Some memories are the best memories

Good bye my friend...

The internet is about cats

I also get the feeling when I lay on the floor, that the cat is planning to rip my throat out.

NFL draft 2010 revision

Unless there are any trades leading up to the draft, this is my last revision. I tried to predict trades, but as I went through, I didn't see where any team was so in love with a player that they would jump up and grab that player, but that could be related to fact that my news for football is sparse without ESPN or FoxSports. Instead, I make mention of teams looking to move up or down, but I think I am more likely looking at the position that the players will go.

.	1. STL	Sam Bradford	There seems to be a number of teams that are targeting Sam Bradford, but that will likely to fall to the number 1 overall slot. Cleveland would be the only team willing to make the jump to this pick, but historically Holmgren brings in his quarterbacks, instead of drafting them.
.	2. DET	Ndamukong Suh	Suh is the best DT in the draft. Partly I would love to see this pick take place because it makes the Lions a better team, but I would like to see them try to move down if someone becomes enamoured with Jimmy "Pickles" Clausen.
.	3. TB	Gerald McCoy	As with all the top picks, there is a gigantic please trade me sign on them. Unfortunately the top few picks are really a poison on a team where it is not a perennial pro-bowler. I am sure the Bucs would like to trade down to take one of the many defensive linemen that are available and grab a few more picks. But barring that, they will grab some defensive help with McCoy.
.	4. WAS	Russell Okung	There is an obvious void in the offensive line position in Washington and they are going to want to protect their new acquisition. Historically, Shanahan rarely picks a tackle in the draft, but when he does he spends a fairly high pick on him.
.	5. KC	Dez Bryant	If a trade happens early, it will likely be here. KC could use receiver help (Bowe and Chambers haven't helped much) but could also use some help on their linebacker corps. This will likely be made by one teams draft darling or a specific need where there is a high degree of separation between the top player and the next players. But I cannot find the player that will drive a team to move up.
.	6. SEA	Derrick Morgan	With the loss of Patrick Kerney, the Seahawks are in desparate need to upgrade their DE position. This was a need even before losing Kerney.
.	7. CLE	Joe Haden	Sheldon Brown moves from CB to safety to replace Pool. This opens up a hole at CB.
.	8. OAK	Dan Williams	My first thought about what the Raiders would do in this draft would be to pick Tim Tebow given his traits around winning the game. It seemed in character for the Raiders. However I took a more serious look at needs (which QB is definitely on the list), but feel they would like to replace some of the older DT's they have had over the last few years.
.	9. BUF	Trent Williams	Here is a team in shambles. They need a gigantic DT to support the switch to 3-4 but it is too early to go for any of the sizable guys. I also don't think they have given up on their cadre of quarterbacks, and will got deeper again to pick a QB in the 2nd or 3rd round. Instead they are going to shore up they O line which has suffered by grabbing an OT.
.	10. JAX	Rolando McClain	Jacksonville needs help pretty much at every position on defense. Whether for depth or to get a start that can disrupt their opponents. Rolando McClain would be able to help immediately at the MLB position.
.	11. DEN	Jason Pierre-Paul	No Dez? No problem, Denver will go the same route that the Patriots have gone in years past and build a strong core on defense.
.	12. MIA	Eric Berry	Parcells is pretty tired of being burned deep and will attempt to address this with a fast, mobile safety. Pass rush is another need and they could go with Sergio Kindle or Brandon Graham here.
.	13. SF	Bryan Bulaga	Strengthen the o-line or find some depth at cornerback to aid the old guys sitting out back. I think SF will spend the money on o-line which is generally a safer bet and tackle the secondary later with multiple picks.
.	14. SEA	C.J. Spiller	Fast and shifty seems to fit the Pete Carroll mold of running backs.
.	15. NYG	Carlos Dunlap	6'6" and 277 could be a good fit to upgrade the d-line. He has the frame that he could add the additional weight and slide inside or try to stay outside if he can get good burst and low push.
.	16. TEN	Brandon Graham	Tennessee's biggest needs that warrant this high of a pick is either LB or DE. There is some talk of getting a blocking tight end, but it is way too early for that.
.	17. SF	Kyle Wilson	With Kyle Wilson still on the board, the 49ers will select this CB to help with their aging secondary.
.	18. PIT	Sergio Kindle	Pittsburgh could take a WR to help bolster the team, but with the work of Mike Wallace, they will hold off and see if they can get another good one later. Instead they will focus on o-line and defense. Namely Sergio Kindle to help bolster the OLB position.
.	19. ATL	Brandon Spikes	Atlanta will pick this 240lb LB to help with run defense.
.	20. HOU	Earl Thomas	While Houston loves to draft RB, they will do so later in the draft while managing to grab a player who could help at CB or move to S in case of injuries.

