(Virtual) Reality Pt. 2

I play Wii Sports tennis, and it really makes me want to play real tennis, despite the fun I may be having playing fake tennis. I play Mirror's Edge, and it really makes me want to parkour, despite how weak I am and how much I suck at both running and jumping (I feel like I can do it... someday!). I play Half-Life 2, and it makes me want to cruise around in a go-kart. I play Guitar Hero, and it makes me want to learn to play the song on a real guitar (it also made me appreciate classic rock, a genre I had no interest in before I could fake rock out to it). Yet, when I play Madden, I don't want to play football. And NBA Live doesn't make me want to b-ball. And NHL Live doesn't make me want to play hockey. Do I just not like sports? Or teams? Or is the team sport experience on TV just so far different than actual sports than my mind can't make the link? Yeah, the rules are the same, but that's about it. No matter how realistic NFL 2K5's first person mode is, it's just not the same. Since the days of Madden's debut back on the Sega Genesis, there have been people who buy no games other than sports games, and they will buy the new version every year, no matter how miniscule the changes may be. Strangely enough, the people who buy new Madden's every year are the college football jocks. Maybe they have the mysterious brain link between real and fake sports that I seem to be missing. Maybe the link between real and fake life only exists for people who are actually good at the things they see on TV. This would explain why I play guitar but I don't play free safety. And, really, why I don't want to and never will. Hmmmmm...