So how many of you have bought into the madness? Are you all pressed up against the windows, your breath fogging up the glass, your eyes all sad and puppy dog-like, whimpering for the clock to strike 12 on August 12th? Has the EA Sports marketing hype machine injected that sweet addictive substance straight into your veins, making us a gaggle of itching, drooling junkies hungry for that late-summer fix?

I must confess, I used to be among you. Not an August would pass that I wouldn’t get that tingly sensation in my belly, with my thumbs feeling somehow sad and alone. Even with NCAA Football releasing only a short few weeks prior to Madden, that game usually could not quench my ravenous thirst for football video gaming. Now, however, things have changed.

While Madden’s release used to signal the time for NCAA to begin its somber chore of dust collection, it is now barely a blip on my radar.

Perhaps it is that I have grown older, reaching the creaky age of 27. Perhaps it is that now I live in a quiet apartment, as opposed to a 1,400 square foot ranch filled with liquor-fueled shenanigans on Francis Drive in a certain land of ‘Paign. Perhaps it is that my life is now dominated by a rigorous and stress-filled routine that often exceeds the normal five-day 8 a.m.-5 p.m. time clock, rather than 12-hour-a-week class schedule that includes Fridays and Mondays off. Perhaps it is because, for whatever reason, I now prefer the college game to the NFL. Or finally, it might just be because Madden NFL has lost its luster.

For the past couple of years, I have failed to find that giddy inner child that used to dominate my psyche every second week of August. While Madden’s release used to signal the time for NCAA to begin its somber chore of dust collection, it is now barely a blip on my radar. Don’t get me wrong, I will shuffle into my local Gamestop next week and lay down three Andrew Jacksons for this year’s installment, but I won’t break the sound barrier racing home for a five-hour freak-out session.

Despite my new-found sense of apathy, I cannot ignore Madden 09’s brash boasts of 85 new features, set to right the recent wrongs of next-gen Madden offerings. Are they enough to re-invigorate my since-faded love affair with the NFL’s only video gaming option? Time will tell. Here are some features I find promising, and others that might have the same appeal of tightly-coiled piles my neighbor’s dog leaves on the sidewalk.

Madden NFL 09 isn't out yet and we know there definitely needs to be a roster update upon release.

Money plays have long been the scourge of sports video games, and historically all of our favorites have suffered from this flaw.

If Madden’s new Adaptive AI system is as remarkable as that of its hockey step brother, we might be in for a very big treat. Money plays have long been the scourge of sports video games, and historically all of our favorites have suffered from this flaw. The old NHL games suffered from hyper-effective wrap-arounds and wristers while cutting across the slot. The NFL 2K series failed to address out-routes and sweeps as legitimate offensive threats. And finally, any defense in Madden has failed miserably to stop the roll-out deep corner combo, even in the most recent editions.

Hopefully, Madden 09’s new system will cure this malignant vexation for the football gaming genre, and do so for the foreseeable future. Here’s hoping this system might find its way into NCAA Football 2010 as well.

In the grand scheme of things, this is a minor detail. But for those of us who were part of the last-generation orientation, the re-inclusion of old-school alternate uniforms is something to stand up and applaud.

While the on-field attire is ultimately insignificant when compared to the overall gameplay, the return of past and alternate uniforms is somehow symbolic (at least to me) that EA Sports may be hearing our collective groans about stripped-down next-gen, and have finally decided to appease those who help line its pockets every summer.

Madden NFL 09 will be here next week, but is it a huge event nowadays?

So why the duality when it comes to one of Madden’s biggest features? Online leagues are set to completely overhaul Madden’s tired online experience. The only reason I list online leagues as a negative, is that they are not online franchises.

Although online franchise is the obvious next step, it is unfortunate that it did not make this year’s game. I get that old tingly feeling when I think about importing a draft class from my online dynasty into my online franchise. Sounds wonderful, does it not?

I just find it bothersome that actual dollars were spent in developing something that appeals to a fringe audience before the game was perfected for the core following.

I am from the school of thought, that sports video games were made with the avid sports fan designated as the target market. From Tecmo Bowl to Madden, we have always seen games become more complicated, more realistic, and thus, increasingly satisfying. The Rewind feature in 09 is a step in the wrong direction, robbing the game of its true sense of sports simulation.

Yes, I know all the arguments. You do not have to use it; it won’t be available online; etc, etc. I just find it bothersome that actual dollars were spent in developing something that appeals to a fringe audience before the game was perfected for the core following. Just my opinion.

This really is not the fault of EA Sports' developers, but then again, maybe it is. My expectations have been set so triumphantly low, that even a braggadocios list of 85 new features sounds like a lot of smoke and mirrors. In fact, after scrutinizing the list, it sounds like these “features” should be rightfully named “improvements” or “upgrades.” With as many problems as NCAA 09 experienced, I cannot help but be skeptical about such a vast list of potential tweaks.

Whatever the reason for my dispirited nature, I will still be among the masses trekking to Gamestop to lighten my wallet in honor of the EA Gods next Tuesday. Good or bad, at the very least, Madden 09 will be a temporary diversion from watching Brett Favre updates.