|
 Brett
Favre to Retire
Madden Curse
It
will take an NFL
player of
extraordinary force
to ultimately
abolish that pesky
Madden Curse.
Enter now retired
Green Bay Packers
great Brett Favre.
To
celebrate twenty
years, this year's
Madden NFL game
won't feature a
current football
superstar, but
instead is turning
to the NFL legend
Brett Favre.
That
is good news to
those still playing
in the NFL who may
have been considered
for the game cover.
Prior to 2000, all
of the Madden NFL
game box covers
prominently featured
John Madden only.
When EA (the
developer) started
to have NFL players
on the cover of the
Madden NFL games,
some later
(half-jokingly)
speculated that
there was a "Madden
curse": a
coincidental series
of misfortunes that
befell the product's
cover-boys.
People started
noticing a pattern
when the Atlanta
Falcons' star
player, quarterback
Michael Vick, was
injured during the
2003 preseason after
posing for the cover
of Madden 2004. Vick
suffered a broken
fibula in a
pre-season game
against Baltimore,
the day after Madden
2004 was released to
retailers. The
injury resulted in a
painful 5-11 year
for Vick's team.
Some of the people
that believed in the
curse stated that
the player featured
on the box would get
injured, or simply
have a weak season.
EA officials point
out that Ray Lewis
and Eddie George
appeared on the
covers of the 2005
and 2001 versions,
respectively, and
had successful
seasons without
injury, or so they
say. Lewis
broke his arm that
season.
George's curse can
be argued to have
started the year he
was on the cover
because in the 2001
AFC Divisional
Playoff game George
had a costly fumble
that lost the game
for Tennessee. He
also fumbled 8 times
during the 2000
regular season,
losing a career high
4 fumbles. In a
playoff game against
the Ravens, Eddie
George bobbled a
pass that was
intercepted by Ray
Lewis who ran it
back for a touchdown
for the eventual
winning score.
The curse continued
into the 2006 thru
2008 seasons and
even extended into
the Spanish version
of the popular game.
QB Donovan McNabb,
who was featured on
the cover of Madden
NFL 06, led the
Philadelphia Eagles
to Super Bowl XXXIX
with a 13-3 regular
season record to
face the New England
Patriots. He ended
2004 throwing just
shy of 4,000 yards
and throwing for 31
passing touchdowns
with only 8
interceptions. He
also rushed for an
additional 3 TDs.
However, during the
2005-2006 season, in
which he was on the
Madden cover, McNabb
suffered a sports
hernia, but elected
to play until after
the November 14th
game against the
Dallas Cowboys.
Seahawks RB Shaun
Alexander, who
appeared on the
cover of Madden NFL
07, had one of the
best statistical
seasons ever in the
2005-2006 season, as
he rushed for 1,880
yards and scored
what was a record 28
total touchdowns (27
rushing). Alexander,
who had missed one
start in his
previous 64
contests, fractured
the 4th metatarsal
in his foot after he
was on the cover. He
missed six starts
and failed to rush
for 1,000 yards for
the first time since
2000. Additionally,
his touchdown record
from the previous
year was broken by
LaDainian Tomlinson,
who scored 31
touchdowns in 16
games. After his
2007 season, he was
released from the
Seahawks.
Tennessee Titans QB
Vince Young, who
appeared on the
cover of Madden 08,
threw 2,456 yards
with 9 passing
touchdowns and 17
interceptions in the
season of his cover
appearance. Barring
a drop in just two
of his main
statistical passing
categories, Young
improved on every
other category from
his rookie year, as
well as being the
spearhead in the
achievement of the
Titans' first
playoff berth in
four years. Despite
making the playoffs
for the first time
since 2003, Young
was injured just one
game of the season
at Houston due to a
quadricep injury.
San Diego Chargers
DE Luis Castillo
appeared on the
cover of the
first-ever Spanish
language version of
Madden NFL 08.
Castillo, during the
2007 NFL season,
suffered an ankle
injury that forced
him to miss six
games. Likewise, his
stats from the
season before, where
he also only played
in ten games, showed
a statistical drop
in virtually every
defensive category.
So perhaps by not
appearing on the
field, Brett Favre
could help to break
the curse, assuming
of course he doesn't
trip over one of his
kids toys and break
a leg.
Fortunately, and we
knock on wood as we
write this, none of
the injuries
suffered as a result
of appearing on the
cover of Madden NFL
have been life
threatening.
"Brett Favre is a
perfect fit for the
Madden NFL 09 cover,
as he epitomizes
everything the
franchise has stood
for the past 20
years - longevity,
excellence, and a
love of football,"
said Madden NFL 09's
executive producer
Dale Jackson.
Madden NFL 09 is due
out for just about
everything except
the PC on August 12.
----
Dan
Shapiro,
Gambling911.com
Originally published
April 25, 2008 1:00
pm EST |
