'NFL Head Coach': Football for the ultimate sports fan

Redmond Carolipio, Staff Writer

I'm definately ready for some football. But is anyone ready for this much football?

"NFL Head Coach'' stretches well beyond the limits of the typical pigskin fan's devotion. This game isn't made for those who love football. It's for those who worship every inch it, no matter how minor or inglorious the detail -- football disciples.

The game's premise is simple: Run every facet of an NFL team both on and off the field. However, as even casual football fans know (and as this game shows you), there's absolutely nothing simple about being "the man.''

If you just want a taste of the on-field stuff, the "Coach Now'' mode allows you to take the reins of any team you want and square off against another opponent. Remember, this is a strategy game -- so you're not controlling any of the players.

You have an overwhelming number of options to consider even before kickoff, where the team captain asks you whether you want the ball and which side you want the wind on.

The directional cross pad serves as your on-the-fly sideline manager, where you can do everything from checking stats to giving your quarterback last-minute adjustments (like telling him to throw in a pump-fake on a pass play).

One of the more interesting dynamics here is the ability to "motivate'' players during the game. You can either chew out or positively reinforce individual players or whole groups, like the offensive line, and they will respond in kind.

For instance, while your QB might get fired up from a tongue-lashing, while your tailback might sulk. As a coach, it's up to you to figure out how to push your players' buttons -- literally.

You have the ability to call plays and hear coordinators suggest them on a USB headset (not included). It's a nice feature for those who want to "feel'' the experience of playing calls, but what the coaches say sounds a little repetitive after a while.

There's also no sense of chemistry on the headset -- lots of coaches turn playcalling into a semi-discussion, but in "Head Coach,'' the coordinators are simply there to bark out plays and nothing else. Perhaps I'm asking too much right now, but some extra chatter could have added to the experience.

For complete measure of the game's power, the uber-hardcore fans have career mode. You create your coach and start shortly after the Super Bowl. Then you actually interview for jobs, where the owner asks specific questions, like what you would do if faced with a Cover 2 defense.

Yeah, it's like THAT.

And there's a lot more -- the multitude of things you have to account for is mind-blowing.

You have to hire, fire or promote coaches, schedule interviews, call agents, keep your eye on the salary cap, design plays, meet with the owner, oversee the draft -- and that's all before you even get on the field for training camp, where you have to supervise the contact and non-contact drills.

There's also a "trust'' dynamic in the game, where you as the coach build relationships with everyone from the offensive coordinator to the wide receivers. It's a pretty innovative feature, and yet another way the game piles it on.

"Head Coach'' is perhaps one of the most intriguing titles of the summer, if not the year, because it was designed for a chunk of a fanbase instead of the whole fanbase itself. And for those people, it would be a must have.

For everyone else, there's fantasy football and TV. And that's OK.