‘Madden’ Predicts the Rams Will Beat the Pats

As has been done in the past, Electronic Arts did their yearly Super Bowl simulation, trying to predict this year’s winner. This Madden NFL 19 sim had the Rams beating the Patriots by a score of 30 – 27. Historically, the Madden Super Bowl sim has been pretty accurate. Since 2004, the simulation has been correct 10 out of 15 times, not bad for a video game.

While Madden has shown to be accurate in past predictions, I am here to tell you Madden is wrong this year. As much as I would love to see my UGA boy Todd Gurley tear it up this Sunday and hoist that Lombardi trophy, I don’t see it happening. There is one thing that video games cannot replicate – determination and spirit. Tom Brady and the Patriots are determined and motivated like never before. They feel like they are underdogs and that everyone doubts them, and that terrifies me.

The New England Patriots are a lot like the Galactic Empire in Star Wars. Bill Belichick is the evil genius Emperor Palpatine, who plans it all out and runs the show. Tom Brady is Darth Vader, the most feared quarterback in the Galaxy. There seems to be no way to stop him, no matter how hard you try. Imagine the Galactic Empire, then imagine someone doubting how powerful they truly are. That would deeply anger Palpatine and Vader, causing them to unleash their true wrath and powers that no one has had the privilege of seeing yet. The Patriots are no different. They are going to come out with a bang and compete until they fulfill their destiny of being Super Bowl champs yet again.

Sports can be very interesting and inspiring. They can be very dramatic and I think they can be almost viewed like a movie or television show. You root for one team, who you view as the “hero”, and you hate the other team, who you perceive as the “villain”. The games can go back and forth, with each team trading blow for blow in a constant power struggle, until finally the clock stops and ultimately there is one victor left standing in the end. Often, the hero comes out on top, the typical underdog, storybook ending. We as a society like to see that happen, we get sick of seeing the same people and teams succeed over and over again.

We want someone else to get some spotlight. However, I think it is also vital that we appreciate the success of the perennial contenders, the “villains” who are in constant control of the galaxy year after year. We should understand how well of an operation they run, because, after the fall, we may never see anything of that caliber again in our lifetimes. Let’s be honest, taking over the galaxy and retaining that power is challenging. The same goes for running the NFL as the Patriots have done for so long. I want to see the Rams win like most of the United States, but the Patriots may be a villain with too much power for the Rams to overcome.