Parasocial Theory & Madden

I have a major problem with the game Madden. Whenever I find myself with spare time and no other people around, I pop in a version (from ’98-’08) and play a few games. On more than one occasion, I have been chastised by my friends for appearing to “involved” in the game. For example, last week I was playing my division rivals, The Seattle Seahawks, and my roommate Aaron had to keep reminding me that the defenders on my team were being picked apart by an NPC (non-player character).
Essentially, I live my life on that game. I know more about player stats and American Football than I do about my own life. I own multiple fantasy trophies based upon my knowledge of people I do not know. Ray Lewis and I do not hang out on Sundays, nor do I take Peyton Manning and his brother Eli with me when I go fishing. But I can tell you that next season Peyton Manning stands to become the first NFL player with a career 3:1 touchdown average and that he and his wife have a sort of hush-hush relationship agreement when it comes to other men and women. I feel it is safe to move on without erupting brains too much more. Hell, I could go on for days about any player in the NFL. We could talk for hours upon hours, as if we knew them—as if they were our most coveted friend—but in the end, it would all just be parasocial.