Discover the legacy of Jaymes Powell Jr. (1974-2022), a passionate journalist whose love for football and unique personality left a lasting impression. We remember Jaymes, who passed away on August 1, 2022. Jaymes was a distinguished sports journalist who covered the Redskins, Vikings, Chiefs, and Panthers. He also covered politics. His sharp insights and passionate writing made a significant impact on his readers.
At The News & Observer, where I worked in tech support, Jaymes Powell, Jr. was always a friendly and brash presence, frequently reaching out with questions about tech or sports stories. Our shared love for football connected us, and I enjoyed our conversations about his ideal Madden NFL franchise team. Known to carrying a bag of footballs in his car, Jaymes Powell, Jr. was a true football enthusiast. Though he is no longer with us, his passion for the sport and his lasting influence will always be remembered.
Through more than two decades and more than 100 million copies sold, the Madden NFL series and the people who play it have become steadily more diverse. Madden appeals to the football fans for as many reasons as there are fans. Some players, compete offline exclusively in Franchise games. For this community spotlight, we spoke to journalist, political activist, and Madden offline franchise player Jaymes Powell Jr. When I learned that Jaymes played Madden, I learned that head-to-head competitive play wasn't what drove him. I wanted to know what did.
Jaymes and I worked at the same newspaper in Raleigh, NC a few years ago. He as a sports writer; me as deadline tech support. His love for football was apparent. Anywhere there was a football, a field, and willing participants; Jaymes is ready to play. As the only Community Spotlight featured guest at the time of this post that I'd actually played football with and against, I wanted to know if he also played Madden. YES.
TNT713: I am speaking with Jaymes Powell Jr. from www.theJournalistElement.com. Also of formerly of SkinsTalkRadio.com. You can give them the rundown better than I can...
Jaymes Powell Jr.: I started out, came out of college and covered the Kansas City Chiefs briefly, very very briefly. Minnesota Vikings for a season. Baltimore Ravens. Obviously the Redskins with SkinsTalkRadio, and the Carolina Panthers and the NFL in general.
TNT713: So it's safe to say you know a little about the NFL?
Jaymes Powell Jr.: Jaymes Powell KNOWS the NFL.
The inflection in his voice as he shifted to 3rd person for emphasis, reminded me of our very first encounter when his computer died just before his deadline report on a Panthers vs Cowboys game. I can still imagine him standing on the table in his hotel room shouting expletives only a writer would recognize as derogatory. My thoughts shifted to whether he knew Madden too.
TNT713: I also hear you are a Madden player.
Jaymes Powell Jr.: I've been playing Madden since I think '91. And it had these windows, top three windows, and it was stupid. I mean you could see receivers running down the field, but you couldn't see the defense. It was kinda dumb. And I went away from it. But I cam back to it in '99. It's a much better game now. For a few years I didn't like it, but it's a much better game.
TNT713: I think Madden '99 was the first year that they had a Franchise mode. Is that what really drew you back in.
Jaymes Powell Jr.: Yeah. Actually I prefer playing Franchise mode to single game play. I prefer Franchise mode to playing friends. Like my best friend, he didn't beat me from 2000 to 2009. I won like 9 straight years. But that wasn't really fun for me. What was fun for me was taking the worst team in the league and trading for players to build up a franchise. That part to me is the best part of Madden and what separated it from being a “football game'.
Another thing I like, because I don't play single games anymore, is Superstar mode. You know, the player stats and getting traded around the league. It's fun playing whatever position you wanna play. I played wide receiver in college. This allows me to live my dream. [laughs] So you know, Superstar and Franchise modes are the ones I tend to focus on.
A Madden background stretching back almost 20 years is certainly long enough to learn how to play the game. With that much time, most players will have also developed a personality to characterize how they play Madden. On the sandlot Jaymes is competitive, tenacious, and brash. We asked how his on-field character matched up with his virtual field play style and how he views the yearly changes to the game.
TNT713: So how would you describe the way you play?
Jaymes Powell Jr.: Vertically aggressive.
TNT713: So you throw a lot of deep passes?
Jaymes Powell Jr.: WIDE RECEIVER!!! [duh] I tend to notice that every other year it seems to go back and forth between offensive dominated games and defense dominated games. I don't like the defensive years as much, so I don't play it as much. But some defensive years you can't even run the ball. I average like 2.2 yards per carry. That's not acceptable.
TNT713: So which skill level do you play on?
Jaymes Powell Jr.: All Madden all the way! I wanna be the best. I don't want to play on some punk level. I wanna be the best player. I don't care if I lose for a franchise season or two, as long as I get better.
Consistent with my instincts about his personality, it was obvious we shared many of the same competitive traits, we simply diverged in where we liked to display them. Even so, I wanted to know how socialized if at all Jaymes' Madden play had become in the wake of online play. My last question seemed to catch Jaymes slightly by surprise.
TNT713: Have you ever played an online Franchise?
Jaymes Powell Jr.: No. I didn't even know you could do that. But like I said, I don't like playing head to head. I'd rather play the computer. It can be just me and the game. But franchise mode is the coolest thing. Franchise mode took me to Head Coach, but they don't have Head Coach anymore.
Franchise allows me to do a lot more than just play a football game.' My best friend and I like to think. I don't want to play push A, B. I want to think, "What's the best trade I can make? What's the general manager move right here? Should I improve the stadium? Should I move the team?"
It just allows me to do more than just push buttons. I mean, if you've played football, football really ain't that hard.
The chat made me wonder how many other players from the Madden communities exclusively enjoy Franchise vs. CPU. No doubt though, choosing the computer over human opponents does not dull the competitive spirit. After convincing Jaymes to accept a 1v1 challenge by suggesting something about a prime location for my foot, we agreed to get on the sticks next time I get to North Carolina. If Jaymes is as tough a Madden competitor as on a real field, I might have my hands full.
Rest in peace, Jaymes Powell, Jr.. Your legacy in journalism and football will continue to inspire and bring joy to those who knew you.
