Thursday Night Throwdown 08/12: Madden NFL 11

So, OK, Giant Bomb's not really known for its sports-game prowess. Jeff has a long-standing love affair with Blitz, Ryan has been known to dabble in the occasional tennis or golf game, and we're all pretty jazzed about the return of NBA Jam, but  when it comes to the big-name, pure sports simulations, they're just not in our wheelhouse. 
 
That said, even we could not deny the siren call of a new Madden game, and we figure, hey, there will always be plenty of time for more shooters and racing games, so why not mix it up a little bit and play some Madden NFL 11 for this week's Thursday Night Throwdown? Rest assured, you very probably won't have to watch any of us fumble around with a game based on a sport that we have only the most tenuous of grasps of, which is why we've brought in Screened.com's golden boy Alex Navarro to play our armchair quarterback for tonight's show.  
  
We'll be playing the Xbox 360 version of Madden NFL 11, so if you want a chance to get in on the action, send a friend request to GBTNT and clear your schedule between 4PM and 6PM Pacific Daylight Time. Of course, you can also watch our expertly commentated live stream in the video player below and kick it in our Official Giant Bomb Justin.tv Channel chat room.
 
The gridiron mayhem kicks off tonight at 4PM! MADDEN FEVER! CATCH IT!
   
UPDATE: Show's over, folks! You can still enjoy a little instant-replay action, and be sure to catch our next edition of I Love Mondays to find out what we'll be playing on next week's Thursday Night Throwdown!