Wanted to post this article from NFL.COM. It discusses the new age of the Hybrid (both Defensive End and Linebacker). Two players that come to mind immediately are Terrell Suggs and Demarcus Ware. Good Read!

I love this guy. Its a shame i was so into other things during his awesome career but over the last few, i've really enjoyed watching him on the ice. This not only rocks for Sakic fans but in many ways Joe exemplifies the NHL. Read the article now:

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=247711&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_nhl

First off, i'm a huge Merriman fan and have been following him since his beginning with the Bolts. When i read about his ligament damage i thought for sure his season was over and that the Bolts were going to have to play without their leader this year. Then when i read what ligaments were damaged and that there was more than one that would need work on, i questioned whether it would take longer to heal than a year! I even cringed when Shawne spoke of what the doctors were saying and that they even went so far as to say the injury, if worsened, could be career-threatening!

When i played ball, i always spoke of playing through pain and doing it for the team, blah blah blah. But if 4 or 5 doctors tell me the same thing on something you can bet your top dollar i'm going to seriously consider their advice. I read earlier today that Shawne was going to forgo surgery because he honestly believes he can play and has made a promise to play this year no matter what. I almost spit out my coffee after reading those words! How could Shawne make that decision? Isn't he worried about his career? Isn't he worried about possible future complications? Does Shawne really want to hobble to the huddle from here on out? Most of these popped into my head but i also realized the amount of heart inside him and how insanely competitive he is. Thinking about those things, its not completely hard to swallow his decision. But make no mistake about it, Shawne is going to need an enormous amount of luck to get through the season without further damage done to that knee. And you also have to think about the wear and tear on it which could lead to complications down the road, as i've already stated.

I'm not going to call Shawne foolish or anything because of his decision but i am worried about him and will be all year. And if he does play almost every down, i seriously hope he doesnt worry about the injury and not play 100% because of it. And to be honest i'm not crazy enough to do what he's doing. I would tell the doctors to split my knee open and do whatever is necessary to make sure i'm on the field next year asap. But then again i'm not Shawne. GO BOLTS GO!

A few days ago i finished year one in my San Diego Chargers franchise. My difficulty setting was set at "My Skill" which is this year's newest awesome feature. It basically puts you through various tests on both offense and defense to determine your skill level. For example, after completing the tests, you might have an "All-Pro" rating for passing offense but have a "Rookie" rating for your rushing offense. This is probably the coolest feature i've heard of in a while and it really gets close to your style of gameplay and obviously tells you what you need to work on to get better. In case you were wondering, my skill level is basically everything all-madden but my passing offense is set to All-pro. Needless to say, my passing offense is easier than my rushing offense. God knows how many times i get planted in the backfield! But i do average about 100 yds a game still. Booyah!

I finished my first year in my franchise conquering the Super Bowl and ending up with a---2 record. Don't let that record fool you though. I had many last-second winning drives or overtime wins. The AI in this game is superb and it definitely makes you fight for that win and actually think about strategy! It's awesome stuff and a big kudos goes out to the EA team that put this game out! As of last night i started a new franchise with the Dallas Cowboys and you can definitely tell the difference in the teams but not only by stats. You can actually "feel" a player like Marion Barber run over people and see it versus a Ladanian Tomlinson use more of his speed. In other words, lets say both running backs are handed the ball and a blitzing linebacker gets in your way. LT will try to juke him aside when you tap the "highlight move" button whereas Barber will lower his shoulder trying to mow him down. At the same time though, Marion has some amazing juke moves of his own. Could you tell i'm addicted to this game?

Alright i have to get back to work before i get canned for blogging at work. hahaha

Thanks for reading!