Where’s my CFL game?

I'm a closet sports game fan. It's true, these games come out in throngs every single year, but every year I get the itch to play a golf, hockey, or football sim. While Madden does the trick from time to time (though I'd never classify it as something I play often – the last one I bought was Madden 96), what I desperately, desperately want, is to be able to play a CFL videogame.

Watching the Superbowl this past Sunday was an interesting experience – it was a really good NFL game (none of that, "let's run for three yards every down!" nonsense), but didn't even compare to the drama that nearly every CFL game I watch seems to have. I want that experience in videogame form, and of course I want to be able to play as my Roughriders at Taylor Field.

There have been some attempts in the past. I remember as a kid desperately wanting to play this game, even though it apparently wasn't very good and was mostly stats based. And having given up PC gaming about 6 or 7 years ago, I never came across this mod for the PC version of Madden 08, which, although looking cool, doesn't change the field size or change to CFL rules.

I'm not even expecting the CFL to officially sanction its own videogame – they're pretty cash strapped most of the time as it is, and I fear that a game designed primarily with only Canadian players in mind wouldn't do so well (even though EA keeps putting out NHL games basically for that exact audience). No, all I want is for the development team behind Madden to implement this feature into Madden 11 or 12.

Would it be that difficult? Design a few more stadiums, add a little more play-by-play, re-skin some jerseys, include a few pointers on the differences in the game for American players (or even just make the CFL version a Canadian exclusive). They could advertise it as a new feature in a game that's been pretty stagnant for a number of years, and I guarantee you that every fucking person in Saskatchewan would buy that game.

Please, EA. Please hear my plea. It's the only way you'll get me to buy one of your games, even if it's only for one year.