Written by Glenn
| 05 January 2009
The only thing missing from the Madden Challenge Finals Tournament is the betting lines. There’s been many prediction topics on the various Madden forums, as spectators are encouraged to make their pick for who will win the Finals Tournament (and no, there won’t be any first-place splitting here).
There’s a week to go before the 22 finalists head off to Turks and Caicos to play in North America’s toughest tournament series. It’s been a long time since Young Nephew kicked off the season with a dominating performance, arguably the most dominant this season.
A lot has happened since then. A blocked field goal in the finals of a regional, a bevy of Dallas users and two non-Xbox 360 owners winning regionals are just some of the notable events.
I won’t be picking the winner, but I will predict who will make the final four. Yes, the bracket has not been revealed yet; I have heard it might not be released to the public because of the possible lack of Internet at Turks and Caicos.
Problem
The defending champion. His three straight finals appearances are the current best streak among those that are competing in this season’s Finals Tournament. Since he won, he’s answered almost every challenge presented to him. Last season, it was 50-50 in the community when it came to choosing him as the winner. The tide has turned a little bit in favor of Problem, but barely. To those that will play against him, don’t make a mistake, or it’s game over. There’s only been a couple times where I’ve thought last year’s Finals Tournament champion could repeat, and you now have to put Problem on that list.
Young Nephew
For the first time in three seasons, someone else won on Opening Day. That turned out to be Young Nephew, who had perhaps the most dominating circuit run of the 18 live finalists. And once again, he did it with a team not used by the masses (Minnesota this season, Philadelphia last season). His dominance is why I think he’ll make the final four. Whether he wins two more matches past that point remains to be seen. As great as it is that he plays with a lesser-used team, it could also be a crutch as well. Will it be all about Adrian Peterson, or can the wide receiving corps be just as formidable?
Prodigy
Problem and Young Nephew might be easy locks to get to the final four. Beyond that, it is going to be the struggle of all Madden struggles. And it’s Prodigy’s tournament experience that gives him a considerable advantage. He’s played plenty of big matches. He’s defended his turf, and he’s gone to bigger cities and won. This season, he prevailed in New York, considered one of the bigger Madden hubs on the East Coast.
Sirus the Virus
This is my sleeper pick. He’s not in the top eight of E.A. Sports’ power rankings, and there’s no talk in the community of him doing anything when he gets to Turks and Caicos. Understandable, because there are plenty of other players that have gained the spotlight. Many people in the community have probably referenced his interview during last season’s Finals Tournament; he lost in the second round and said he was planning on leaving the tournament scene. So, there’s the question of whether he’s up to it. He came back and won a regional, so it’s obvious that he’s not done yet. And there might be that fire to prove to people he is as dangerous as any of the 21 other contenders.
