The Big Picture: Maddening

[Tetranitrophenol]

all that anger made my antivirus go highwire!

 

[dex-dex]

Oh I agree completely this this guy is a suck mother fucker and should never play in the NFL again.
When you think about it it is sending a horrible picture to the general public.
I also like the point you make how the NFL players can resemble a prison line up. If you are familiar with the Canadian Football league, on the off seasons, they are doing community service work and being teachers. now I am not saying that all the CFL players are goodie goods but maybe the NFL needs to start patrolling who they allow in.

 

[PurplePlatypus]

Yeah, why would you put that guy on the cover, how did it even get this far? I mean he?s done his time and is free to continue on with his career and stuff, sure, fair enough. I just don?t get why you would want him to represent the game, along with anyone else who?s participated in some rather dreadful crimes. I mean, even someone who had committed a more minor crime and not one of abuse, sure slap them on the cover, go wild.

I just think a company would want to keep a particular image and would not want to be associated with something like that.

 

[arikata]

I agree with you one hundred percent. Yeah Vick served his time, but that doesn't mean we should just forget what he did and honour him. He's a sick fuck who can throw a ball. Why does anyone continue to support him?

I admit to not being a sport fan, and I don't follow Vick so can anyone tell me if he's actually done anything to redeem himself outside of his punishment? I know he does community service, but that's part of his punishment. Has he actually actively tried to better himself? I'm just curious, because in my mind doing your punishment and then just continuing your life with your head down does not equal redemption, that comes from choosing to better yourself and make a change.

 

[Mr. Omega]

A lot of passion in this episode. This is why I respect Moviebob, because while I don't always agree, at least he doesn't half-ass his arguments or opinions.

First:
DLC roster updates would KILL the Madden franchise. Every gamer knows it. And EA knows it too. And they can add new game modes as DLC as well, it's been done in other EA games. This is not a matter of "giving them the most up-to-date" version, or a matter of innovating the Football sim genre, it's a simple fact that a VERY large part of EA's annual business plan revolves around the Madden series, and other sports games to a lesser extent. If they did that, if they effectively killed the series, their bottom line would be hit HARD.

Do I condone it? No. It's exactly what he said it was: The biggest rip-off in the history of the gaming industry. But if I was in charge of EA, I'd at the very least make it a slow change.

Second:
I get that he wants to reform. I get that he wants to turn his life around. But FORGIVING is not the same as FORGETTING. I can forgive him for doing it. Does that mean I can think he deserves everything he got? Sure, he could have gotten out of jail. But to come right back to the NFL, be treated with the acclaim he has gotten, and now is being put on the cover of Madden? Just because you forgive him doesn't mean the things he did just magically go away. And that's the thing: Everyone is pretty much acting like NOTHING EVER HAPPENED.

Edit: Also, I was a little disappointed there wasn't at least ONE joke about the Madden Curse...

 

[MonkeyPunch]

Not sure Bob realises why he's in such a good position to get on the cover.
It's not because he has that many supporters (I'm sure he has many, but that's not it).

It's because it's an internet vote.
Pure and simple.
People love to "troll" and that's all this is.

Teh interwebs. Fin.

 

[ProjectTrinity]

I agree with Bob completely. 100%. If the law/society permitted, he'd be doing the same exact thing. He didn't learn diddily. That's just how humans operate. Jail rarely teaches you morality in a few years, let alone how long he's been in there.

Seriously, guys? NOBODY believes in second chances? I thought that the justice system was designed to rehabilitate people, and Vick seems to be rehabilitated (unlike countless others who have not changed their ways).

Awww....man....

 

[norwegian-guy]

I have to dissagree on some of the charactertraits that Bob is giving intuitive to this guy in this episode (the part where he puts in the "my opinion"-sign. But what I can say this: Someone who lets animals suffer for profit is ethicly bancrupt!

 

[emeraldrafael]

Just move on, cause the more attention you give it, the bigger this gets, and the more it will sell, thus the more incentive for people to buy it.

Yes, I get this is Bob's opinion page, but Bob is often the one who says that protesting or making public opinions are not the way to go about things.

... Besides, you could argue that Vick is long overdo for a cover, with his works in the Falcons.

When did Bob say that?

