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'Madden' Video Games Give Athletes a Year-Round Field Advantage

by Caleb Johnson on February 6, 2010 at 05:06 PM

Today's football players, from high school to the NFL, have a distinct advantage over players from long ago. No, it's not just the advances in medicine or equipment (although, those don't hurt). Instead, it's the advances in sports video games that make athletes more prepared to play than ever.

Wired magazine calls it the 'Madden effect.' Essentially, as the gameplay becomes more realistic, players are taking what they learn while playing football simulations (whether that's recognizing a cover two defense or memorizing offensive plays) and incorporating it into how they play on the actual field. For example, Wired mentions a play from this NFL season where Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley drained precious seconds off the clock by cutting across the field at a 90-degree angle before walking into the end zone for a touchdown.

It's a tactic that Stokley told Wired he'd done "probably hundreds of times" while playing a version of 'Madden NFL.' Another example, University of Kansas wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe said he learned how to recognize when a defensive secondary rolls its coverage by playing 'Madden NFL 09.' Chuck Kyle, an Ohio high-school coach, even programs his playbook into the game for his players to use as a study tool (now, that's homework we'd enjoy).

In other words, if you're playing football, you're playing football video games, too. Former NFL star Marshall Faulk says the number of NFL players who game has jumped from about 10-to-20-percent to more than 50-percent in the last 15 years. Stokley claims the number is even higher than that.

These aren't the 8-bit days of 'Tecmo Bowl' anymore, folks. Technology, even if it began as entertainment, has a profound effect on sports. Finally, nerds and jocks have something in common (Well, besides dishing out and receiving bathroom swirlies). For now anyway, 'Madden NFL' has become a virtual olive branch between the two groups. [From: Wired]

Tags: Brandon Stokley, BrandonStokley, football, madden, Madden NFL, MaddenNfl, nfl, sports, top, videogames

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