As the NFL season kicked off on September 10, two questions weighed heavily on the minds of football fans: Will rookie holdout Michael Crabtree and the 49ers reach a contract agreement before he re-enters the draft, and when the heck does the Madden NFL 10 online franchise iPhone app launch? Today we have one answer, as EA Sports released the Online Franchise Companion in the App Store.
Like the Madden web service, the free app allows members of online franchises to check schedules, analyze rosters, change depth charts, propose trades, follow transactions, and correspond with league members while on the go. Upon downloading the app and digging through its feature set, we especially appreciate the easy access to messages, as scheduling game times is paramount in a 32-person league. It's also nice to have quick access to the transaction list to see which players have hit free agency. Unfortunately, the app doesn't allow you to add or drop players from your team, and the overall performance is sluggish. In a perfect world the app would also push messages to your attention as they arrive, but it's tough to complain about a free app that gives you access to your franchise from anywhere. To download, click the App Store widget in your iPhone or head to iTunes.
As for Michael Crabtree, the holdout continues…