concluded he simply needed to be more patient and be in sync with the offensive line.

"I was able to take a lot from those tapes," he said. "Just being more patient and learning to play up the gut more."

Yes. . .in a day where the Chad Johnson's of the world are taking swings at coaches at halftime of games and trying to throw their supremely talented quarterbacks under the nearest bus, and guys like Terrell Owens make homosexual slurs towards their quarterbacks when they don't get "their catches," it's nice to see a player actually take responsibility for their own shortcomings.  Particularly a guy as young as Adrian Peterson.  It's things like this that get me that much more excited to watch #28 light up opposing defenses again in 2008.

Back with more later on today, folks. . .if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Madden '09.  (-:

Sorry, folks. . .no new update for this evening.  We'll be back with something tomorrow, as well as the open thread for the pre-season game between the Ravens and the Vikings.

For more coverage from the Ravens side of things, feel free to check out SBNation's Ravens blog, Baltimore Beatdown.

Have a good rest of your Friday. . .all hour and a half of it, if you're on Central time. . .and we'll see you back here tomorrow!