To me, the fun I have with a game is how the game goes. I have more fun with a 17-14 hard-hitting loss than a 30-0 blowout at 3rd quarter.
I don't know about "warm fuzzy feelings", or if Madden gives me any, but I know the I enjoy a tighter contest than a blowout (I know both happen, just which I have more fun with).
It's not the result, but the flow of the game, that gives the feeling of having fun.