On the first paragraph (in the quote anyway): I don't see your argument here. The more attention you give it, the more people will know, and hopefully the more people will care. Yes, it may potensially lead to EA selling more copies, but I don't see how that is a very bad thing - it isn't like the money goes to people who themselves torture animals (at least I hope not).

Somwhere. Not in this review, in something else, but I remember him saying it once. Or at least alluding to it. And no. Its like JB. The more you mention his name (even if its filled with hate and vile) you make it all the more popular. You make the person more popular by having their name mentioned, and the people that honestly care about who is one the cover are going to look at Stats, not personal life. now yeah, you'll get all the trolls who will vote and against Vick, as well as the people who think he didnt have a good enough season to warrant a cover shot.

As for selling, they should put Vick there. The people that hate vick for his animal charges either:

a) werent going to buy the game anyway
b) are still going to buy the game if they have an interest in football

Vick is the ultimate underdog (no pun intended) story of the season. He left, went to jail, came back, wanted to play the game, and even set up a charity fund. He had a great season, lead his team to heights that (arguably) you could say they wouldnt have reached. And that was all while he wasnt even supposed to be the number 1. Thats going to sell.


Actually, I'm looking at the voting now, and really besides Rodgers (who had an AMAZING season) theres no one else that really deserves that spot over Vick without some considerable debating. You could say Peterson shouldnt even be on the list after his little remarks. ANd I'm sure other players on that list have done some unsavory things.

 

[John Funk]

I am deeply upset with you bob! As a Carnivore and plant-rights activist I...cant keep this up anymore.

Seriously I couldnt give a damn about pansy assed US rugby-with-pads, or any other sport, but this guy should'nt be touched by any association, it says alot about organistions like the NFL that they'd even let guys like this play for them.

As someone who has played both rugby and futbol americano, I can say with certainty that football is waaaaaaaaay rougher than rugby is. Rugby tackles are like, "grab your jersey and pull you down." Football tackles are "250-lb slab of muscle slamming into your spine at full speed."

Here's a tip: Football players wear those pads because they need them, and that makes the sport rougher.



The more you know! (Twinkle)

On topic: Vick is a scumbag and should never be given any honors ever.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

It's sad that a part of gang culture in America is really into this sort of animal fighting thing.


I bet all those people who support him do so because they are literally in his shoes and wish if they were caught they'd get the same treatment...so much fail.

 

[MBE]

While I can't say I agree with all your opinions a majority of the time, I cannot agree with you more on this issue. Michael Vick is, in my most humble personal opinion, one of the worst human beings in the country. He should be thanking his deity of choice every day that he is allowed to play in the NFL instead of rotting in a prison cell.

While I don't discount that he deserves the "Madden Curse", he does not deserve to be the cover boy of the NFL's official (read: monopoly) game. Based on the actions of EA's management, they seem so scummy (IMHO), you'd think they were hired by Al Davis.

Are there others in the NFL who deserve to rot in a prison cell? Yes. They're called the Oakland Raiders. (Just kidding!)

 

[Shirokurou]

Another oblivious international fan.

Seriously? I guess Bob was low on topics this week.

I mean sure, he was wrong. But "Animal Torture for fun" and "Dog-fights for profit" are two different things in my book. It's like the difference between a guy who beats up people for fun and a thief. He served his time for his crime, so let's not be douches, who discriminate people on the fact that they were in prison, OK.

And really though, this guy getting a cover of a madden game? Don't care.

Also, Bob I know of countries where literal cock-fights are legal, snake-fights are legal.. i guess all those people are OK, cause it's not puppies or we dealing with countries of lowest-grade scum?

 

[WaderiAAA]

Sorry Bob, but I don't agree with a lot of this, there are much worse crimes this man could have done; murder, rape, child abuse etc than simply making dogs fight each other. Sure, it's cruel alright and I wouldn't do it personally, but just as bad things go on in nature every day. Also I didn't like in your video how you dismissed a lot of the oppositions potential arguments without even explaining why you did so. I happen to believe that morals don't apply in the same way to animals as they do to humans, I don't see an issue here.

Perhaps it's time to forgive and forget, he's done his time and if he says he's sorry, then I'll accept that. Anyway, just being on the front of what quite frankly is an unimportant video game cover for just one year is hardly worth being worked up about.

