I would have to respectfully disagree.
I think year to year saves are a MUST for sports games now. (Seems like this was always there in older titles?). I guess I am just at an age where all the time setting up a franchise is not what I enjoy as much as the year to year progression of that franchise. Be it Football, baseball, etc. I want to continue the story I began. Not create a new one each year. Without year to year saves, I may consider playing M17 again next year so I can enjoy my created world a little longer. That is just where I am in the Sports Video Game world.