File this under Jumping the Gun or Striking While the GridIron is Hot, Wal-Mart has announced pre-orders for Madden NFL 11. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if EA suddenly decided on Madden Online or no Madden 2011 and stuck Wal-Mart with a big fat "Uh Oh"?

Walmart.com is getting NFL and gaming fans ready to play.  As of this morning, Walmart.com is taking pre-orders of Madden NFL 11 and offering a $20 e-Gift card to fans who pre-order the game. The e-Gift card can be used online at Walmart.com on millions of items, including gaming accessories such as an Xbox Live 3-month Gold Card,  Sony Dual Shock 3 Wireless Controller for the PS3, or the Nintendo Wii Motion Plus.  

Madden NFL 11, which lets gamers relive the excitement of NFL Sundays like never before, marks the 22nd year of the award-winning, best-selling pigskin franchise.   

Walmart.com will ship the game to customers when it’s released on Aug. 20, 2010.  

So there you go. If you order 6 months in advance you can get $20 in swag basically. Plus, you’ll miss out on any other upcoming pre-order incentives that might pass by. After all, it’s just the end of the 2009/10 season and many months to go before the next.