.	21. CIN	Jimmy Clausen	One of the few teams where I disagree with the other draftniks for team needs. Did anyone else watch their offense play last year? Palmer has looked shaky and teams are disrupting him easily. Looking at their backups, I think they will take Clausen to put some pressure on Palmer and maybe take his job.
.	22. NE	Jared Odrick	New England loves to trade. I could also see them dealing themselves right out of the first round. I think they see that there are quite a few DT, or LB opportunities in the early second. I don't see them trading with anyone else at the end of this round and they expect to see them in the playoffs. Would love to see Lions moves here to grab Iupati
.	23. GB	Mike Iupati	I don't think Rodgers is as durable as Favre, and hopefully they will look to protect him instead of grabbing another CB which they could use to groom.
.	24. PHI	Jahvid Best	Brian Westbrook part two. They have some other needs but look for Andy Reid to give his new quarterback some extra west coast style firepower.
.	25. BAL	Jermaine Gresham	Adding this big TE could help shift their offensive run calls.
.	26. ARI	Sean Weatherspoon	Paris Lenon is our starting LB? Oh noes.
.	27. DAL	Anthony Davis	Flozell is out and they need someone to compete at LT.
.	28. SD	Terrence Cody	This is a team I could see moving up to Terrence Cody is they get nervous. They deeply need a big body NT and Cody is the best fit for that in the draft. They could even get nervous enough when Buffalo is on the clock.
.	29. NYJ	Everson Griffen	Additional offensive weapons? Check. Defense is solid? Check. Let's just add more of a pass rush.
.	30. MIN	Devin McCourty	Injuries from the previous season will force Minnesota's hand to pick a CB. They would be willing to move in order to find the CB that tickles their fancy.
.	31. IND	Kareem Jackson	Indianapolis needs cornerbacks since they seem to change them like people change their underwear.
.	32. NO	Ryan Matthews	Replacing Mike Bell with another running back seems to be the best fit at this pick.

Some noticeable absences on my most recent revision that I think will still go in the first round or be highly coveted going into round two...

1. Demaryius Thomas
2. Maurkice Pouncey
3. Brian Price
4. Roger Saffold
5. Taylor Mays

NFL draft

I am currently working on my final set of picks, but I thought I would post my first drafts up...

.		4/11/2010		4/13/2010
.	1. STL	Sam Bradford	1. STL	Sam Bradford
.	2. DET	Ndamukong Suh	2. DET	Ndamukong Suh
.	3. TB	Gerald McCoy	3. TB	Gerald McCoy
.	4. WAS	Russell Okung	4. WAS	Russell Okung
.	5. KC	Rolando McClain	5. KC	Rolando McClain
.	6. SEA	Bryan Bulaga	6. SEA	Derrick Morgan
.	7. CLE	Joe Haden	7. CLE	Joe Haden
.	8. OAK	Tim Tebow	8. OAK	Dan Williams
.	9. BUF	Trent Williams	9. BUF	Trent Williams
.	10. JAX	Eric Berry	10. JAX	Eric Berry
.	11. DEN	Derrick Morgan	11. DEN	Dez Bryant
.	12. MIA	Dan Williams	12. MIA	Earl Thomas
.	13. SF	Bruce Campbell	13. SF	Bryan Bulaga
.	14. SEA	C.J. Spiller	14. SEA	C.J. Spiller
.	15. NYG	Jason Pierre-Paul	15. NYG	Jason Pierre-Paul
.	16. TEN	Earl Thomas	16. TEN	Jermaine Gresham
.	17. SF	Kyle Wilson	17. SF	Kyle Wilson
.	18. PIT	Anthony Davis	18. PIT	Demaryius Thomas
.	19. ATL	Sergio Kindle	19. ATL	Sergio Kindle

