Following the introduction of Franchise Mode by EA Sports in 1998, the line between football game and football simulation quickly became blurred. Was the object of the game to play consecutive seasons and see how successful the individual, as a player, could be? Or was the object to simulate the games themselves in order to see how effective the individual could be at performing the tasks of a general manager?

This article aims to shed light on the forgotten foundation of the Madden Franchise Mode -- playing the game -- by supporting a fresh take on this constantly evolving feature. Read on to gain insight and tips into building your own successful expansion franchise.

The line between player/coach and general manager continues to be blurred in the present day with users now having control over scouting, the salary cap, and even how much money to extort from their loyal virtual fan base for a lukewarm hot dog. Recently it seems the Franchise Mode has been built for those who wish to try their hand at managing a football team rather than playing as the football team.  

The first step when creating your own expansion franchise is creating the team itself. Through the “Create-A-Team” feature in Madden NFL 08, you truly can create your team from the ground up. You give your team a name, build its stadium, and even detail the jerseys the players will be wearing come game day.

While this gives you a great level of control over your team, it is also largely cosmetic so I will not delve too deeply into it. I will simply say that after about ten minutes of messing around with jersey colors and stadium layouts, my Harrisburg Hawks -- with their open-ended stadium and pea-green jerseys -- were gaining an identity.

With the team itself created, the goal now becomes acquiring players willing to take the field in Gov. Edward G. Rendell’s capital, and this is where the fun begins. Anyone could go ahead and pack their team full of stars, and sure, the temptation is there. After all, who wouldn’t want to see Peyton Manning tossing the ball around at will to Antonio Gates, Marvin Harrison, Steve Smith, and Chad Johnson while handing off to LaDainian Tomlinson in the backfield? That would be a definitive nightmare for defensive coordinators. The defense?  Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, Champ Bailey, Brian Urlacher, and Shawne Merriman aren’t going to allow too many touchdowns, but wouldn’t that kind of dominance get old rather quickly?

Of course it would, and that type of dominance just doesn’t happen in the NFL; especially, when the team is an expansion team in its first season. These expansion teams generally have 53 man rosters filled with youthful potential and mediocre veteran talent. But once again, who wants to play with a team whose star contributors are players like Jonathan Wells and Billy Miller, right Texans fans?

Therefore, a balance needs to be found in between stacking a team and playing entirely with young or flat-out bad players. Thankfully this balance can be strategically reached by starting a new franchise with your created team, while turning the option to have a fantasy draft on. In order to load your created team, however, you will unfortunately have to replace a current NFL team. I suggest replacing whichever team holds the least significance to you. I replaced the Arizona Cardinals because, well, when is the last time anything good happened in Arizona? They don’t deserve a franchise. Sorry Cards fans.

Now we must establish a few ground rules. First, don’t make Hall of Fame players available in the fantasy draft. It will make your job in creating a stellar team way too easy, as well as present the near-impossible task of stopping Barry Sanders from running freely through the league again. Second, and this is the number one key that strikes that balance between having average-to-good players while maintaining the fun in playing the games: all the players you select must be no older than 24! 

By taking this course of action, your team will have strengths and weaknesses but, given the age of your players, your team will also gradually improve so long as you play the game the right way. Again, I must stress that this is not an endeavor for those who enjoy simulating season after season, but rather a realistically challenging endeavor for those who enjoy playing the game. This foray into a new, relatively unexplored realm will most likely leave your team painfully average at almost every position, forcing you to choose your plays judiciously and have patience in your execution.

If I could offer any tips for a successful fantasy draft as you dive into the fountain of youth in the NFL, it would be, first and foremost, to keep an eye on what the competition is doing. You may see a big-ticket wide receiver you’d love to select, but if it's quarterbacks that are being picked up in rapid succession, that may be an ill-advised move.

Be aware that there are certain positions where skilled, youthful players are difficult to come by. At the center position, for example, Nick Mangold can adequately block along any offensive line, but the options behind him represent steep drop-offs in skill. 

Also realize that there are players who may be listed at a certain position but could very easily prove to be useful at others -- should you choose to change their role once drafted. For example, Haloti Ngata may be an effective defensive end in a 3-4 defense, but in a 4-3 he can also be a stellar DT. 

Lastly, enclosed hereafter to help you draft your star players is my ranking of the top five athletes under the age of 24 at each position, followed by the depth chart of the Harrisburg Hawks so that you may measure your draft up against that of yours truly. I wish you the best of luck in creating your own expansion franchise and hope that, in following the now ancient practice of actually playing franchise games instead of simulating them, success will find you sooner than it has found the Houston Texans.