Hey Wheel,
I had every madden from 1988 (apple 2e) until 2000. Then I bought 2k. I played online head to head against friends during that time. Before that I played Madden on the genesis against friends and then I entered the online league realm on the PC. The PC had a fully functional online franchise back then, it was amazing. Then of course, they removed it, so I know exactly how you feel. 2k came out and I played the hell out of it online head to head against friends until 2k5 had full support for online leagues, then i played that. Then I lost my favorite brand of football to play all together. Trust me, I know exactly how it feels to have what you enjoy taken away. At least you can get yours back...
There are few people who are frustrated with Madden as much as I am, but connected careers is an awesome addition to this game. That much I am willing to say for sure.