data-mm-id=”_qif2j0r6b”>Madden 24 will be released this Friday, but we're already seeing snippets of the legendary NFL video game emerging thanks to early access, including the first look at Fake Bill Belichick. Since the New England Patriots coach is not part of the NFL Coaches Association, he is not collectively bargained into the Madden franchise like every other coach in the league. Instead, he is replaced by an avatar with a fake name. This year it's Peter Gaffney, a bald guy with glasses and a beard. BILL BELICHICK IN MADDEN 24 pic.twitter.com/G55W4YGRV9— RBT (@SamuelBrownRBT) August 15, 2023Coach Gaffney is not the first Belichick stand-in. Previous iterations of Fake Belichick have taken the form of Chad Masters, Josh Moore, Griffin Murphy, Hal Ophamer and simply, "NE Coach." Griffin Murphy – and one version of Chad Masters – was the opposite of Gaffney. Full head of hair, clean shaven, but still wearing glasses. That version of Fake Belichick was based on EA Tiburon VP GM and series executive producer Roy Harvey.Best part about new @EAMaddenNFL is Fake Bill Belichick. AKA “Griffin Murphy” http://t.co/ovZcSzAR1h pic.twitter.com/dQfU2EPLJn— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) August 26, 2015Here's Belichick in Madden 02, looking, uh stocky. Unfortunately, two decades ago they did not have the technology to make a sleeveless hoodie. With @EAMaddenNFL being released today, let's all remember that there was a time when Bill Belichick actually was in the game. pic.twitter.com/6jfX0SI4wg— Pats Pulpit (@patspulpit) August 25, 2020The year before that he was simply NE Coach.Whatever your favorite version of Fake Madden Belichick, just know that Belichick does not care about any of them. Belichick loved John Madden, and his kids played the game, but like anything else that isn't special teams strategy, he just does not care. The fact that the Madden team has gone out of their way to make the most boring possible avatars for the Patriots coach is the ultimate testament to the old school do your job mentality. [Screengrabs via the Madden wiki]
Related Posts
USC helped Jake Olson fulfil his dream on Saturday as the blind long snapper made his debut for the Trojans.
Olson, a lifelong USC fan, has been blind since the age of 12 because of a rare form of retinal cancer but has been around the Trojans program since 2009, when then coach Pete Carroll heard about his story and his love for the team.
And Olson, who lost his left eye before his first birthday, got his shot in the fourth quarter of USC s 49-31 win over Western Michigan.
In what had been a tight game throughout, USC pulled away late and, after an interception return for a touchdown by USC safety Marvel Tell with just over three minutes remaining in the game, coach Clay Helton sent Olson out as the long snapper for the extra point.
After Chase…
What the papers say
The fallout from Manchester United’s Champions League exit continues with the future of manager Erik ten Hag under the spotlight. The Independent says no major decisions are expected until the sale of 25 per cent of the club to Ineos boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe is completed, but The Sun reports former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter is in line to take over.
The Daily Mail reports United are more likely to listen to offers for players after missing out on the money for reaching the knockout stages. Brazil midfielder Casemiro, 31, and France duo Anthony Martial, 28, and Raphael Varane, 30, could be available.
Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen could be on the move in January. According to the Daily Mirror, the club will be open to offers for the Dutch …
Northern Ireland’s emerging talent Isaac Price has credited ex-Everton boss Frank Lampard with being a “massive” influence on his development and indicated the manager’s Goodison Park exit prompted his own summer move to Standard Liege.
Few Evertonians recall Lampard’s 12-month reign with great affection – they narrowly avoided relegation in May 2022 and then, amid protests against the board, failed to progress before he was sacked in January – but the 20-year-old Price believes he took big strides under the former England midfielder.
“(Lampard) was massive for me,” Price said. “I learnt so much while he was there. I had my debut… at Arsenal (in May 2022) and ever since then I felt like he really taught me a lot of stuff.
“He gave me my de…
Jose Antonio Reyes has died in a traffic accident at the age of 35, former club Sevilla have confirmed.
Reyes most recently played for Extremadura in Spain s second tier, representing them nine times in the second half of this season.
A former Spain international, Reyes came through Sevilla s academy having grown up in the town of Utrera, a few miles east of Andalusia s capital.
