The District Chronicles

Issue date: 9/27/09 Section: Arts and Entertainment

Media Credit: fannation.com

It's fourth and goal.  You're playing Madden 2010 and your Philadelphia Eagles need a touchdown to win. Too bad you don't have all the weapons that Eagles coach Andy Reid can call on in crunch time. Reid has Michael Vick, who for years simply was the best athlete in the Madden video game.

Vick was far superior to any other quarterback. He could run faster than any other player. He could throw farther than any other player. But that was two years ago - before the dog fighting and dog killing of Bad Newz Kennels sent Vick to prison.

Vick is back in the NFL-but not completely. He can't get on the field in a game until September 27. And, Vick is back in Madden-but not completely.

He is absent from the roster of the latest version of the hugely popular video game that sells for $59.99. But there's still a way for Madden players to put the game in Vick's hands when it's fourth and goal. They can download Vick for free.

Vick signed his contract with the Eagles on August 14, 2009, the same day that Madden 2010 was released. Therefore, Vick was not on the Eagles roster during the production of the video game. EA Sports, as it does when any team changes it roster, made Vick available. EA Sports didn't respond this week to inquiries about how many times Vick has been downloaded on the Eagles roster.

Ade Olusaba, an Eagles fan from Philadelphia downloaded Vick to his roster as soon as he could. "I play Madden online, and I always pick the Eagles, and the people that I play against always pick the Eagles," said Olusaba. "If Vick is used correctly, the Eagles will be at their best."

Aaron Fleming, a Howard University football player knew exactly how he, and others, was going to use Vick.

"People are going to put Vick on their team and use him as a wildcat, and they're going to run with him all the time," he said. "I mean the Eagles have Vick and McNabb now. Everyone is going to pick the Eagles, and they're going to be tough to beat."

In the "wildcat," the ball in snapped directly to an athletic running back or wide receiver. The idea is that a player like Vick will put additional pressure on the defense because he has the option to either run or throw effectively.

John Madden's NFL video game is regarded as the best sports-themed video game of all time. Its sales, reviews, and consumer reports support this claim. Since 1988, it has sold over 80 million copies and counting. EA Sports, the company that produces the Madden series lists the game as its largest franchise. Game Daily, an online video game publication, has given the latest Madden game a score of 8.9 on a 10-point scale.

Gamers have mixed emotions and varied opinions about the inclusion or exclusion of Vick on the 2010 Madden roster and the impact of this on the new game.

"People will buy Madden because it's Madden. Vick won't have a huge impact on sales" said daily Madden player, Bobby Thistle. "Gamers are typically passionate about the game and buy the new edition each year which adds to Madden's popularity and success as a video game. Madden is Madden."

But Clinton Davis, a longtime Madden player and DC resident, said, "I believe that Vick's impact will be huge for the game's sales. I think that people will buy Madden because of Michael Vick and download the new Eagles' roster. He is one of the most popular football players of our generation."

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