Football is back and it’s better than ever. Last night the NFL held its annual Hall of Fame, but tomorrow, EA Sports is releasing Madden 11. The good folks over at EA Sports gave me a copy of the game and the game does not disappoint.

EA Sports refined the Madden game with two major changes: GameFlow and Game Planning.

GameFlow

The mantra for Madden 11 is “Simpler. Quicker. Deeper.” and with GameFlow, it allows full games to be played in half the time. GameFlow allows players to pick plays based on situational, authentic game plans. Ever wondered what play a true NFL Coach would call in your situation? Game Flow plays can be tailor-picked automatically for each down setting the player up for a dramatic experience. GameFlow is set for both offensive and defensive possessions allowing the game to be played quicker without having to look through hundreds of plays in the playbook.

Game Planning

Game Planning is an extension to GameFlow where you can use game plans to control the type of plays your coach calls when you play Madden 11. When in the My Madden mode, players can create offensive and defensive game plans that can be used with any team, and any situation.

You can add, remove, and rate plays based on situations that include: 3rd and long, 2nd and short, etc.

Controls

Madden 11 has truly brought better controls to its ball-carriers. The Dual-Stick controls allow players to control their ball carriers motion at a higher level. The left stick allows players to guide the ball carrier’s lower torso and running direction while the right stick guides the upper body.

In Madden 11, when running with the ball carrier, you can protect the ball with the left stick and move at the direction of the stick. This allows the player to better handle player movements by shielding the ball, Twisting to Shield from Contact or trucking people on your way to a 1st down. With the right stick, the player can use the ball carrier’s quickness to juke, and spin to evade defenders.

EA Sports have taken the movements of the ball carrier to a whole new level while maintaining functionality and easy controls. The Juke to Juke and Juke to Spin controls respond smoothly for better in-game transitions.

Auto-Turbo

The first thing I asked myself when I ran a HB-Dive was, “where is the Turbo Button?” In my opinion, the Turbo button is an essential button to running plays where the player can control the timing of evading a tackle or taking advantage of a player’s speed to gain additional yards on any given play.

The developers decided to go with Auto-Turbo and give running-backs an all new Collision Detection. When a ball carrier goes through a hole, it hits the running hole harder and faster just like Adrian Peterson would do. On any running play, it gives the ball carriers prioritized running lanes for an advantage in the offensive end. Players also have the ability to choose moves based on attributes of the ball carrier making for better game-play.

Presentation

Madden 11 has brought Gus Johnson into the commentary booth to complement Chris Collinsworth for an added game-like feel. EA Sports did a good job recording over 10,000 new lines of original dialogue and a variety of authentic custom audio setups for situational plays, 4th downs, touchdowns, kick-offs, etc.

The developers even added custom audio for appropriate Stadiums. You can now hear “Who Dat” when playing with the Saints and the Panther roar when playing with the Panthers.

The graphics have been refined to include a more life-like feel to the game. Stadiums have been improved by adding more realistic glass in stadiums, and a very noticeable improved crowd.

A couple of important improvements to the visuals of Madden 11 are the higher resolution grass, improved player skin both in resolution and realism-fine details like arm hair- and authentic apparel like Nike shows, authentic uniforms, and Gatorade towels.

Online Team Play

Madden 11 has added a new online team play where you can choose to play with up to three teammates. Each teammate is assigned responsibilities including: audibles, substitutes, play- calling, and hot routes.

Overall, Madden 11 creates a new gaming experience for new and old fans of the Madden Franchise. The only problem I experienced throughout the whole game was the advertisements. After touchdowns, during the half-time, and in between quarters, you will find yourself hearing out Verizon, Gatorade, and Old Spice mentions. Though, with refined graphics, authentic play calling, better Franchise and Online team play, Madden 11 is definitely a game to check out. Madden 11 comes out August 10th.

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Paul, who is a psychic octopus, has just predicted the winner of the 2010 World Cup Final. Drum roll please..... SPAIN!!!!

After nine long months and three hundred and seventy games the destination of the Barclays Premier League title will be decided on the final day of the season. Chelsea hold a single point advantage over defending champions Manchester United, and with only a home game against fifteenth placed Wigan they must already be putting the champagne on ice at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, at Old Trafford, United will have their hands full against tenth placed Stoke City who, on Wednesday, boosted their already impressive road record with a victory against Europa League finalists Fulham. As durable as they have been all season, I still expect the Potters to succumb to Sir Alex Ferguson's side who will be excused for playing with half their focus on the happenings in London.

With only two weeks remaining in the 2009 - 2010 version of the Barclays Premier League the destinations of all the major prizes are still unresolved. Chelsea or Manchester United for the title? Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool for fourth? Mathematically, Tottenham could even snatch third spot from Arsenal! This weekend could see some of those issues resolved, or, most likely we will have to wait until the final whistles have sounded across the nation on Sunday, May 9th.

Hang on to your hats! With only three matches remaining for most clubs, the Barclays Premier League is still taking us for an incredible ride with unexpected twists and turns at every corner and most of the big issues, even at this late stage, still unresolved. With ten matches to be played this weekend, the picture could become clearer at both ends of the table or remain just as foggy as it is right now.

Two massive games dominate the fixture list this Saturday, the results of which can go a long way to determining both the eventual EPL champions and that lucrative fourth and final qualifying spot for next season's European Champions League. And as if that was not incentive enough, fierce local bragging rights are also at stake as both these matches are local derbies.

