Super Bowl XLIV is upon us and from the number of players and number of commercials that didn't make the game to NFC Champs and AFC Champs that did, the wait for the big dance is all but over.  The streets of Miami are hotter than ever and the excitement of Super Bowl has been fever pitch since the start of the Pro Bowl this past weekend.

EA SPORTS kept the ball rolling last night with Madden Bowl XVI as pros hit the sticks for a lot more than just bragging rights.  The winner of this year's Madden Bowl received the pretty swank diamond encrusted XBOX 360 seen here.  With the likes of Chris Johnson, Jared Allen, Maurice Jones Drew, Santonio Holmes, Miles Austin, Patrick Willis and others, there was no shortage of trash-talk going down during the First Round match-ups.

In the Championship Final, it was MJD versus Patrick Willis for all the marbles and ultimate bragging rights.  After going up 10-0 at the half, the Jags RB slowed the game down on the ground eventually tagging on another FG to take a 13-0 lead.  The 49ers LB was only able to muster a FG down the stretch as MJD would watch the clock wind down and take this year's Madden Bowl bling presented by EA SPORTS President Peter Moore. 

With one trophy presented, the focus now heads to Super Bowl Sunday and with predictions coming from all angles.  One of the most solid predictions over the past few years has been the Madden NFL sims that have called many a winner when it comes to the Big Dance.  You may have already seen the sim, though you may not have caught the complete inside look with game producer predictions and Kammi's #1 Madden NFL 10 Play of the Year in the Madden NFL 10 Super Bowl XLIV Extravaganza!  Make sure you check it out for a much deeper look into the musings of the EA SPORTS Live team!

Now if Drew Brees can work his magic this Sunday and help make the sim come true, he'll definitely better his chances of becoming next year's Madden NFL 11 cover athlete.  For the first time ever, in partnership with Doritos, in the Change the Game promo fans can now vote for either Brees, Reggie Wayne, or Jared Allen to appear in the next iteration of Madden NFL.  Check out the player highlights and cast your vote now at http://doritoschangethegame.com

Personally, I'm picking the Colts to win as I just don't see Peyton making many mistakes and I have a feeling that the Colts d will be able to contain Bush and the Saints' running game.  Will they be able to stop Brees' arm and Marques Colston magic?  I'm hoping so, just as I'm hoping to see mon bon ami Garcon have another big start as well.  Enjoy the game this weekend everyone! 

Who's your pick to win?

Hey everybody -

I'm Josh Looman, the lead designer of Madden Ultimate Team.

I wanted to thank all of you for the overwhelming response to Madden Ultimate Team and let you know about a special promotion we're starting tomorrow morning (Friday, Feb. 5^th).

We'll be releasing a new group of cards tomorrow morning as an insert set. That means that the cards will be available in gold and platinum packs only and they will be available for a limited time. These particular cards have not been available in the game at any point up to now and you won't be able to buy them in Weekly Deals. You can only find them in packs. Once we remove them from the packs, you will not be able to find them again.

We'll be releasing more sets in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for new cards in the future.

This first batch is Set #1 and it features ten unique cards. The cards contain new images for every player, some of them from Sunday's Pro Bowl. All of the cards are Legendary tier cards.

Here's a list of the cards that will be available in packs starting tomorrow morning...

Set #1, Card #1

2010 Pro Bowl Josh Cribbs, Cleveland Browns

Cribbs is one of the NFL's most dynamic players. He is a Pro Bowl kick returner, a great runner out of the wildcat formation, a starting receiver and a former college QB. We set him up as a HB in this card because of his success in the Wildcat. Use him at multiple positions on your team to see where he fits best. This legendary card honors his 2010 Pro Bowl selection.

Set #1, Card #2

2009 All-Pro Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts

Clark is a wide receiver in a TE's body and he's one of the Colts most dangerous weapons. This legendary card honors his All-Pro 2009 season.

Set #1, Card #3

2010 Pro Bowl Elvis Dumervil, Denver Broncos

Dumervil is a beast of a rush linebacker. He led the NFL and set the Broncos single season record with 17 sacks. You can line him up at OLB or DE in Madden and receive an instant pass rush upgrade. This legendary card honors his 2010 Pro Bowl selection.

Set #1, Card #4

2005 Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch

Branch had a fantastic game in Super Bowl XXXIX, winning the MVP trophy after grabbing eleven receptions and beating the Eagles 24-21. This legendary card honors his MVP award.

Set #1, Card #5

2009 All-Pro Jahri Evans, New Orleans Saints

Evans is one of the best interior linemen in the NFL, tasked with the responsibility of keeping Drew Brees on his feet and keeping the running game going. This legendary card honors his All-Pro season in 2009.

Set #1, Card #6

2010 Pro Bowl Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos

Marshall is one of the top 5 receivers in the NFL, as evidenced by his NFL record 21 receptions against the Colts in Week 14. This legendary card honors his Pro Bowl selection.

Set #1, Card #7

2010 Pro Bowl Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Johnson is obviously one of the most electric players in the NFL this season, breaking the 2000 yard barrier. This legendary card honors his Pro Bowl selection.

Set #1, Card #8

1994 Junior Seau, San Diego Chargers

Seau is one of the best linebackers in NFL history and his 1994 season was a great one. He finished that year with 155 tackles, a career high. This legendary card honors his amazing season in 1994.

Set #1, Card #9

2010 Pro Bowl Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers

Jackson had a fantastic 2009 season, emerging as the clear #1 target for Phillip Rivers and he topped it all off with 7 catches for 122 yards in the Pro Bowl last Sunday. This legendary card honors his Pro Bowl selection.

Set #1, Card # 10

2010 All-Pro Ryan Clady, Denver Broncos

Clady has emerged as one of the best left tackles in the NFL. This legendary card honors his 2009 All-Pro season.

Well, that's the list of of cards. Remember, you can only get these cards in gold and platinum packs for a limited time starting Friday morning.

I'll be back next week with an update on when Set #2 will be released.

If you have any general Madden Ultimate Team questions, head over to the new Madden Ultimate team forum where I'll be answering your questions and interacting with other members of the community.

Check out my recent interoffice Madden Arcade matchup with Andrew Johnson of the EA SPORTS Live team. In this matchup, Andrew took the Baltimore Ravens and their shutdown D. I decided to run with the Tennessee Titans to test the speed of Vince Young and Chris Johnson in the game. Here's what happened: (FYI, there is no audio in the video)

For more information on Madden Arcade, head over to http://maddennfl.easports.com/arcade.action

EA SPORTS Replay is a simple video tool that allows you to take the in-game video clips you have uploaded to EA SPORTS.com and create your very own Video-of-the-Day-style highlights package. All you need to do is register, log in and access your videos.

Over the past few weeks, we have overhauled, revamped and rebranded the tool so it now includes:

- Official EA SPORTS graphics
- Easy-to-use video transitions
- Stylish new video effects
- A choice of music beds to accompany your edits

Check out a great example of the kind of highlights package you can make.  This Madden NFL 10 themed EA SPORTS Replay reel was sent to us by Sixty9erStein24

Think you can make one that's just as good?  Post a link in the comments to your EA SPORTS Replays using any EA SPORTS title.  If you've got a great highlight package, we might feature it here on the blog or as one of our EA SPORTS Replay VIPs.