It's difficult beyond impossible to keep playing a game well after that sports season is over. Just the other night, I put Madden 15 in the PS4, excited to play it because it hasn't been touched since the Super Bowl.

After three and a half quarters of a 9-minute game, it was turned off.

The struggle is real. By the time hockey and basketball season are over, it'll be the dog days of summer in sports video game land.

But there's hope for Madden. There are ways to defeat the system and make it enjoyable up until August when you're standing in line at midnight waiting to get Madden 16.

Ultimate Team: Has this happened to you, too? Connected Franchise doesn't seem appealing, nor does playing those who like to abuse the game online. Ultimate Team can be a real pain, especially if it's hardly been touched all year. There are people who dedicate their lives to MUT, having cards that seem impossible to grab. Try beating the 99 overall Michael Vick if you have a defense full of 65-rated cards.

After a few games, and hopefully after a few wins, MUT becomes an avenue that is enjoyable. The ability to create your own team comprised any which way you seem fit looks more fun than it did in the beginning of the year. A word of advice to those who are just starting MUT: Don't jump online right away. Play the solo challenges and build your coins/roster that way. If you dive head first into MUT, you might find yourself playing a team comprised of maxed-out legends and lose by 50 points.

Connected Franchise Fantasy Draft: You've spent the majority of this season playing with the default rosters in the game. Tom Brady on the New England Patriots gets tiring and Aaron Rodgers would probably look better wearing a Cleveland Browns jersey.

One of the best things Madden did was bring back the fantasy draft in Connected Franchise. It's a free-for-all the likes of which can't be explained, unless you actually do it.

In the span of 20 minutes, you can turn the Jacksonville Jaguars into a team that has Peyton Manning, Dez Bryant and Rob Gronkwoski. And after you win a Super Bowl with the Jaguars and move them to London, then that defense you created of J.J. Watt, Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis will become the best defense EVER.

For an even better time, gather a ton of friends and turn it into a Madden Fantasy Football party. If enough drinks are consumed before the start of this epic fantasy draft, there's a good chance someone like Derek Carr will be selected with the first overall pick.

The Gauntlet: When in need of killing about 30 minutes of your day, there's nothing like putting yourself to the test against absurd boss battles.

The Gauntlet Mode was probably the most underrated addition to Madden when it launched. It's not a mode that gets talked about a lot, because of the modes that are already in the game. But it's a lot of fun, and can be addicting if you think you can get beyond the first couple of boss battles.

What better way to start your day than running through a ridiculous crowd of blockers, tacklers and media while trying to not get tackled?

It's a very enjoyable mode, and hopefully Madden keeps it in the game next year.

Create Commentaries or Start a Blog: The YouTube community continues to grow with more game commentators. I personally enjoy watching other people's work with games and how they go about it.

If you like that idea, then try it out. Record gameplay footage, commentate over it (play-by-play or just talk about the game) and put it on YouTube for the world to see. Plus, you probably get paid for it by consistently doing it and getting more views, so there's a plus.

And let's face it: We all have those moments where we're tired of hearing Jim Nantz and Phil Simms (especially Phil Simms) commentate during a game. Wouldn't it be cool to just do our own play-by-play and make it sound more exciting?