I agree with this. So much.
If you REALLY think that dog abuse is one of the worst crimes a human can commit, you have seriously lost a lot of respect form this rando guy on the Internet. Dogs are NOT paragons of innocence, I have lived my entire lfie with a crushing fear of dogs due to being attacked by one as a child. Dogs have KILLED PEOPLE. And I really hate it when people say it is somehow unforgivable to say 'it's just a dog'.
Yes, dog abuse isn't somehting I would condone - I disagree with dogfighting simply because it increases the amount of truly dangerous dogs in society. But it is Nowhere. Friggin'. Near the worst thing a human can do.

Are you guys serious? We are talking about torture here. Sure the same morals don't imply with humans and animals in many ways, like how it is alright to imprisson an animal and use a chain on it and how you might shoot an animal to put it out of its misary when it is hurt, but this is torture we are talking about. For any creature that feels pain, you should make it suffer as little as possible. Even if you have a good reason to kill an animal, you should still try to do it in the most quick and swift way possible. Torturing animals for entertainment might not be quite as bad as doing the same to humans would be, but it is still dispicable.

 

[arikata]

One of the perks of believing in an afterlife is that murder is meh. Child abuse can make for some very strong people and rape.....so? As long as no STD's were spread and no pregnancy happened rape is almost harmless. Weak people crush under the psychological trauma strong move on.

As for torture, torture is possibly the worst thing you can do to anything. It changes their very core. It forces friends to betray each other, sell out family, and will break any mind. Any person capable of torturing anything can not be rehibilitated. It's a dominate high more addictive than heroin. You love the feeling of having something's life in your hand. Once you cross the line there is no way back, when you see creatures you don't see them, you see victims. Vick is going to lose it one day mark my words.

I...I...I can't form a proper reply to this. The idea that unwanted pregnancy and STDs are the only things to worry about with rape and child abuse frightens me to the core. While I agree with your views on torture you seriously need to think about what you just said. Rape is easily one of the most devastating a person can go through and to just dismiss it as a trauma that will only crush the weak is nothing short of disgusting. It is a form of torture, as is child abuse. The dominate high of a torturer is the same high of any rapist and child abuser. You can not hate one and dismiss the other.

 

[KatanaRose]

Here is the adress to go vote on ESPN
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/feature/madden2012cover

 

[Steve the Pocket]

One of the perks of believing in an afterlife is that murder is meh. Child abuse can make for some very strong people and rape.....so? As long as no STD's were spread and no pregnancy happened rape is almost harmless. Weak people crush under the psychological trauma strong move on.

...

........

I... you... I... wha...

No. Just... no. I... you... NO. Fucking... no. There's just no...

...

OK, I want to be angry. I want ? no, I feel morally obligated to say something, like "I wish I could hate you to death" or even "I wish I could hate you to eternal damnation". But I'm just... stunned. Utterly stunned as to how... how... I don't even have words. Just...

...

........

...I don't want to live in this world anymore.

Oh I agree completely this this guy is a suck mother fucker and should never play in the NFL again.
When you think about it it is sending a horrible picture to the general public.
I also like the point you make how the NFL players can resemble a prison line up. If you are familiar with the Canadian Football league, on the off seasons, they are doing community service work and being teachers. now I am not saying that all the CFL players are goodie goods but maybe the NFL needs to start patrolling who they allow in.

Well, that's Canada for you. Everybody knows Canadians are all goodie-two-shoes...es. ;P

 

[2xDouble]

Eh, weak episode

factory farming is morally on the same plane as dogfighting. if you eat meat, you eat it because you like the taste. any nutrients can be had from other sources for less cost.

Are you seriously saying that killing an animal to eat it is the same as torturing it for amusement? Don't you care about animals?

if you don't enjoy eating animals, there are alternatives, and they're more cost effective too.
greed drives profits from death in any case. I don't know why there's the need to draw a distinction.

So that's a no. The only thing that matters is making money.

 

[Stevanchez]

I don't really care. And honestly, it seems really dumb to "DRAW THE LINE" at a videogame cover.

 

[carnege4]

If he wins the poll in EA site, then let's take the cover and photoshop it and send to Fox News.


"Madden 2012"

"Now with bonus mode where the ball is a dog and other cool extras"