Hey All,
Finally someone that sees it's not an issue with EA itself, but with the Game Center reliability factor. I found the method of installing the iOS beta from https://beta.apple.com, installing it, restarting, and it normally connects. Sometimes you may have to re-install the 'beta' , but it only takes a minute or so.
That being said, the Original Poster's solution is the BEST I've found to date and would recommend it above any others.
