In the Huddle: Brian Burnett

Discover the passion behind competitive gaming in our Community Spotlight as we feature Brian Burnett from Gameathlete.net. With over 20 years of experience in Madden NFL and a background in real-life sports, Brian shares how he balances family life with his love for competition, his early gaming experiences, and the strategies that keep him in the game. Join us as we explore the thrill of Madden and the drive to win!

Madden changes every year, but some things remain constant like the thrill of the competition that drives players to keep playing year after year. To celebrate our rich diversity, MaddenUniversity.com's Community Spotlight wants to offer our gratitude to players to work tirelessly to enhance the Madden experience for others. This Spotlight features Brian Burnett from Gameathlete.net who provides various sports gaming leagues for die-hard competition junkies.

Brian, in addition to competing in real life basketball, football, and boxing leagues, runs a competitive gaming website for players who also thrive on the thrill of competition. We spoke to Brian to discuss his passion for Madden, competitive play, and how he balances his family life with his competitive gaming life.

TNT713: One of the things you mentioned was that you grew up in a very competitive setting.

GameAthlete.net: Me personally, I grew up in Central Texas. I think Texas, in general, is a competitve place to grow up.

TNT713: How did that lend itself to video gaming and the sports games that youre most interested in playing?

GameAthlete.net: I think that there is a parallel between the two. If you're competitive in sports, you're probably going to be competitive in everything. I see it a lot. A lot of the people that are competitive in basketball are competitive in everything regardless of what it is, you know?

TNT713: Yeah.

GameAthlete.net: I was a high jumper. I was a 6'8" high jumper. I'm only 5'8", but I high jump 6'8". I mean, I started video games at a young age, back in the Tecmo Bowl days on Nintendo.

TNT713: I remember that.

GameAthlete.net: I think it's in my blood. Competitiveness is in my blood.

TNT713: Do you remember when you got your first console that you spent your money on?

GameAthlete.net: Yes I do. I do remember my first console that I bought. It was a DreamCast. That was the first one that I bought myself.

TNT713: Did that change your game any?

GameAthlete.net: I don't think it changed my game. I mean, I've always been the type of person that I want to win regardless of what it is.

Once establishing that the will to win is a common element in the makeup of Madden players, we shifted focus to our earliest football gaming experiences. Every passion is rooted in nostalgia so we asked how today's challenges factor into playing Madden.

TNT713: Tecmo Bowl was a really fun game, very simple to play. When Madden came out it took me a long time to get competitive enough that I felt comfortable playing other people. Was the transition easy for you?

GameAthlete.net: I did what worked for me. I ran the ball. Passing was difficult for me. So I just stuck with what worked.

TNT713: How old are you by the way?

GameAthlete.net: I'm 31.

TNT713: Now that you're older and you've got a family; you said a wife and two kids, How does that factor in? Because I know that changes the whole equation.

GameAthlete.net: It does. It does. I can't really play as competitive as I used to play, because I just don't have the time.

TNT713: Were you one of the guys that played all the football games or how long did it take for you to center on one?

GameAthlete.net: Really, I've been stuck with Madden since it came out. I think the first Madden I played was on Sega. If I remember correctly, I wanna say Madden 93.

TNT713: Yeah. That was a good one.

GameAthlete.net: I've been stuck on Madden. I may have rented a game and played, but Madden is what I've been playing. As far as football goes, I play other sports games, but yeah, I've been a Madden player since the beginning. I still love to play. I still do what works for me. I milk the clock more because I'm not as skilled. I can't do all the trick plays and I'm not as good with the stick as other people may be. But I still love to play and I'm not going to stop playing. I think my wife knows that.

The issue of wives, kids, and girlfriends present interesting challenges in the gaming lives of many Madden fans. The ones we love can be the source of ultimate inspiration or our biggest distractions. We wanted to know how a Brian overcame the challenges of mature Madden players.

TNT713: I've asked this of a few people, Is it hard for you to play a game while your wife is in the room?

GameAthlete.net: Definitely. YES.

TNT713: So it's not just me?

GameAthlete.net: No. I feel my heart beating fast. At any second she could ask me to do something. It's like my conscious is thinking about other things when I'm playing. It's impossible to play when she's in the room.

TNT713: I'm able to get on and test the level of competition in Play Now pretty much any time and I notice that the best players are on after 9PM EST up until about 3AM EST. Those are when you're going to get your best games with people who are very familiar with the sticks. They know how to make all the adjustments they need to make.

GameAthlete.net: I've noticed that too.

TNT713: Do you find you have to schedule time for when everybody is asleep?

GameAthlete.net: Yeah, yeah. I normally do it when everybody is asleep. 9 after 9PM, especially after midnight. After midnight when the house is quiet, it's gaming time. It's time to game.

Once it's Madden time, players settle into the being the best strategiest they can be. Of all the additions to Madden over the years, Defensive Playmaker added in Madden NFL 2005, added additional depth to a game that was already known for robust strategies. We wanted to know which elements of Madden were most impressive.

TNT713: You probably played when Ray Lewis was on the cover. How happy were you when you had those Defensive Playmaker adjustments?

GameAthlete.net: Oh yeah. That changed the game to me. That's when Madden took it to the next level with the Playmakers. That was a big addition.

TNT713: That Strategy that cat and mouse game is that part of the reason that you like playing?

GameAthlete.net: Definitely. I also like how the player's attributes contribute to how they play. You know if you get a quarterback, and it doesn't have to be a Big Name quarterback. You can get a quarterback and find his medium throw accuracy if you're a medium throw type of player. Or his short throw accuracy. You can pick a team that plays according to how you play or what your strengths are.

Since I'm a running type of person, I may pick San Francisco. They have a good running back. Because I don't have the time that I used to have to do it, I'm not really a good passer. I pick teams that other people may not pick, but they benefit me. I may pick a team with a good offensive line. It works for me. I think that's what I like how each rating, each player, each attribute for that player really makes a difference.

Our time with Brian enlightened us about the connection between many Madden players that enjoy competitive play. Our will to win drives us onwards toward success. Fortunately, there is no single winning recipe. Players who strive to "do what works for them" can discover an identity that prolongs the thrill of playing Madden well after responsibilities crowd our time. One things for sure, Madden players make time for Madden.