Those poor chaps at EA just can’t get a break.

It seems like each time they release a successful football simulator, professional or college, they always feel the sting of the legal paddle.

To commemorate the release of Madden NFL 11, a class action lawsuit by almost 6,000 retired NFL players has been filed against EA for the use of player likenesses in Madden 09’s historic teams.

The suit’s text suggests that Electronic Arts intentionally used the players’ exact stats and positions during the time they were active members of the National Football League.

Former Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Tony Davis leads the plaintiffs, who say EA intentionally scrambled the jersey numbers of the players to avoid having to reimburse the inactive players and potential litigation.

A big ol’ copy of the lawsuit is here, if you folks want to take a look.

[Via: IGN]