Moving On Up

In a shocking move, the Detroit Players sent Madden cover boy Peyton Hillis to the Ann Arbor Bamfers for their 2011 first overall pick. Along with Hillis, the Players also sent along the rights to Human Amoebas 2012 RD1 selection. The Players picked up rookie RB Mark Ingram with their selection.

"Coming off a disappointing season, we needed to switch things up. I thought this was our best move, to secure a rising star at an affordable price," GM Ariel said to the media. After compiling four winning records in a row, and back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 2006-7, the Detroit Players dipped to 6-7 last season. "Our fan base expects the best and we need to show them that we're not afraid to make moves that will return us to glory."

The Detroit Players now have a roster boasting quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Tim Tebow, up and coming receivers in Hakeem Nicks and Mike Williams, a solid tight end in Jason Witten, and a stable of rookie running backs. The Players grabbed all three highly touted rookie running backs this year -- Ingram, Ryan Williams, Daniel Thomas -- by securing three of the four top draft slots. Analysts raved over the bold maneuvers and predict another winning season ahead.

As for Hillis, he'll join a Bamfers backfield that is quite crowded at the moment. LaDainian Tomlinson is like a former child star now relegated to a supporting role in an ensemble television comedy. He's serviceable but his name carries more weight than his performance. More likely it'll be Fred Jackson starting alongside Hillis while last year's disappointing rookie, CJ Spiller, waits in the wings.

The Bamfers are coming off of consecutive four win seasons, which may sound lackluster but they are actually high points in the franchise's recent history. In the three seasons prior (2004-2006), owner/coach/GM/scapegoat Randy managed to compile only six wins total. We'll say that again. Six wins total. Suffice to say, picking near the top of the draft is not a new experience for him.

The good news is that Hillis is optimistic about leading a turnaround and quite candidly said, "Hey, I play in Cleveland, I know all about losing teams." In a breakout season, Hillis put up 1600+ combined yards and scored 13 TDs in 2010, performing as a top player. The only question this year is if he can escape The Madden Curse.

Actually, at his introductory press conference, Hillis had a question himself: "Guys, what's a bamf?!"