M&T Stadium, Baltimore

Well, the draft is over and the mini-camps are getting underway. Figured I’d wait until this point to give my opinion on the last few months, well, as a Raven anyway.

The Anquan Boldin Trade:
This really did take me by surprise. I could see us trading for a solid wide receiver, but to be honest I never really expected it to be Boldin. A pleasant surprise by all means though. Boldin really is a quality player. He may have had a few injuries lately but his effort and his production is nothing to be dismissed. I really can’t wait to see him in the Purple of Baltimore. He came at a pretty reasonable price too. A 3^rd and 4^th round draft pick? Bargain, especially since we recouped those by trading down in the draft.

Off-Season pick ups:
We’ve picked up a couple of notable players this year so far. Let’s start with wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth, a player with his share of controversy to say the least. Now, I won’t pretend that I know all the details of his past, but according to the law he has now served his time, he is showing genuine remorse and he wants to make up for what he did. That’s all I need to know. He’s come in looking as quick as he was, he’s been making some good plays with Flacco in training and he is still looking sharp. I’m looking forward to see if he can reproduce this on the field, he definitely gives us a solid option for a pretty minimal cost.

New Raven Boldin

Secondly, we picked up defensive tackle Cory Redding from the Seahawks. A good move after we lost Dwan Edwards to the Bills. He can produce, he’s shown he can. Last season wasn’t his best and I believe he only started 3-4 games for Seattle, but in 7 years he has picked up 18 sacks. He’s a big guy, 6’4” and over 290lbs, but he is versatile and quick on his feet. I expect him to take some downs off Pryce to keep him fresh and mix it up a bit. Redding signed a 2 year contract so let’s see what he can do as Raven.

Ed Reed:
Will he retire, won’t he retire? Well I certainly hope he doesn’t! Ed is an amazing talent who has been hit with injury as of late. So bad there is talk of him calling it a day. Latest reports say he has undergone surgery to try and rectify this problem, hopefully a sign that he isn’t quite giving up just yet. If this is true, and it all goes to plan then I can’t wait to see what he does next year. Ed Reed is a game changer, and you just know the opposition offence hate it when he is playing, and playing well.

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Re-Signs:
Biggest re-sign of the off-season is definitely Derek Mason. The man is still in amazing shape, more so than probably half the NFL players, and he is 36. He still has his pace, he still has good hands, and he still has that smile on his face when he plays. A 2 year contract hopefully means he will be retiring as a Raven.

Draft:
I’d say the trading down from the first round surprised me, but it didn’t. What DID surprise me is what we got for it and for who the traders got with our pick. Still, it worked out really well; we got 3^rd and 4^th round picks back which means effectively we got Boldin for peanuts. Anyway, here is a breakdown of the picks for the Ravens from the 2010 draft.

Sergio Kindle (OLB) – Pick 43 – A potential 1^st round pick taken in the 2^nd round. Great pick in my eyes. Kindle can slot nicely into the Ravens formation and go straight to work. There was a bit of talk about his knee but it looks like no work is needed. This is probably why he didn’t go in the 1^st round.

Terrence Cody (DT) – Pick 57 – ‘Mount’ Cody as he is known to his friends. This guy is huge and I’m very excited to see him in the Purple of Baltimore. A lot of talk about his weight, but I have no problems putting faith in the Ravens staff to keep him fit and healthy. This bloke can destroy offences.

Ed Dickson (TE) – Pick 70 – The first of 2 Tight Ends taken in succession by Ozzie. Ed is a more traditional ‘block’ tight end. He’s athletic, big frame and can make a catch or two if needed. Would work well and gives Flacco a target who might work himself into some space.

Dennis Pitta (TE) – Pick 114 – The second of 2 Tight Ends. Pitta is more of a receiving tight end. He’s quick, he’s got amazing hands and he can run routes well, probably more of a wide receiver, definitely an exciting player to watch. Flacco will be rubbing his hands together with all these targets for him to hit.

David Reed (WR) – Pick 156 – Didn’t see us picking a wide receiver in this draft but I can see why Ozzie has picked him. He’s a young talent with good potential, and he’ll be practicing with Anquan Boldin and Derek Mason, who better could be learning from? I can see him probably getting a couple of downs, possibly in the slot.

Arthur Jones (DT) – Pick 157 – Jones is a big defensive tackle, i’m actually shocked that he made it all the way down to the 5th round. 6′3″ and 300lbs, but he’s quick and he hits hard. I don’t think he’ll be in the team straight away, but he might play a bit part of a few downs to give the other guys a rest.

Ramon Harewood (OL) – Pick 194 – This guy is interesting. He is basically a raw product, but at 6′6″ and 340lbs i’m sure we can do something with him. The guy is massive, a giant, he’s got decent speed for his height and weight (think he ran just over 5.0 in the 40yd dash), so let’s get him settled and get him working at the camp. He’s got drive to succeed so let’s help him reach his potential and scare some opposition.

