For many, the annual release of EA’s newest Madden video game is often treated as a national holiday. But for Seahawks newly acquired wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, it will be a day of protest and boycotting.
Houshmandzadeh told national radio host recently that he plans on boycotting Madden 10 to protest over his player rating.
“Man, they don’t get my rating right,” Houshmandzadeh said while appearing on Colin Cowherd’s ESPN Radio show Monday. “I just looked at the game and they have this wrong and that wrong. And I understand I averaged 10 yards a catch (in 2008), but it’s the offense, man, not me.”
In the newest Madden which comes out in August, Houshmandzadeh has a rating of 91, making him the sixth-highest ranked wide receiver in the NFC. Only Larry Fitzgerald (99), Steve Smith (97), Anquan Boldin (94), Roddy White (93) and Calvin Johnson (92) rank ahead of him.
Stat wise, Houshmandzadeh had 904 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2008. All five NFC wideouts ranked ahead of him put up better numbers; each having had at least 1,038 receiving yards and scored at least six touchdowns.
But according to Houshmandzadeh, those numbers aren’t factual. And until they are changed, he will not be playing Madden this year.
“I’m not playing Madden no more, until they get my rating right,” Houshmandzadeh said. “It might be a little pouting, too. It might be. But, you know, I used to be the best in the world at Madden, so I’m going to miss not playing it. But until they do me right, I’m not playing it no more.”
Here at YMBW, we were shocked to hear that he was ranked 6th among the NFC wide receivers, because really, we think EA rated Houshamazito way too high.