.	20. HOU	Ryan Matthews	20. HOU	Ryan Matthews
.	21. CIN	Taylor Mays	21. CIN	Jimmy Clausen
.	22. NE	Brandon Graham	22. NE	Brandon Graham
.	23. GB	Mike Iupati	23. GB	Mike Iupati
.	24. PHI	Maurkice Pouncey	24. PHI	Maurkice Pouncey
.	25. BAL	Jared Odrick	25. BAL	Jared Odrick
.	26. ARI	Jimmy Clausen	26. ARI	Brian Price
.	27. DAL	Roger Saffold	27. DAL	Anthony Davis
.	28. SD	Terrence Cody	28. SD	Terrence Cody
.	29. NYJ	Brian Price	29. NYJ	Everson Griffen
.	30. MIN	Devin McCourty	30. MIN	Devin McCourty
.	31. IND	Everson Griffen	31. IND	Roger Saffold
.	32. NO	Sean Weatherspoon	32. NO	Taylor Mays

February update

Well not much new to report from the Pacific Northwest. I continue to enjoy my job most of the time and Miranda is getting bigger while still maintaining her stubborn nature about using the potty. Michelle continues to be involved in the preschool. We have had a couple of firsts lately for Miranda such as roasting marshmallows and making s'mores. She really liked it but was also pretty afraid of the fire (which keeps me pretty happy). Also Miranda has been eating more and more different foods, even liking sushi.

I have gotten some reading and gaming done during the last few months. Really enjoyed Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. It was good to read a classic and also remember some scenes from Bladerunner. Also read Monday Night Jihad, which I really can't recommend to anyone. The writing and character building felt a bit juvenile. Just didn't grab me. Also read Super Freakonomics which is more of what the first one was.

At this point, really don't know what our upcoming plans will be. Probably won't really have plans and just play things by ear.

Merry Christmas

I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas. I know I did, even though this is definitely the time of the year that I miss family and friends back in Michigan the most. We spent the day quietly at home while Miranda played with her new Barbies and magnetic "paper" dolls. There was plenty of time spent on the phone with family and it sounds like all are doing well.

This year for Christmas, our dinner and meals went a little astray. Breakfast was french toast in pear sauce with venison sausage. Lunch/Dinner was ham, spinach dip, bread, and carrots. That didn't come off so well. The spinach dip was off. The ham was ok. But Miranda ate well minus not wanting french toast. Sometimes I wonder about what she likes to eat. She is really a carnivore.

Before too much longer, we will be starting 2010. I always wonder what changes there will be in this new year. I know some of my friends will be facing their own changes as some expect children and others continue their education. Some will be focusing on new jobs and others will be getting into their stride in their current jobs.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope that everyone is have a fun and safe Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Review: The Last Remnant

Non-game related... LIONS WIN. Wasn't pretty, but really I don't care when a win is a win.



Recently finished playing The Last Remnant and I was impressed by the game. The game is classified as a JRPG. You take on the role of Rush, who seems to fill a typical lead character: young, male, not bright, impetuous, and brave. It starts with Rush's sister getting kidnapped and he must now head out to rescue her and happens into a battlefield. You meet up with a group of individuals that pull you into much bigger problems happening in the world.

The characters are interesting. The story is interesting. The battle system is also interesting.

The characters range through a bunch of types. The game takes time to setup up side quests for a large number of unique leaders. These side quests are used to tell the individual stories. One of the stories I enjoyed was that of Loki. Loki's story is that of a despicable bandit who is offering his services to bid. But once you have put him into your squad you get a chance to talk to him and find that he was born under a bad sign and the whole village treated him as a bad egg. Over time he engaged in more and more atrocities, until he happens upon a blind girl who he decides to help when she blindly offers friendship. He is now on a mission to correct her eyesight which he needs your help to do so.

The story starts simply, but expands. The world is filled with these items called Remnants that are able to do incredible and magical things. Remnants seem to be a combination of magic and futuristic items. So there is this guy called The Conqueror who is forcibly gathering Remnants in his bid to join the political congress. But things are not always as they seem. Rush's family is special as is Rush himself. What bothered me but also intrigued me was how you were kept guessing as to what was going on in the world. There was just a lot of mystery.

The battle system is pretty different for me. Instead of running 3 to 5 single players, you end up controlling between 3 to 5 groups of individuals. These unions each have a formation, one or more leaders, and soldiers. The leaders and soldiers each have individual skills and abilities, but in the union their health and ability points are pooled and they act in concert. It can get pretty frustrating at time as you don't tell them what to do specifically, but instead give them very general commands as to what you want them to do, not helpful when the group is in dire need of health and that is not an option. You get up to 5 options which can feel pretty random.