The one thing I would have liked us to do is pick up a good corner, and I think most Ravens would agree. That didn’t happen but Ozzie did make some great moves in the draft. He hasn’t gone wrong yet and I trust that he will be looking at this position over the course of the remaining off-season. In Ozzie we trust.

Optimism:

Overall I have to say I am very pleased with the way things have gone so far. We have definitely improved in positions we needed to improve in and we have some quality young talent on the roster. We had a good campaign last season that ended too early and with the additions we have made I can’t help but think that we’ll be challenging not only for the Divisional win, but for a Superbowl ring once more.

Image Credits:
M&T Stadium: kevygee
Boldin: xoque
Ed Reed: Keith Allison
Cheerleader: Keith Allison, again.

I’ve not watched this film recently… but I will again soon. However this topic remains a firm favourite for our readers and brings many visitors with a variety of peculiar search terms. So it gets elevated for now.

Original article follows. Originally published August 28th 2009.
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It’s become part of my pre-season ritual that I watch this movie at least once. And so I did this week. Strictly speaking it’s not NFL related, as Oliver Stone couldn’t get licensing. So it’s the story of the fictional Miami Sharks playing in the AFFA in pursuit of The Pantheon Cup.

The cast is as impressive as any film out there, with Al Pacino playing… well, playing Al Pacino as usual; Cameron Diaz as the Sharks’ owner; Dennis Quaid as the ageing quarterback and Jamie Foxx as the 3rd string quarterback who gets his chance through injuries; LL Cool J as an unashamed mercenary running back; James Woods is delicious as the crooked team doctor; John C McGinley as a reporter; Aaron Eckhart as the young OC and more and more. It also features Laurence Taylor as a legendary linebacker who changed the game (imagine…) and Jim Brown as a hard-nosed defensive coach. It even features Terrell Owens making a couple of plays.

Coach D'Amato (Pacino) gives advice to 3rd string QB Willie Beamon (Foxx) whilst injured starter Rooney (Quaid) looks on

The plot is nothing that special, as you’d expect. A team with a lot of history is struggling into the post-season after a great start. We join them in the run-in and with the squad suffering with organisation, injuries and the overall pressure.

Whilst ostensibly a film about the team, with arcs covering some players and their individual struggles it breaks down to focus on the relationships of Coach Tony D’Amato: His relationship with his trusted but ageing QB, the new up-and-comer, the medical staff, the owner, his ex-wife, his regular hooker and with the press. As you’d expect given the talent credited, they do a great job conveying all the emotions and passion you imagine these type of people have in real life.

There are a couple of the cast that to me really stand out. Cameron Diaz has never been better than she is here and I love every scene she’s in. From her scheming and plotting, to her incredulous “A… beer?” to her amusing scenes in the locker room with a bunch of naked jocks.
Foxx also does a great job with the pretty short arc his character goes through. He’s believable as the incoming “new kid” and again as the brash young atheletic QB. Pacino is nearly always great: His “inches” talk is one of cinema’s great monologues and is pitch-perfect. His lunch meeting with Foxx is another great scene between them, and Foxx holds his own.

Team Owner Christina Pagniacci (Diaz) discusses injured players with Dr. Harvey Mandrake (Woods)

Quaid too, carries the weary star quarterback just wonderfully. He’s loves to play but pretty much knows he’s done – his body is shot, the young guys are coming up on him and he’s suffering an aching all the time. There are some missed notes, but overall it’s a great effort from everyone involved. I even enjoyed LL Cool J – his “I like getting paid.” was perfect.

One thing of particular note is the in-game camera-work, which is excellent. Stone overdoes it with the use of blurring and slow-motion sometimes, but you get a great feeling in the middle of the match. The exception is the “monsoon bowl” where you can’t see anything, but does still feature some great shots.

Yeah, it’s a bit cheesy in places. Everything comes together and everyone learns a valuable lesson a little bit too ‘Hollywood’. Some of the imagery is also a bit – alright, a lot – heavy handed, but it’s a great journey overall.

It’s an old film and available at a good price at amazon. I also found that it’s out on Blu-Ray now too.

This year it’s all about fighting for every yard, and the new Pro-Tak system which allows for gang-tackles. I got this on release day and have been playing it, here’s my thoughts.

Overview
After opening the stunning box, with Larry Fitzgerald and Mactalksnfl favourite Troy Polamalu and loading the game, the first thing you’ll notice is that the presentation has been buffed and shined to an almost silly standard. Each stadium has facts and figures about it, delivered by Tom Hammond whilst some incidental activity takes place. I’ve seen fans at a tailgate, leap-frogging bollards, admiring statues and buying hats. That sort of thing. The stadia are rendered beautifully (I just played at Texas stadium and it looks amazing) but we’d expect that. Beyond the background, the players look great and are animated excellently. I’ve seen a few clipping errors and the running does lot a bit odd, but it’s really well done overall with all sorts of little touches that really add depth: from players calling for flags, to the Chain Gang being called on, to refs conferencing, on and on… that sort of thing.

