Raymond Goode aka Shopmaster is an avid gamer and a Madden Addict in every sense of the word. Shopmaster has been involved and active in the online community since 2003 and runs MyMaddenPad.com; a community dedicated to all Madden Ballers. He is also the Commissioner of a very unique league called Madden Wars (maddenwars.com) and has been running multiple seasons since 2003. You may have seen Shopmaster on Madden Nation Season 1. Shopmaster is a SIM baller by nature but understands the mindset of tourney ballers. You can keep up with Shopmaster on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Shopmaster

Hello my name Shopmaster and I'm a gaming addict. They say the first thing you need to do when you're addicted to something is to first admit your addiction. Now let me first say that I'm not comparing being addicted to gaming anywhere near being addicted to drugs or alcohol. With that being said, my wife sometimes wishes she could admit me to some kind of addiction clinic. I'm a 36 year old married man with 3 kids (ages 8, 10, and 15). I have been playing video games all my life. As far back as I can remember there has always been a video system in my household. I won't get into every little detail that has made me the gaming addict I am today but know I have or had every gaming system ever available. In my house right now I have 3 Game Boys, 2 DSi, 2 PS2s, 2 PSPs, a Gamecube, Wii, 360, and a PS3.

I know most girlfriends, fiancés, and wives probably are not as supportive as my wife is, but if you let her tell it, she hates my addiction.

Here is a letter my wife wrote about my gaming addiction, specifically Madden:

I'm married to a Madden Addict and I've just about had enough. It's not that I don't support his hobby, because I do, but now it's to a point where I can't even schedule things for the family in August because of the Madden release. He's missed Family Reunions, weddings, and even my birthday because of this Madden release. It never fails that in August I go from being a married woman with three kids, to a single woman with 4 kids. It's bad enough my husband; Shopmaster, still plays Madden like he just got the game yesterday, but he insists that this time of year is the most important time for him and his addiction. It's a time where he gets hyped about the new game and a time where other Madden Addicts like him salivate over the new information and news about the upcoming Madden version.

Every year I yell, "It's August, you've been playing that same stupid game f or a year now, haven't you beaten it yet?" You may laugh but even I know they haven't updated the online rosters for the last 5 months, yet he still has about 20-25 guys on his stupid friends list and visits his site www.maddenwars.com and mymaddenpad.com like its some kind of cult. Whenever I ask to use the computer, I have to wait until he finishes reading the latest Madden article on EA's website or some other gaming site. It has gotten to the point where I have gone out to IGN and printed out articles for him to read just so I get a chance to use the computer. The homepage is set to MyMaddenPad.com, we have Madden cups, Madden T-shirts, Madden posters, and he even has a room full of his Madden trophies from an offline league.

My husband and 3 of his best friends every year plot to see what store they are going to go to at Midnight to get the game early. They have it reserved at one store but if they are not going to release the game early they pick it up from another place. They have sat out in the rain for 6 straight hours trying to pick up Madden early, come home and played till the next evening and have had colds the next day. It wasn't like they were going to work anyways, because they took 2 days off; which is just ridiculous in and of itself. "The game is going to be here when you get off of work you know", I always say, but who am I kidding; he's taking it to work to play on his lunch break anyways.

A couple of years ago the Madden release date was on my birthday and he was throwing a big time party; he called a DJ, made all these arrangements for people to arrive, plan to do it big time. I was so excited. Too bad the party wasn't for me; it was for the local game store where 300+ crazy Madden fans came to pick up their game at Midnight. All I got was a watch, a kiss, and a 3:00 dinner. Madden got a DJ, 300+ guests, contests, Madden T-shirts, and had my husband out until 3:00 in the morning. I often refer to Madden as his other woman or his mistress. He went to the MaddenPalooza event in 2008 that was out in California and missed my birthday; he's made up for it since then but it would have saved him a lot of grief if he would have just stayed home.

I'm telling you he's addicted.

Well it's March now and you would have thought that the game came out a week ago with the amount of games he's been playing. He plays at least 4 games a day. I wake up to go to work and he wakes up a whole hour earlier than he has to just to get a game in before he goes to work or to check on his franchise. And don't let him lose that game, he will probably be late for work, because as he tells me "Who wants to go to work on a loss." It's pathetic sometimes, but what you gonna do. I support him because that's what he likes to do. Sometimes I must admit that I have threaten to run over his copy of Madden or his system if he doesn't do something I ask but he would probably not even blink, go to Gamestop and buy another copy ... Just ridiculous.

I always wonder if other women are going through the same thing with their husbands or boyfriends. I look at their angry red eyes at the grocery store when I walk by, can tell by the way their mouth quivers when they speak to me at the library. The way their voice bellows when they scream out "I hate Madden!" I sympathize with them and tell them I hate Madden too ...... but it was the only clean T-shirt I had.

Thanks for reading my initial blog, I'm sure some of the older gamers can relate. Next week, I'll talk more about managing life and gaming and how to get your significant other involved in your addiction.

Interested in becoming an EA SPORTS Game Changer? Check out http://bit.ly/bdfJEB for more information!