One beef with the game is you really feel like you don't have any control of how your characters progress. I think this leads to your characters being week on the first playthrough. Given my limited time to play games being a father and all, I turned to the Last Remnant wikia to help make the most of my character ability progression. The other beef I have is with the amount and length of load times. I spent around 150+ hours on the game over the last 9 months and probably have a couple of hours (or 10s of hours) waiting for the load screens.

Otherwise, I am impressed.

Lions are the worst team in the NFL

I thought we might be getting better. I was wrong. We are the worst. Not a good feeling as a fan.

Book Review: Glasshouse

Glasshouse by Charles Stross tells the story of Robin/Reeve in a world where intelligent beings have reached a point that traveling through space is as simple as sending packets across a router. You can live forever, but there are still hazards that could kill you or worse, steal your identity. Robin has recently gone through a procedure to remove large segments of his memory. This is a pretty common procedure for people. Robin believes he has specific horrible events that he needs to remove either from recent virus wars or some other traumatic feature. As part of his recovery, he has decided to enter an experiment that should help him find new focus and life. Instead he finds himself in a prison run by the things he is trying to forget.

I have found this sequel to Accelerando to be a good read. Mr. Stross has taken basic networking concepts and applied them to the life and movement of humans in the future. When you can take a backup of who you are now, you definitely would live your life differently. In addition, the problems you face are drastically different when you start learning of viruses and firewalls. He takes the idea of hacking to body types, memories, behavioral reward systems, and transport worm holes.

Football season blues

Week 6. The point in the season that marks the last trades that can occur for the year. Their have been a couple big trades in the first 6 weeks. I am not sure if we will see one more as the deadline is Tuesday. A number of the analysts have put together their lists of players that could use a change in scenery or teams that should do what it takes to put talent in place to make a run at the playoffs. There is nothing the Lions can or should do. To many missing pieces and all they can trade is draft picks. And because of the needs, the draft picks are could be useful to the Lions, unless you can grab a real winner in a trade.

So the Lions lost today. They did get a win a few weeks ago so that I would buy my Lions hat. But this loss was particularly painful. They were shut out in a divisional contest and continue to allow opposing quarterbacks some franchise best days. Even with the porous Green Bay offensive line and the plethora of penalties, the Lions couldn't even score a point. I like the calls to not go for 3 and head for a touchdown. In the situations they were in, they correctly decided to try. Although I really question a sweep on one short yardage situation instead of running a dive or qb sneak.

I really like my football Sundays but I do have somethings that annoy me. First off, why are their still blackout rules? Not just economic reasons, you would think that it would help the NFL and the broadcasters to be able to run multiple games at the same time. Second, why is overtime they way it is? Why not just play 1 more quarter? Or do away with it, and deal with the tie. I have probably griped about these already, but they just continue to be an irritation along with rookie pay, collective bargaining agreements, and other issues that could risk alienating the market. If we see a lockout or strike next year, it would severely dampening my enthusiasm for the sport, and that has me most worried.

Life happens

Well, let's see if I can summarize some of what has happened. Ben and I headed to PAX a few weeks ago. Wow, it was fun. I was impressed by how the Washington State Convention Center was able to handle the amount people there. Lots of stuff looked really impressive, some you expect (stuff from Blizzard) and some that was a surprise to me (Torchlight Games). We went all three days which is a first for me. We went to see Bill Amend's talk, Wil Wheaton's talk, also a talk on game design strategy and failure in games as part of design. Otherwise we spent some time in the table top area playing board and card games. Got to hang out with Eonflare as well. As for concerts, we stuck around till JoCo played on Saturday night and that was a lot of fun.

Then I spent a week sick. Very, very sick. But I was able to effectively quarantine myself as the rest of house was able to stay healthy.

This weekend finds me home with Miranda while Michelle is at a knitting retreat. We have done some coloring, reading, running around, legos, dancing, and movies. She seems to be bearing up well with mom being away.

Oh yeah. The Lions decided to end a 19 game losing streak avoiding the record. They seemed to want to give it away, but held on to find new life and new opportunity. WOOT!

Lions' bets

Still sick. Not H1Nerd1 from PAX. Just the plain old flu.


If the Lions post double digit wins, I will buy a Authentic Jersey with the team MVP.

If the Lions avoid the record consecutive losses, I will buy a Lion's hat.



This year I am trying to avoid the negative bet that I made last year, so this is my way of trying to keep it positive.

Passing on the affliction?