Gameplay
The core of the game has not changed, as you’d expect, but the pace has been slowed. And I’m a big fan of this… now I’m used to it. I spent my first couple of games passing too soon and running for the smallest hole. Now I sit back and watch, you can see the pocket forming, the corners bumping their assignments as the play develops. I’m still having issues with leading them too far though, but am working on that. As a game though, passing works great.

The slower pace also helps the running game. You can see the gaps and follow your blockers much easier. Pro-Tak is a big part of this too, and you can battle your way through a crowded line as the players do in real life. More than in previous versions, you’ll need to pay attention to who’s running at you. Brandon Jacobs, for instance, ploughed through me for the entire first quarter until I adjusted and started hitting him low. It sounds obvious, and it is, but as EA would say “it’s in the game”. I’ve found running the ball easier than on previous versions.

Defense too. When attacking the QB, you get time to battle your man and watch the pocket shifting as the linemen battle it out. Playing in the backfield is still hard, but the pace makes things easier. I still get turned by a receiver (a lot), but in most cases I’ve noticed it before he’s got the ball and am able to make a good hit for a minimal game. Yes, the screen-shaking hit is still there.

Other Changes
Some things from previous versions are gone. The icons under the players? Gone. The intrusive play-calling system, that’s gone too and a much more user-friendly system is there that also makes it easier to bluff between the plays on screen. Oh yeah, want to run the Wildcat? Go ahead, it’s there.
Other subtle improvements are for the best too, like the fact the camera changes to ‘broadcast’ mode as a play ends. It’s the visual equivilent of the whistle – play until the camera changes. There’s a sort of button-mashing minigame for fumbles in the pile which is nice too, though will catch you out the first time it happens.

Franchise
Franchise mode has a reworked menu system, but the best addition here for me is The Final Point. A clip show presented by Fran Charles and Alex Flanagan that gives pretty simple overviews and previews of games, but which – more usefully – shows the standings and playoff picture and other league information. Each stage can be skipped directly too, and you can come out of it at any point. There is also an edition of this ’show’ at hafltime, which is frankly a bit of a nuisance and something I wish it was easier to skip. The only useful part of it is the scores from other games going on, but the screen is up so quick you’ll only be able to take in one or two of them.

This year sees the introduction of online co-op, which is fun but harder than it sounds, and online Franchise. This is the game mode that everyone’s been waiting on, and could be great. My league is forming at the moment and I’ll give full thoughts on it at a later date. Incidentally, a printing error in the UK booklet means the code to unlock Online Franchise is not provided, but if you ring EA on 0870 243 2435 (UK only) and provide your GamerTag, they’ll enable your account on the franchise servers.

Sound
EA Trax is still here, and I’m hating it less and less each year as the fashion moves more and more towards guitar-based stuff. The first time I loaded it up, Madden 10 greeted me with Them Bones by Alice In Chains who are one of my favourite bands of all time. There are other good tracks too, and I look forward to the music now rather than wanting to turn it off.

The on-field sound is great, from the banter between the players to the hits, the rousing crowd. The tannoy guy is still there too and the whole audio experience is incredibly natural.

In Closure…
I’ve only played in Franchise, so haven’t taken a look at Superstar mode yet. Or the Madden Moments either. The standard mini-games are still present as well. There’s plenty to get into here. Overall it’s better than 09, and probably 08 too and I’m enjoying it a lot. Games have a great ‘flow’ to them, resulting in drives and results that feel natural. I thoroughly recommended it.

I have the Xbox 360 version, but it’s out on all the PS3, PS2, Wii, PSP and there is even an iPhone version coming that I’ll check out when it’s out.

Anyway, I was actually in the mood for something pretty light, so this got picked up the other day. Needless to say, it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Rick Dockery is a perennial third string quarterback who doesn’t really have “it” but is good enough to be a backup. However, after single-handedly losing the AFC Championship game for Cleveland (as unlikely as part of that sounds) he’s got nowhere to go, and his agent gets him a spot in the Italian AF League as the starting QB. Fancying some time out of the country, he accepts.

The plot is pretty predictable, but Rick is a fairly sympathetic character (certainly for one of Grisham’s) and the descriptions of the food and wine are well done. The passion of the local amatuer players is great, and something we can relate to here in the UK. JG is not afraid to poke a little fun of Americans in old parts of Europe, and whilst it’s not anything new (manual gears, small roads, etc.) it’s not offensive and handled pretty well.

Needless to say, Rick learns some valuable lessons in his “life-affirming” journey. Everything you’d expect from a book that describes itself as heart-warming really. Yeuch.

The amazon review system has it rated at 2 of 5 stars, and that’s a little harsh. But only a little. I’d say 3 stars, but I was in the mood for it.