News and notes from around the world of sports video gaming:
• Madden NFL 13's cover athlete contest has moved to the second round, with few surprises. Aaron Rodgers advanced, despite Packer fans' superstitions. Megatron absolutely dominated his first round matchup, with the largest margin of victory. Sebastian Janikowski was eliminated, despite everyone's desire to see a placekicker on the cover. And Tim Tebow, whether as a Jet or a Bronco, did not survive the first round, falling to a very worthy Arian Foster. Second-round voting is live at ESPN's SportsNation page.
• Want to join a Country Club for free? Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 has implemented them as a community feature in the new game. I've created the Stick Jockey club on the Xbox 360 version of the game, but like any self-respecting golf club, it's private. You'll need the password jockey95stick to join. Search for "Stick Jockey" in the game's country club menu and it should show up.
• Opening day is, technically, today in Major League Baseball. Seattle bested Oakland 3-1 in extra innings in Japan. If you've yet to draft players in fantasy baseball, check out this video from MLB 12 The Show. Its simulation identifies the most coveted personnel. Cover star Adrian Gonzalez, naturally, is one.
• As to opening day in Japan, Hiroshi Yamauchi, the eminent former chief executive of Nintendo and owner of the Seattle Mariners since 1992, did not see his club play. He is possibly the only owner of a major sports franchise never to see his team play. "He didn't give me a reason, he just indicated to me he's not going to be here," a team spokesman said. "Quite frankly, a man of his age and stature doesn't have to explain why he's not here."