With the FA Cup semi finals taking place this weekend we have the unusual situation of only two EPL matches being played on Saturday followed by four more on Sunday. Saturday's matches feature three of the league's bottom four teams and could have an important bearing on who will make the drop to Championship football next season. At Upton Park, West Ham United will be looking to consolidate their tenuous hold on seventeenth place and Premiership survival by taking at least one point from their clash with Steve Bruce's Sunderland, who will still be congratulating themselves on last week's tremendous 3-1 upset of high flyers Tottenham. At first glance, this looks like an away win but further examination shows that only 7 of Sunderland's 38 points have come on the road and that the Hammers finally showed signs of a Premiership heartbeat with an encouraging 2-2 tie away to Everton, one of the league's most in form teams. Gianfranco Zola's team have picked up all but 9 of their 28 points at home and I expect them to add one more to that total this week.

It is not the most original thought that the Saturday lunchtime clash of the Premier League's top two sides, separated by just one point, may have significance. How much significance, however, will depend on the actual result between title chasing Man Utd and Chelsea.

When the 2009-2010 EPL fixtures were announced last summer, Saturday, April 3rd stood out as being the date on which the destiny of the English Premier League might be decided. Although 32 of 38 rounds of matches would already have been completed it would not take the foresight of Nostradamus to anticipate the importance of the match that will take place this Saturday between Manchester United and Chelsea. And now the time has arrived for these two great teams to go head to head in Manchester's "Theatre of Dreams," in a match which will have fans around the world glued to their televisions. United and Chelsea are the only two teams who have worn the Barclays crown in each of the last five years and, coming in to this match, the Mancunians hold a single point advantage over their great rivals. Chelsea, fresh off their 7-1 thrashing of Aston Villa will have a whole week to prepare and must surely be hoping that United's European Champions League exertions in Munich on Tuesday will take their toll. Almost worse than their 2-1 defeat to Bayern was the final minute ankle injury sustained by Wayne Rooney, who will now miss not only this vital top of the table clash but also, perhaps, the whole of April. However, Sir Alex Ferguson's side is much more than a "one man team" and last weekend romped to a 4-0 win against Bolton despite resting their prolific striker.

This Premier league season enhanced its reputation for unpredictability midweek as Man City lost at home to Everton and Aston Villa played out a draw with Sunderland in a game they would have expected to win. This weekend?s fixtures throw up some intriguing matches and as the season enters the ?business? end forecasting results is for fools. So here are my predictions?...

Manchester City host Everton on Wednesday evening aware that a victory in this difficult fixture will place the affluent club in fourth with only eight games left to play.

With only seven games remaining the fans of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea can all justifiably claim that their team will be lifting the Barclay's Premier League trophy on Sunday, May 9th, 2010. But this weekend each of the title contenders faces a potentially dangerous banana skin. In search of an unprecedented fourth consecutive championship, Manchester United travel to the Reebok Stadium where Lancashire neighbors Bolton Wanderers have lost only once in their last six outings.

With three points and millions in potential income for the taking, seventeenth place West Ham will host sixteenth place Wolves in a critical match between two candidates prime to drop to the Championship.

Chelsea, desperately craving a victory to restore confidence after Tuesday?s dismissal from the Champions League, travel to Blackburn in a tricky Premier League fixture that will undoubtedly entice the attention of title rivals Arsenal and Manchester United. 

Cesc? Fabregas, the captain and creative conductor of Arsenal, returns to the lineup on Saturday versus West Ham, as the Gunners look to top the table by claiming three points at home in this London derby.  

Match of the week is undoubtedly Sunday's clash of the titans, Manchester United versus Liverpool at Old Trafford. On paper this is a banker home win with United flying high at the top of the league and having won thirteen of their fifteen home games this season. Liverpool, on the other hand, have managed only seven victories in fourteen attempts on the road and currently languish in fifth place, no less than fifteen points behind their north west rivals. However, games are not played on paper and Liverpool Manager Rafa Benitez will waste no time in reminding his players that not only did they beat United by a score of 2 - 0 at Anfield in October, but they also beat Sir Alex Ferguson's team home and away last season. Don't expect a Liverpool victory this time though, for with England star Wayne Rooney in the form of his life, Steven Gerrard & Co will be lucky to return home with a solitary point. 

After guiding Chelsea to two Premier League trophies, Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge to engage in a tactical duel against Carlo Ancelotti in the second leg of the Champions League?s round of sixteen tie.

Trapped in a forgettable season, Liverpool will look to rebound from successive defeats as on Monday they host Portsmouth, a side plagued by dreadful league form and financial uncertainties.

The sustained absence of Petr Cech and newly acquired injury to backup keeper Hiliaro in last weekend?s FA Cup match with Stoke City, presents Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti with quite a goalkeeping imbroglio.  

Real Madrid will attempt to repeat their comeback heroics from the weekend, as they host the French powerhouse Lyon on Wednesday. Lyon confidently enter the second leg after securing a slight advantage in the tie with a one goal home victory. The French side enjoyed the better play in last month?s encounter and were unlucky not to add another tally. Yet, despite only converting one of their eighteen shots, Lyon maintained a clean sheet and the performance of keeper Hugo Lloris was pleasing to any Lyon supporter.