The 2007 Atlanta Falcons were anything but spectacular. In the wake of one of the most shocking controversies in modern sports, the “Dirty Birds” were a real mess, indeed, as they barely managed to wobble out of the tunnel week-in and week-out on their quest for redemption.

What a difference a year makes, eh?

After watching Michael Turner and his running mate Jerious Norwood tear up the turf to the tune of 311 yards on the ground in route to an absolute beat-down of the Detroit Lions, a classic cliché rings true yet again: establish the run, and good things will happen.

Granted, it was the Lions, but still…a good rushing attack can make all the difference. It keeps the opposing defense on the field, it opens up the passing game, and allows an offense to call the shots and control the clock in a powerful way.

Smack in the middle of pre-production on our first major title here at Play Hard Sports, it’s not a stretch to say that we’re laying a little groundwork of our own. Right now, we’re plotting out plans for our game’s base feature set; everything from core mechanics to tools we’ll use to build things to the number of sound options in the music menu, everything single detail is getting a healthy dose of design lovin’ until it’s juuuust right.

The decisions we make now will turn into the game you’ll play down the line, and it simply isn’t in our blood to settle for the metaphorical field goal. Oh no. We want to take this bad boy all the way to the house and leap into the stands with gusto, so obviously, we look at each choice carefully, knowing that hate mail and endless trash talk are only a few bad calls away.

Lucky for us, we just signed what we like to call a “blue chip” draft pick in the form of an old friend who’s no stranger to the games industry, one Mr. David Zdryko. A football fanatic of undeniable passion (I mean, the kid still roots for the Dolphins, for chissakes), Dave Z has lent a hand on some of the industry’s greatest sports titles for nearly a decade. Acting as a computing counterpart to the aforementioned Turner the Burner, his addition to the team has brought a much-needed boost to our squad. Aside from his awesome dancing skills, Dave’s work on titles like All-Pro Football, NFL 2k5, and the recently released NHL 2k9 have proven invaluable thus far.

To leverage a shameless pun, homeboy has really “hit the ground running,” and everyone involved is all sorts of excited about the way Play Hard Football is shaping up. Coupled with some awesome additions to the art and engineering departments, we can’t wait to hit the field.

But for now, it’s all about developing the gameplan, baby. There are some genuinely great ideas going into the game so far, and we’re pumped about the possibilities. Now if only someone can help me add the same sort of special sauce to my fantasy team…

At its core, football is all about applying pressure. Lay the wood to a promising rookie quarterback, air it out against an injury-depleted secondary, or run right at aging veteran in his contract year — you name it, pressure can mean the difference between an undefeated season and an immortal upset.

Push hard enough in the right spots, and you’ll take the trenches and all the glory. Fail to rise to the occasion, and you’re cautionary tale on SportsCenter the entire off-season.

As I taped the last box shut and shoved my life in a truck headed towards the East coast, I couldn’t help but wonder how I’d handle my latest gig. I mean sure.. I’ve been a part of some amazing teams on some killer products. I worked with the folks at 2K Sports to help build the industry’s first online franchise mode from the ground up. I helped launch EA Sports first football title on a next gen system. But this…?

This is a whole new ballgame.

I just dropped everything I’ve known for the past two years, leaving sun-soaked Los Angeles for a slot at Play Hard Sports, joining a team of veteran online developers whose sole focus is to deliver what we feel will be one of sports gaming’s most exciting, accessible products since the inception of pixilated pigskin action, and if there’s one message we want to deliver to gamers everywhere, it’s this: we’re not just here to play. We’re here to make sure that sports fans have a place to call home, and in Play Hard Football, an amazing online experience that unleashes the crunch-time crushing coach in all of us.

The thing is, this time the gridiron’s going global! You’ll create the team, negotiate the contracts, train the players and pit them head-to-head against teams from across the Internet, calling all the shots in your quest to be the strongest squad in the Play Hard community. Outbid opposing GMs for a top player’s services, build your playbook, trick out training facilities and beef up your coaching staff, all with the aim of making sure your team plays your brand of football. It’s going to be a dog-eat-dog fight for football supremacy, and I can’t wait to see it in action.

We’re already knee-deep in development, so check back here in the weeks leading up to launch for blog updates on our major features, talking trash with folks in the Play Hard community, and news on the trials and tribulations of one Californian’s fight against the frozen tundra that is a New England winter.

It should be a lot of fun.

Oh, yeah..one last thing: Today marks the launch of our sign-up site, so be sure to snag your team and get on our mail list. The season will be here before ya know it, and names are first-come, first-serve. You don’t want to find yourself repping the Boston Banana Boats….or do you? The choice is yours, my friends…live it up.

It’s almost that time again, only 77 days until football season kicks off. The Sunday afternoon ritual begins again — my friends come over, we cook up some wings and watch the games. It’s perhaps the most social activity in North America these days. Football can unite us.

Yet, at the same time, just ask anyone who has tossed on a jersey of their favorite team in “enemy territory” and you’ll know that it can also divide us.

Both reactions are great for competitive online video games and that’s why I am so excited to help build a community here at Play Hard Sports.

I’ve spent years in online communities. I’ve fought the battle as both a game website editor and developer, but never has there been such a natural opportunity as football offers.

Brandon explained a little bit about the game. My job is everything else around it. We don’t just want to be a game you play; we want to be the center of your online football experience. The game is a big part of that experience, but it is far from the only trick we have planned.

We are creating something different from what gamers are used to. We’re going to launch a full on football website and community to support Play Hard Football.

Too often, sports websites are part of this old boys club that has come to dominate sports journalism. We approach coverage of football in a new light. We don’t take ourselves or our opinions too seriously and we want to make sure the voices of our community are heard. This means, that you can expect an extremely interactive website and experience.

We believe that football fans want the ability to express themselves online, converse with others who share their opinions and argue with those who don’t. Play Hard Sports will entertain you even when you’re not on the field with your team.

It baffles me that video game companies take something as social as football fans and confine them to their single-player boxes. We’ll provide competitive games, editorial content, interactive features, community tools and more in our quest to bring fans together in an online community unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.