Jake Stein is a 25 year old from Tampa, Fl. He is a relatively new member to the EA SPORTS Community but has quickly become one of the most active members with his interaction on Twitter. Jake enjoys playing Madden mostly online and can normally be found on the top 100 leaderboards. He also has visited Tiburon in person many times providing feedback and ideas in playtest of new games or features before they are released to the public. If you would like to follow Jake on twitter, he is @Jstein2469.

The 2010 NFL season officially kicked off with the start of free agency once the clock struck midnight on Friday, March 5th. This marks the first chance your favorite NFL team can make an impact on the upcoming season by signing any player whom is no longer under contract with their former team. This year has stood out already with the pool of veteran running backs being released and also big name players being traded, something that is not very common in the NFL world.

Without question, the big winners of the start of free agency were the Chicago Bears and the Baltimore Ravens. Chicago landed the biggest name in free agency with the signing of former Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers. The 30 year old defensive standout from the University of North Carolina will give the Bears a huge boost with the pass rush and that should make a questionable secondary perform a little better. Chicago also upgraded the running game by bringing in former Viking running back Chester Taylor and blocking tight end Brandon Manumaleuna.

The Ravens finally got a legitimate threat at the wide receiver position when they traded for former Arizona Cardinal Anquan Boldin. Boldin should be a perfect fit for a team lacking at the skill positions. His toughness and attitude will make for an easy transition into Baltimore and Joe Flacco should be able to take another step forward with #81 on his team.

There were many more moves already as well. What we want to know is, will these moves affect who you decide to play with in Madden NFL 11? Drop a comment below or send us some tweets! Also, check out the video below for a preview of what your favorite team will look like next season!

Five of the EA SPORTS Game Changers have joined a Madden NFL 10 Online Franchise to battle it out with their favorite teams. The setup is simple, 7 minute quarters on all-pro difficulty with the teams' original rosters (Also of note, we started just prior to the latest roster update). So sit back, follow along, and enjoy as we bring you the weekly action!

Bucs Use Running Attack to Drop Big D

Sixty9erStein24's Buccaneers (1-0) took on the Dallas Cowboys (0-1) in Tampa to kick off the 2009 season. The Bucs were able to get their ground game going which will be key for a team that lacks firepower at the skilled positions. Together, the team finished with 140 yards on 22 carries to go along with 3 rushing TD's.

Rookie QB Josh Freeman got the start and was very efficient finishing 14-17 for 217 yards with no TD's or INT's.

The Cowboys pulled to within 7 points early in the 4th quarter when Tony Romo connected with Patrick Crayton on a 4 yard pass but that's as close as it got. Derrick Ward secured the victory with a late 28 yard TD run in a game that featured 0 turnovers for either team. Final score in this contest 24-10 Bucs.

Ravens' Flacco Shreds Kansas City

Anton B's Ravens (1-0) hosted the Kansas City Chiefs (0-1) on kickoff weekend. The Ravens got off to a slow start having to settle for an opening drive field goal and then later having a blown defensive coverage that led to a Matt Cassel 9 yard TD toss to Dwanye Bowe. However, that would be the only good news the rest of the day for Kansas City as they were outscored 49-6 the rest of the way.

Ravens second year QB Joe Flacco connected early and often and led the team to the decisive win. He finished a strong 27-37 for 351 yards and 4 TD's to go along with 0 INT's. The offense didn't stop there. Ray Rice cashed in 116 yards rushing on only 7 carries that included an 80 yard TD scamper early in the 3rd quarter. Willis McGahee also led the team with 10 receptions for 84 yards and 2 TD's.

The Baltimore D made a splash play as well when Domonique Foxworth picked off a Matt Cassel pass and returned it 47 yards to the house. 52-13 final score.

Bears Shutout Pack Behind Hester and Forte's Combined 4 TD's

The oldest rivalry in football was renewed when JBHusker's Bears (1-0) squared off vs. the Green Bay Packers (0-1). The Bears were sparked early by a great over the shoulder interception by Nathan Vasher on the Packers opening drive. That play setup a 4 yd TD run by Matt Forte, his 1st of two TD's on the day. Forte would finish the day with 20 carries for 94 yards and those 2 TD's.

Devin Hester turned in his best game as a wide receiver with a 7 catch 102 yard 2 TD performance. His 20 yard reception late in the first quarter put Chicago up 14-0 and they never looked back.

The Bears D showed the same signs of dominance that led them to a Super Bowl appearance in 2006. They registered 2 sacks and the Vasher INT. The most telling stat of perhaps the entire contest was that the Bears did not give up a 3rd down conversion the entire game. 31-0 Bears win.

Fletcher's Quick TD Propels Skins Past Giants

The scoring started early when Raczilla's Redskins (1-0) went into New York to take on the Giants (0-1). London Fletcher picked off Eli Manning's first play from scrimmage and returned it 35 yards for the score and helped Washington jump out to a 21-0 lead over division rival New York. Fletcher would also record a sack and 2 tackles in the game.