He broke into Sevilla s first-team as a teenager before earning himself a big-money move to Arsenal in 2004, staying there for three years.
A mercurial, talented winger, Reyes went on to feature for Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Benfica, before returning to his boyhood club in 2011 for a five-year spell.
We couldn t be confirming worse news. Beloved Sevilla star José …
Adrien Rabiot is close to finalising his anticipated move to Juventus and will join an esteemed tradition with the Serie A champions in the process.
A contractual dispute contributed to the French midfielder being frozen out of first-team affairs at Paris Saint-Germain last term and he was linked to a host of European heavyweights.
But Juve got their man, as they so often have when it comes to securing high-class free transfers in an ever-inflated market.
With Wales international Aaron Ramsey also arriving for no fee following an 11-year stay at Arsenal, we look at other players who have run their deals down to join the dominant force in Italian football.
ANDREA PIRLO
World Cup winner Pirlo was used sparingly during his final season at…
Gareth Bale and Lucas Vazquez earned Real Madrid a 2-0 win away to Roma that guarantees the Champions League holders first place in Group G.
Both teams had already qualified thanks to a draw between CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen earlier in the day, but top spot and potentially an easier draw in the first knockout round was up for grabs.
Cengiz Under produced a contender for the worst miss of the season late in Tuesday s first half, the Roma forward blasting a dreadful effort over the crossbar from close range.
Bale s third Champions League goal of the season nudged Madrid in front in an engrossing contest at the Stadio Olimpico, profiting on an error from Federico Fazio, with Vazquez then tapping in the decisive second.
Gareth Bale s record in this com…
According to a recent report from Sky Italy, Ashley Young is in Italy ahead of his medical with Inter Milan. A fee believed to be in the region of £1.3 million has been agreed between Inter and Manchester United. The move has come as something of a surprise to quite a few fans within the spectrum of the Premier League, many of whom haven’t exactly rated all too many of the performances that have been put in so far this season by Young.
Clearly Inter sees something in him that a lot of others don’t, but even with that being the case, the rumours regarding how Young has been dealing with this news certainly haven’t helped him to come across all too well.
Nonetheless, this is the perfect opportunity for Young to prove himself outside of the Premier League and tr…
Real Madrid can overcome their indifferent start to the season and deliver a major trophy, according to Kaka.
After finishing 19 points behind LaLiga winners Barcelona and being eliminated from the Champions League by Ajax in the round of 16 last season, Madrid have won just two of their opening five competitive matches of 2019-20.
Draws against Real Valladolid and Villarreal in LaLiga and a 3-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League have left coach Zinedine Zidane s position under threat at a club where he won three consecutive European titles in his first spell as coach.
Kaka, who won the LaLiga title with Madrid in 2011-12 and the Copa del Rey a season earlier, noted the expectation around Santiago Bernabeu, telling Omnisport: For Real Madri…
Reus aims to move clear of Lewandowski, Liverpool in red-hot form at home – Champions League in Opta
Tuesday s Champions League schedule presents the chance for Marco Reus to set a new record for Borussia Dortmund, while Erling Haaland will hope to maintain his scoring run.
Reus drew a blank last time out in Europe, the Bundesliga side losing 2-0 to Inter, but will hope to make club history in the return fixture in Germany.
Barcelona are top of the table in the same group and the reigning LaLiga champions will be eager to preserve their unbeaten home run when they take on Slavia Prague at Camp Nou.
Liverpool are another team who seem to relish having home comforts, plus history tells us Chelsea should be feeling confident when Ajax visit Stamford Bridge.
We have picked out some of the notable numbers from Opta ahead of the eight games taking place at t…
Newcastle United are interested in signing Chris Wood from Premier League rivals Burnley in the January transfer window, according to . It has been reported that Wood is travelling to the North East to undergo a medical and will then sign a contract with the Magpies.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have met Wood’s release clause of £20 million, and the former Leeds United striker himself is keen on a move to St. James’ Park. The Magpies have been looking for a striker in the wake of the injury to Callum Wilson, with the team in real danger of getting relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.
Wood has scored three goals in 17 Premier League appearances for Newcastle so far this season. The 30-year-old New Zealand international striker scored 12 goals in the l…