Written by Glenn | 28 January 2011

Madden Bowl XVII, the major Madden tournament featuring NFL players, is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. Thursday in Dallas. The tournament will be streamed on ESPN's online network, ESPN3.com.

In past years, it was a one-on-one single elimination tournament. Dwight Freeney defeated Patrick Willis in last year's tilt. This year, it will be teams of three going against each other.

Here's more from ESPN:

For those unfamiliar with the event, the tournament pits the best gamers the NFL has to offer in a tournament to crown the best "Madden" pro around. Past winners include Dwight Freeney, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Antonio Bryant to name a few.

The teams will be, according to EA Sports:

• Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Chase Daniel
• Maurice Jones-Drew, Kirk Morrison, Marcedes Lewis
• Miles Austin, Jason Whitten, DeMarcus Ware
• Patrick Willis, Dwight Freeney, Willis McGahee