Jason Campbell was the other big story of this game with his 5 TD passes, all to 5 different receivers. Washington's passing attack kept the Giants off balance all day with 8 different receivers catching at least one pass and generating 14 first downs.

New York's one bright spot came when Eli Manning found Derek Hagan on a short drag route who then broke a tackle and weaved his way through traffic and burst up the sideline for the 71 yard score.

The momentum from Hagan's big play was short lived as Santana Moss caught a 37 yard TD from Campbell just 23 seconds later. Skins keep it rolling in the second half and this game finishes up 42-10 Redskins.

Cards' Survive 49ers Late Rally; Win 31-26

In a game where MPDamon's Cardinals (1-0) dominated the San Francisco 49ers (0-1) for 3 and a half quarters, it took a late onside kick recovery to secure the victory. Arizona led 31-13 with under 2:00 minutes to play when Frank Gore scored on a 1 yard run. That led to the first onside kick and the 49ers came up with the football. Shaun Hill quickly led the team down the field and found Arnaz Battle in the back of the end zone for a 15 yard score with 29 seconds remaining. The two point conversion was no good holding the score at 31-26.

Still needing another touchdown and out of timeouts, the 49ers had to onside kick again but the Cardinals jump on the loose ball to assure a week 1 win.

The near comeback almost overshadowed the debut for rookie running back Chris "Beanie" Wells. Wells proved worthy of being a first round pick and brought balance to a team that went to the Super Bowl with a last place running attack just last year. Beanie finished the day with 15 carries for 120 yards and 3 TD's, highlighted by a 42 yard TD in the 2nd quarter.

Kurt Warner was not forced to make many plays but did finish 16-23 for 202 yards and a TD pass to Anthony Becht.

Here are the highlights from this week's game. Make sure and check back next week to see how each Game Changers team is doing:

Interested in becoming an EA SPORTS Game Changer? Check out http://bit.ly/bdfJEB for more information!  

In the last 24 hours, some major moves have occurred in the NFL that will have a major impact on the upcoming season, and on Madden NFL 11. Yesterday, the Chargers released the franchise's all time rushing leader LaDainian Tomlinson, and now word has just come out that the Eagles are set to release their franchise's all time leading rusher Brian Westbrook.

Knowing this, the EA SPORTS Community team has four questions for you:

1.       What do you think of each team's decision to release their featured RB?

2.       What team do you think each guy will play for next year?

3.       Which RB would you rather have on your favorite NFL team?

4.       Which RB would you rather have on your team in Madden?

We look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments section below!You can also join in on the discussion in the Official Madden NFL forums by clicking here.

Damon Peterson is a veteran of the sports gaming community. He loves any sport in the virtual world and also the real thing. He has been active in the online community for many years and currently works on TheSportsGameGuy bringing up to date sports gaming news and thoughts to the community. Along with being involved with the active EA community Damon has also been awarded an Xbox MVP award the last three years and you can find him with the Gamertag MPDamon. Follow Damon on Twitter MPDamon

Kevin Harley is one of the most active members of the EA SPORTS Community. Kevin runs The Sports Game Guy with Damon Peterson. Kevin also serves as a Moderator on the EA SPORTS forums and can be found under his forum name Kev5890. For those of you on Twitter, you can follow and interact with Kevin under his Twitter name: @Kev5890

The Battle of the Sports Game Guy is a weekly matchup between The Sports Game Guy site admins Damon Peterson and Kevin Harley. Each week an EA Sports game will be played between the two eventually crowning a champ of the best overall Sports Gamer. After the matchup a full game HD video plus their thoughts will be posted. The games played can be strongly influenced by feedback from the community.

Damon's Take:

This week it was decided to play Madden Arcade for The Battle of The Sports Game Guy. Kevin picked this game for a reason as I hadn't won a game against him in Madden Arcade much less any game I had played. I struggle with this title.
Because of busy schedules for both of us this past week I had a quick chance to get a few practice games online. What I picked up was a strategy to blitz my LB and manual control my FS and cover the RB. As I stated last week strategy in sports gaming is very important. Knowing that my offense wasn't spectacular I went into the game with Kevin knowing that at some point in the game I was going to use this defensive strategy so I took the Cowboys who have the fast LB Demarcus Ware.
The blitz and safety cover strategy worked as you will see in the video after I set it up after being tied 14-14. I knew that the running back could make the catch most of the time but I just tried to limit the yards after catch and catch a few breaks which I got with a late fumble I returned for a TD and a 33-14 win to go up 3-0 in the series.

Kevin's Take:

So I finally though I would break my 0-2 skid with Madden Arcade. Damon and I have only played the game a couple of times, but I felt like I dominated most of those matches.

My defense was really weak in the game I played against him. My offense was doing really good until he started to blitz his middle line backer. I have played about 25 games online and I have never seen that. It was extremely effective considering I could barely get the ball down field when he started to blitz.

I am 0-3 already in the battle, hopefully I can turn this around! Suggest a game we could play this week and hopefully I will win!

Interested in becoming an EA SPORTS Game Changer? Check out http://bit.ly/bdfJEB for more information!