Arizona Cardinals Players Use Call of Duty, Madden to Bond During Quarantine
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven incredibly difficult for many people to keep in touch with one another and maintain close friendships. However, many have found that video games have been an excellent way of strengthening bonds and even making new friends during COVID-19. Now it seems that players for the Arizona Cardinals seem to agree with this philosophy as they use Call of Duty and Madden NFL to maintain ties of friendship and camaraderie.
Many traditional sports had their seasons postponed or canceled due to the pandemic earlier this year. And although leagues like the NHL and NBA have begun to slowly restart their seasons, some sports fans found themselves tuning in to esports events as a substitute for in-person competition.
Competitive video games like Call of Duty and Madden NFL seem to have been instrumental for the Arizona Cardinals as well. According to wide receiver Christian Kirk, video games have served as the "No. 1 escape and savior during quarantine" for a majority of professional athletes. Kirk went on to say that he would squad up with several of his teammates on Call of Duty for several hours every day after they finished working out. This Cardinal CoD Squad has even spent time streaming their games on Twitch.
Kirk went on to speak about why playing games with his teammates felt important to him. Games like Call of Duty and Madden NFL give the Cardinals "an opportunity to compete with one another, communicate. It's like being on the field, I think that's why we like it so much." Outside linebacker Chandler Jones seems to agree with this mentality as he uses time with teammates on Call of Duty to pick their brains, bond, as well as hold them accountable for their workout routines.
It will certainly be interesting to see if this extra time playing video games will be beneficial for the Cardinals when the NFL resumes play later this year. Cardinals quarterback, Kyler Murray has spent quite a bit of time playing Madden with teammates during the quarantine. Murray has an overall quarterback rating of 77 in Madden NFL 21, making him the number 21 overall in the league.
The Arizona Cardinals aren't the only ones spending more time playing video games during the quarantine. According to The NPD Group, 35% of gamers have spent more time playing video games as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems like being stuck at home has been a great excuse for players to spend more time with a controller in their hands.
Source: Arizona Cardinals
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