Link of the Day: The Best and Worst of Sports Video Game Innovations

It's been awhile since we've done a link of the day, but this article by ESPN.com's Patrick Hruby seems worth it. It takes a look at the best and worst innovations in sports video game history.

Here's a quick example of one of the features heralded by Hruby:

Franchise Mode

Sure, he landed Randy Moss for two magic beans on the dollar. And yes, he's the architect behind pro football's only current dynasty. But so what? You could do a better job than New England Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli. And you know this because your Patriots squad features a backfield of LaDanian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson, with Terrell Owens bookending Moss. Ah, the joys of franchise mode -- "SimCity" for gamers who prefer draftology to urban planning, fantasy sports you can actually play, the ultimate athletic power trip. Why should Jerry Jones get to have all the player-trading, stadium-creating, popcorn-price-inflating fun? Why should UC Irvine's football team play fifth fiddle to USC? Why can't the Arizona Cardinals become the Mexico City Banditos? In franchise mode, you can remake the sports world as you see fit, even right real-life wrongs. The Chicago Bears can draft a competent quarterback. The Phoenix Suns can take back the Shaq trade. Notre Dame can win at least one BCS bowl game in a 10-year span. All things are possible -- and likely probable, assuming you turn the "CPU trade override" function off.