So far I have finished two fantasy drafts for fantasy football season. I am sure all of us feel that we could put together a team that would be successful, but that isn't really why I play. I play because for many years now, I needed something else to help Sunday be fun again while Detroit was trying to figure out that Matt Millen was not the right solution for creating a winning season. It gave me people to watch and celebrate when they did something successful, which was really in short supply with the Lions.

Now I am faced with a dilemma. I can pass on this unhealthy love of a bumbling team to my daughter or let her go down a different path. Michelle's family is generally a Green Bay family, so that is one option. Another is the Seattle Seahawks. I am not a particular fan of either. And how do you influence the team they adopt? Is it peer pressure? Is it watching a parent cry in their hands when there team suffers a crushing defeat? Maybe I really don't have a say in the matter.

That said, I do have a group of players I can cheer for. I have a couple leagues, one standard yahoo public league (Adrian Peterson, Steve Smith/Car, etc) and then my custom league. This is the first year that I have tried the individual defensive players instead of the team defenses. I ended up picking up my defensive players starting in the 6th round. I might have been able to hold off longer, but I had some defensive players that I definitely wanted on my squad. The worst part of it was 4 of the 10 teams were unable to show and Yahoo does a poor job of ranking defensive players. It should be simple to apply league scoring rules and show the number of points a player racked up last year. Rank on that and you at least have a good idea of where that player should go.

It should be fun this year. Lots of new things to try and lots of teams to keep an eye on during the season.

This years Lions prediction: 4 - 12. Also I predict that they set record for consecutive losses (even though they are really only 3 away...).

Book Reviews: Charles Stross

Recently finished a bunch of books between illness and vacation.



Halting State was a tremendously fun book. The book is about a couple of geeks. One is a computer geek, one is an accounting geek, but both enjoy games and other forms of geeky entertainment. The story starts when an online bank in MMORPG bank is robbed. A jumpy marketing executive gets the police involved and suddenly you have the risk of currency collapse in this world. It only gets worse when at the root of the problem, this type of robbery should be impossible and that the fact it has occurred has very real implications to all things networked which in the near future work is everything.

I found the characters to be fun, interesting and engaging. The world itself is a delight with its blending on online and offline elements. It is not as ground breaking as Snow Crash or Neuromancer but takes those same rough concepts and updates them with the most recent state of the art and extrapolates it. The story has a few good twists in it and carries quickly through from scene to scene, rarely feeling like it is dragging. The story is told through a couple points of view which can be a bit disjointing but is fun. For me, I had to just get through the police officer scenes which were not as interesting to me, but they were not bad either.

In terms of Charles' other books, this has more the feel of the occult-geek books but with a science fiction settings. You have a spy versus spy story with plenty of action similar to Jennifer Morgue and Atrocity Archives, but without the Elder Gods.



Singularity Sky is set in the far future world where humanity has been spread through the universe but not as you would expect. The universe is policed by the Eschaton to keep causality events from occurring. And some of those far flung pockets of humanity are pretty dumb.

Enter into this an engineer for hire who specializes in singularity drives (mini black holes that are spun for energy and propulsion) and a special operative who specializes in diffusing situations where governments are tempted to use those banned causality violating events. A minor backwater world is "invaded" by The Festival, a group of AIs that rain down factories and gifts in exchange for information. This backwater world is controlled by a regional galaxy government that is focused on restricting information and controlling the population. The government decides to take their world back by sending a armada far into the future and then back again in an effort to sneak past the Eschaton's monitoring.

The books set in this universe are a bit harder to read. They are set in a far different world and a lot of time is spent describing it. The story feels choppy and will burst forward with lots of stuff happen and then halt to describe an aspect of the world. The story when it is moving is interesting but that when it stops it just is painful. The characters are fun and interesting as well as some of the science aspects.



Iron Sunrise is the sequel to Singularity Sky. You have our two intrepid policing agents again but are introduced in more detail to Herman (a non-present character in the first book) and Wednesday, a teenage girl who has lost her home planet and feels the outcast in her surroundings.

Another of the pockets of humanity is suddenly destroyed setting off a set of events involving 40 year bombs and terrorism of populations. Rachel, Martin, and Wednesday must stop the new Aryans (ReMastered Race) from destroying the many lives and worlds protected by the Eschaton.

Yup that is pretty much it. The story is as engaging as the previous book while going a little deeper. The major pain is the beginning of the book which is terribly disjointed but this soon fades away as the story picks up and we engage with the characters and find out more to the mystery of who the ReMastered are as well as more about Herman as well. If you could get through Singularity Sky, then you will probably enjoy this one more, just fight through the slow beginning.

