If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's to never question the outcome of an EA Sports simulation, particularly one that happens in the Madden NFL video game.Why? Because computers, folks, are smarter than we are. How else do you think Alec Baldwin and Hulu are taking over the world? Seriously, though, when you see the results of EA's simulation of the Super Bowl, you're going to be straight up impressed at how close real and fake life coexist. Or something like that.
| Outcome | Madden Sim | Real Result |
| Halftime Score | Steelers 21-7 | Steelers 17-7 |
| Final Score | Steelers 28-24 | Steelers 27-23 |
| Roethlisberger Stats | 21/28, 238 yards | 21/30, 256 yards |
| Warner Stats | 27/38, 275 yards | 31/43, 377 yards |
| S. Holmes Stats | 8 catches, 131 yds | 9 catches, 131 yds |
| Fitzgerald Stats | 9 catches, 105 yds | 7 catches, 127 yds |
Now, sure, you could probably scream, "SAMPLE SIZE!" at me all day, but those are six pretty huge factors, folks. And maybe the game didn't go down exactly as the sim predicted (it inexplicably called for an Edgerrin James touchdown) but the result was the same.
All of that that tells me that Madden's claim as "the most authentic and adaptable game in sports video game history" is a pretty accurate one. Although it's worth noting that the particular stra-teg-eries employed in the sim were pretty different from the actual game: Clearly, the roster makeup of each team and the season-long successes they both had influenced Sunday's game, but anyone who thought Edge was going to run over the Steelers was probably reaching a bit.
Yet that didn't stop anyone at my party from not betting on the Cards to score a rushing touchdown. Sigh. So ultimately, it's not like listening to the Madden Sim could have hurt us; it's pretty tough to do worse than 0-for-12.
Did You See That?
Rich Frankliln with an eye patch over his right eye after UFC 93.
Rich Franklin/American Fighter
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Rich Franklin/American Fighter
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Russia's Lubov Iliushechkina and Nodari Maisuradze perform their pairs short program at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, on January 20, 2009, during the European Figure Skating Championships.
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Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald (11) reaches the ball over the goal line for a touchdown as Carolina Panthers' Chris Harris (43) defends during the second quarter of an NFL divisional playoff football game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009.
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Pilots make an exhibition of Motocross Free Style in Rio Hato, some 120 km north of Panama City, on January 11, 2009. Motocross free style world champion, US Travis Pastrana, also participated in the show.
Elmer Martinez, AFP/Getty Images
San Jose Sharks forward Mike Grier hits the boards after he scored a goal during the second period of their NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames in Calgary, Alberta, January 6, 2009.
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