GameSpy writes: "Every year the team at Tiburon is challenged by their EA Sports overlords to do more than simply improve upon the previous year's Madden. They also have to come up with a new gimmick, a new gameplay feature, something that the marketing guys can sink their teeth into, a theme that the new trailers can be based on, and preferably something that their cover athletes are known for.
For example, Shaun Alexander was on the cover of Madden NFL 07, the year that the franchise introduced lead blocker control (in his prime, Shaun ran left behind two of the best in Hutchinson and Jones) and the highlight stick, two features that were meant to vastly improve the fun and quality of the running game."