Snippet

Went to michigan. Saw friends and family. It was fun. Came home. Got sick. Not fun. Otherwise terribly busy.

Movie Review: Dorkness Rising

Recently watched a "Nerd" movie called, The Gamers: Dorkness Rising. Basically it follows the work of a DM/Writer trying to put together a test campaign with a group of guys at the local game shop. Needless to say that it picks up at the most recent attempt at the campaign and it ends in the death of the party. There is a suggestion to add more people than just the 3 guys currently playing so they grab one of the guy's ex and end up with a NPC as well since they could not find a fifth.

The story takes place both in the real world as well as in the game world. The special effects work is kept fairly light. The acting is a bit over done at times but really works in poking fun at some of the weird moments that happen when people game together. The characters are generally likable and you get conflict at multiple levels. It's hokey but altogether fun as well.

If you like card or board games (new style) or read books of a fantasy slant, this you will probably enjoy this movie. It is a niche movie that fills the role nicely.

Book Review: The Difference Engine

The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling was an interesting alternative history book. After reading Pattern Recognition, I was not sure if I would like this book, but it was shown to be one of the highly recommended science fiction works. I believe this falls under the steam punk genre, but really I am not an expert in genre definition. There is steam, but not so many punks.

The world of The Difference Engine is set in and around 1850 Britain after Charles Babbage and the mental elite have setup a meritocracy in England around the enterprise of their steam powered computation machines. The United States do not exist other than in a pocket of the Northeast, except for the Manhattan Commune. The South is it's own country along with Texas. Germany is a scattered set of nation states and Britain and France are deep allies.

The story is centered around 3 main characters that have come into contact with a set of punch cards, but the story is not really about those cards (or if it is, I start worrying about the depth of story). The story starts with that of a fallen woman, whose father lead an anti-technology movement but was executed for those beliefs. Next you follow a paleontologist who is attempting to navigate the world of Britain's savant aristocracy. Finally you follow a British spy who is primarily interested in keeping the world that Britain has created and cultivated in existence.

The most interesting thing for me was the section around Thomas Mallory, but I really liked the special policeman that is assigned to help keep him safe and protected. The story is meandering and seems to just hint at these menaces hovering at the periphery. His portion of the story takes place during the most overt of the conflict, the rising up of the communist ideals against the meritocracy.

Overall this has been under consideration by some of my friends as must read science fiction. I don't think I would do that, but it is something that I can recommend as fun reading.

Sleep Stomach

Week did not go quite as I would have liked. I ended up with the stomach flu during the week which when coupled with the amount of work I am trying to get done, does not make it any less stressful. Miranda has decided that sleep is also optional making it optional for me as well. Well that was only last night. The night before she slept 12 hours. So overall I guess I can't complain other than I stayed up late the night she slept and then she stayed up the night I wanted to sleep. 7 hours sleep total for the weekend.

Finished reading The Difference Engine by Stirling and Gibson. It was good and I will likely put up a full review soon.

Um, that is it...

EA... NCAAF 10

Ok... I just got a note that basically says you can unlock anything or start with an advantage by bribing EA. Seriously.

Want to start Road to Glory mode with a 5 star DT or DE? 100 points (or 50 cents) will get you what you want. The same can be said for DB, WR, RB, LB, and QB.

Ok, so you can spend a little dough and get a head start on your first person football mode. No big deal, it's only 50 cents. At least Dynasty mode is pure... right?

Nope.

Adding new pipeline states is crucial for adding good players and it is normally hard to get, but now can be easily had for 150 points. Unlock new promises will also make it easier to recruit and set you back 180 points. For another 150 points, you can get bumps to your pitches which also boosts your ability to sell on recruits. How about a recruiting advisor to help with your decsisions for 120 points (I do find this to be the least offensive). Or maybe you want to know what your rival teams are focusing on recruiting for 120 points.

Want to download team rosters? 800 points ($10) will unlock all the team building and downloading slots.

Between seasons, you want to keep the best and train them up. Spend a little bit of points (180) to always max out your training. Or maybe you want a boost for retaining them for their senior year for 180 points.

Your stadium can give you an edge. Why not give that a boost too for 120 points.

But why go ala carte? Grab the whole set for 1000 points (or roughly $12).

Someone paying to cheat at games is not really new. Some folks just want to win more than to experience the challenges. That isn't what is really frustrating about this. What is a joke is that if you want to compete online, you will need to buy these packs as the folks you will play dynasty against online will have these.