They can write anything they want to. In fact, they always have. I have been around long enough to know whats going on when a few of the management team leave at once. Either they were forced out, or new management criticized their work/took over,or they were busy bee's talking to each other because they werent happy with there jobs, or all the talk about them in the forums, or youtube,etc... You think both these guys being there for 10 years, and leaving at the same time is coincidence? Come on. I don't even have to question it, I"ll call this one with ease. I don't blame them for leaving though. Good for them, and possibly even better for us IMO.
If you don't think words hurt people, watch the Lebron James post show again. He was hurt by all the comments too. Our tongues are sharper then a two edged sword. I have a feeling Ian had enough from someone(EA, forums, what ever), and it looks like Phil has too. You don't leave a job these days because everything is on the up and up at the workplace. Like I said this could have been new management making changes too, or a combo of all the above.
The question I will always have is, whose fault is Madden 06-11 really. Different dev's, or the upper management pulling all the strings? I also ask myself how skilled the devs are. Are they capable of major gameplay fixes, or just at roster changes, and minor features? Did they always need another dev team who perhaps get paid higher to make major changes? The truth is,
I do not know the answer to those questions. I guess time will tell if Ian and Phil were the ones inching Madden forward.