On May 5, 2009 former Arizona State and Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that EA Sports and the NCAA unlawfully used player images in their NCAA football and basketball video games. The lawsuit (read it here) received quite a bit of initial attention, but no one pointed out the most fascinating angle of the case, the NCAA is being accused of violating their own rules of amateurism, selling the rights to the players that they're supposed to protect.
Yep, the NCAA, baronial ruler of the collegiate landscape, investigator of impropriety from sea to shining sea, protector of amateur athletics, may be in need of investigation themselves. Oh, the delicious irony. What's at stake in Sam Keller's lawsuit? Only every game and every record featuring NCAA athletes in football and basketball over the past decade. Thankfully, this lawsuit falls right in my legal expertise; I'm a lawyer with a decent knowledge of NCAA regulations and a great knowledge of NCAA video games. As I read this lawsuit, I began to realize that it's much bigger than a video game, the lawsuit makes a really bold statement, it accuses the NCAA of violating their own rules of amateurism.
However, my colleague and podcast partner Ryan Wilson pointed out to me that during Andrews' recent interview with FanHouse, she was flashing some serious bling. Bling that just happened to be placed on her left ring finger (close-up after the jump) while she was telling Ariel Helwani that she wasn't interested in him.
For those of you who might have been looking forward to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, don't worry yourself. As it turns out, the Boston Bruins are all set to claim their first title in 37 years, defeating the upstart Chicago Blackhawks in six games in the Stanley Cup Finals.
How do I know it's true? Well, because EA Sports told me so.
Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA was voted one of the toughest college arenas to play, according to a poll on EA Sports. And a spokesman for the company indicated that yes, the poll was serious. EA Sports conducted the poll to use in its upcoming NCAA basketball game.
UCLA made the cut of 15 in the poll made up of college basketball fans who have obviously never been to a game at Pauley Pavilion. Because those of us who have been to there would know that is just not the case. In fact, UCLA might have the most forgiving home courts for a big-time college basketball program. Ever.
Yeah, we're two days late. We FanHousers don't get advance copies of games, tickets, or anything for that matter. We're scrubs, just like you. But that's what makes it all so fun! We spent these two days "past deadline" playing NCAA '09.
The Game
In case you live under a rock, EA Sports' NCAA Football is a wildly successful software franchise updated mid-July of each year. With each new release comes new team and player ratings and, ostensibly, new features.
What's New and What's Not
Good news: if you played last year's next-gen (Xbox 360 vs. Xbox) version of NCAA Football you will be able to jump right in and play without any problem. The controls are virtually identical (thank you, EA), the playbooks are very similar and overall gameplay is in the same ballpark. The menu interface is also very much like '08, but snappier.
Be sure to join FanHouse writers here at 5 PM Eastern in discussing the release of EA Sports' NCAA 2009. Will it be the fix we've all been waiting for or are rumored roster bugs and other snafus just too much? We'll try and find out. In the meantime fire away with comments in the CoverItLive chat below.
Like most other fans of video games and sports, I was irritated when the deal between EA Sports and the various professional sports leagues was announced. The deal with the NFL was signed and promoted just after the competing NFL 2K5 came out with a handful of really great new features, and it seemed like common sense this must be EA trying to squeeze their competition out of the market. As it turns out, though, EA claims that it was the NFL's idea.
Whoever came up with it, EA is the one who is going to be defending it. Ars Technica is reporting that two gamers are suing EA Sports for antitrust violations, which is a bold move. Their argument is, basically, that nobody really wants to buy a football game that doesn't have real teams or players in it.
Now that the season is over, and there is lots of free time in between the NHL Entry Draft, the free agent frenzy, and the awards show, it's time to get our hockey on with a good ol' game from EA's NHL franchise. I'll certainly enjoy setting up a Wings/Penguins final and having Sidney pot 34 goals in a 4-game sweep.
Ah, fantasies ...
Anyhoo ... With the advent of a new season comes a new release, and this year's version promises to offer even more realism, flash, and dash.
Even though the game isn't out for another three months, that won't stop people from drooling over the possibilities. To whet your appetite, here is the official trailer for NHL 09.
Titans quarterback Vince Young is off to a good start this season despite appearing on the cover of Madden 08.
Maybe that means the Madden Curse has been debunked, and maybe that's why NFL players like Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney are actually campaigning to be on the cover of NFL Tour, a football video game that's going to be released in January:
There are also commercials featuring Jason Taylor and Shawne Merriman. You can see them all at the EA YouTube channel. I maintain that EA Sports has a better understanding of how to use YouTube for inexpensive and effective promotion than just about any other company in America.
Fellow Fanhouser Brian Cook's been doing a great job keeping us updated on EA Sports' NCAA 08. But while many of us will give in and plop down the $50 for this year's version, there's a game that most of us will never get to play, and it sounds way cooler than anything you'll find at the local video game store.
XOS Technologies, a company who produces everything from ticket distribution systems to scouting software, has joined with EA Sports to develop a training simulation based on the NCAA/Madden platform. Basically, it sounds like an interactive version of traditional (read: boring) film study, according to XOS co-founder Dan Aton:
Now instead of having to use video of actual plays, coaches can create their own virtual situations and challenges "but still have it feel very realistic to the player and to be very interactive which is something that the video didn't allow us to do," Aton said.
Coaches can create "a full instructional experience where stop points can be set, you can quiz players and can ask them to read defenses or pick up blitzes of whatever it might be that that coach wants to accomplish with his players. From the players perspective, it would look very much like (EA Sports') NCAA football or Madden on the PC version," he added.
Sounds like it might keep Cook from complaining about the unrealistic features of EA's games. Now if only he were a Division-I football player, he might could get his hands on it.
On May 5, 2009 former Arizona State and Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that EA Sports and the NCAA unlawfully used player images in their NCAA football and basketball video games. The lawsuit (read it here) received quite a bit of initial attention, but no one pointed out the most fascinating angle of the case, the NCAA is being accused of violating their own rules of amateurism, selling the rights to the players that they're supposed to protect. 
Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA was voted one of the toughest college arenas to play, 
Like most other fans of video games and sports, I was irritated when the deal between EA Sports and the various professional sports leagues was announced. The deal with the NFL was signed and promoted just after the competing NFL 2K5 came out with a handful of really great new features, and it seemed like common sense this must be EA trying to squeeze their competition out of the market. As it turns out, though, EA claims that it was the NFL's idea.
Fellow Fanhouser Brian Cook's been doing a great job keeping us updated on EA Sports' 
