A lot has been made of various sport's curses through the years, but none more true than the curse of anyone who is featured on the cover of the Madden video games. And in the spirit of the 2009 version which came out last night, I thought it was appropriate to discuss the validity to this correlation.
*Note: Before 2001, Madden Football didn't have NFL players on it's cover. Before then, John Madden himself was solely featured on the covers.
Now for the victims:
Madden NFL 2001
Cover Athlete Eddie George, RB, Tennessee Titans
The curse did not take effect right away. Eddie George was the first player to appear alone on a Madden cover and the year previous to being featured on the cover, he recorded career highs in touchdowns and rushing yards. He was also selected to his third Pro Bowl. However, in 2001 he would post career lows in touchdowns and rushing yards and a fumble in the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff arguably cost the Titans the game.
Madden NFL 2002
Cover Athlete Daunte Culpepper, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Culpepper's season ended in the 11th game when he suffered a back injury in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Madden NFL 2003
Cover Athlete Marshall Faulk, RB, St. Louis Rams
While Marshall Faulk never missed any games this year, an injured ankle took a big bite out of his normally stellar statistics and caused the St. Louis Rams to fall from 14-2 to 7-9. This record caused them to miss the playoffs a year after losing the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots.
After the Curse: Faulk was never able to fully recover from his injuries in the 2002 season and never again rushed for over 1,000 yards.
Madden NFL 2004
Cover Athlete: Michael Vick, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Just days after Madden NFL 2004 was shipped to stores, Michael Vick fractured his leg in a preseason game. The injury was so severe that it caused him to miss the first 11 games of the season, effectively killing any chance the Falcons had of making a second straight appearance in the playoffs.
After the Curse: It is Vick's off-the-field problems that shows the curse is alive and well for him as he is currently in prison for running an illegal dog fighting ring.
Madden NFL 2005
Cover Athlete: Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore Ravens
The year Lewis was on the cover, he did not collect a single interception and his Ravens missed the playoffs after losing in the Wild Card round the year before. Lewis' bad luck continued into the 2005 season as a hamstring injury ended his season in game six.
Madden NFL 06
Cover Athlete: Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
Before landing on the cover of Madden NFL 06, Donovan McNabb had led the Eagles to five straight playoff appearances. But in addition to being cursed, McNabb took it one step further and openly flaunted the curse in an ESPN interview: "It might be a trend, but I don't believe in the curse at all. I'm happy I'm on the cover." Whether you believe or not, the one thing you do not do is tempt fate because fate will always win.
And so it goes for Donovan McNabb. In the 2005 season opener, McNabb suffered a sports hernia that would eventually require surgery. He decided to hold off on the surgery until a groin injury in the tenth game of the year ended his season.
After the Curse: McNabb rebounded nicely in the 2006 season, leading the league in touchdown passes and the conference in passing yards… until game ten that is. In the tenth game of the season McNabb tore his ACL and was again sidelined for the rest of the year.
Madden NFL 07
Cover Athlete: Shaun Alexander, RB, Seattle Seahawks
With McNabb’s woes the year before a matter of record, 2007’s cover athlete, Shaun Alexander, once again chose to flaunt the curse in an interview. Speaking to The Seattle Times, the running back said "I don't believe in curses."
Game three would make a believer out of Alexander as a broken foot against the New York Giants would cause him to miss six starts and cause his total rushing yardage to fall below 1,000 yards in a season for the first time since his rookie season.
Madden NFL 08
Cover Athlete:Vince Young, QB, Tennessee Titans
Vince Young finished with 9 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, but completed 62% of his passes and Tennessee went 10-6, losing to the Chargers in the first round of the playoffs. He also injured himself in the fifth week of the 2007 season and missed the next game. Young had never missed a game due to injury dating all the way back to Middle School.
AND NOW FOR THIS YEAR'S LUCKY WINNER>>>>>>>
Madden NFL 09
Cover Athlete: Brett Favre, QB, Green Bay Packers?!
Uh, oh!
*Note: Before 2001, Madden Football didn't have NFL players on it's cover. Before then, John Madden himself was solely featured on the covers.
Now for the victims:
Madden NFL 2001
Cover Athlete Eddie George, RB, Tennessee Titans
The curse did not take effect right away. Eddie George was the first player to appear alone on a Madden cover and the year previous to being featured on the cover, he recorded career highs in touchdowns and rushing yards. He was also selected to his third Pro Bowl. However, in 2001 he would post career lows in touchdowns and rushing yards and a fumble in the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff arguably cost the Titans the game.
Madden NFL 2002
Cover Athlete Daunte Culpepper, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Culpepper's season ended in the 11th game when he suffered a back injury in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Madden NFL 2003
Cover Athlete Marshall Faulk, RB, St. Louis Rams
While Marshall Faulk never missed any games this year, an injured ankle took a big bite out of his normally stellar statistics and caused the St. Louis Rams to fall from 14-2 to 7-9. This record caused them to miss the playoffs a year after losing the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots.
After the Curse: Faulk was never able to fully recover from his injuries in the 2002 season and never again rushed for over 1,000 yards.
Madden NFL 2004
Cover Athlete: Michael Vick, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Just days after Madden NFL 2004 was shipped to stores, Michael Vick fractured his leg in a preseason game. The injury was so severe that it caused him to miss the first 11 games of the season, effectively killing any chance the Falcons had of making a second straight appearance in the playoffs.
After the Curse: It is Vick's off-the-field problems that shows the curse is alive and well for him as he is currently in prison for running an illegal dog fighting ring.
Madden NFL 2005
Cover Athlete: Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore Ravens
The year Lewis was on the cover, he did not collect a single interception and his Ravens missed the playoffs after losing in the Wild Card round the year before. Lewis' bad luck continued into the 2005 season as a hamstring injury ended his season in game six.
Madden NFL 06
Cover Athlete: Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
Before landing on the cover of Madden NFL 06, Donovan McNabb had led the Eagles to five straight playoff appearances. But in addition to being cursed, McNabb took it one step further and openly flaunted the curse in an ESPN interview: "It might be a trend, but I don't believe in the curse at all. I'm happy I'm on the cover." Whether you believe or not, the one thing you do not do is tempt fate because fate will always win.
And so it goes for Donovan McNabb. In the 2005 season opener, McNabb suffered a sports hernia that would eventually require surgery. He decided to hold off on the surgery until a groin injury in the tenth game of the year ended his season.
After the Curse: McNabb rebounded nicely in the 2006 season, leading the league in touchdown passes and the conference in passing yards… until game ten that is. In the tenth game of the season McNabb tore his ACL and was again sidelined for the rest of the year.
Madden NFL 07
Cover Athlete: Shaun Alexander, RB, Seattle Seahawks
With McNabb’s woes the year before a matter of record, 2007’s cover athlete, Shaun Alexander, once again chose to flaunt the curse in an interview. Speaking to The Seattle Times, the running back said "I don't believe in curses."
Game three would make a believer out of Alexander as a broken foot against the New York Giants would cause him to miss six starts and cause his total rushing yardage to fall below 1,000 yards in a season for the first time since his rookie season.
Madden NFL 08
Cover Athlete:Vince Young, QB, Tennessee Titans
Vince Young finished with 9 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, but completed 62% of his passes and Tennessee went 10-6, losing to the Chargers in the first round of the playoffs. He also injured himself in the fifth week of the 2007 season and missed the next game. Young had never missed a game due to injury dating all the way back to Middle School.
AND NOW FOR THIS YEAR'S LUCKY WINNER>>>>>>>
Madden NFL 09
Cover Athlete: Brett Favre, QB, Green Bay Packers?!
Uh, oh!
