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Felt like writing an article since I'm getting up early tomorrow anyway. Enjoy!
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The dreaded Madden Curse has always been a topic of discussion when it comes to the football season. Those that have been given the honor of gracing the cover have usually succumbed to unfortunate injuries or disappointing performances during the season. But as coincidental or mysterious as the curse may seem to be, are we just missing the obvious?
Let's paint the picture with our current and past cover boys. Peyton Hillis was awarded the Madden 12 cover this season in a voting bracket done by the fans. There's no way he could possibly be cursed, could he?
Well, as fate would have it, his Browns are 4-6 and he's missed substantial time with a hamstring injury. The team has made it clear that they may not renew his contract at the end of the season, and his reputation has suffered from speculation that he sat out of a game from a minor illness.
But the curse was alive long before Hillis.
Drew Brees threw the most interceptions of his career as the cover boy, and played six games with a torn MCL. Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu both suffered through injuries during the 2009-2010 campaign. Brett Favre, Vince Young, Shaun Alexander, Donovan McNabb: The list goes on and on of players who had major setbacks after appearing on the game's cover.
It seems unbelievable at times. How could so many great players experience the same dreadful end after simply appearing on the cover of a game? Perhaps the spotlight boosts a player's ego enough to where they're focused too much on themselves. Maybe they play timid in fear of getting hurt. Or maybe, we're just missing the obvious.
I'd like to present to you now a list of players that would've been worthy candidates for a cover selection for the 2012 Madden game, however ended up having nothing to do with the franchise. As you read, ask yourself this question: Is a "curse" inevitable because of the nature of the NFL?
Michael Vick was coming off his greatest season as a professional as the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles. His accomplishments were far beyond expectations, and his play was inspiring to a lot of people given his second chance at life.
Coming into this season, the Eagles were labeled a "Dream Team" by backup quarterback Vince Young for their loaded talent. This put the target on their backs, and led to an unexpected slide of bad losses and injuries. This was capped by Vick himself being sidelined with a rib injury.
Peyton Manning was coming off a typical Manning-like season, where he threw for 33 TDs and 4700 yards. His 2011-2012 season was never to be, however, because Manning suffered a neck injury that hasn't allowed him to play. Had he been on the cover of Madden, people would undoubtedly agree he was cursed. Instead, he's just an injured player.
Adrian Peterson is hurting, too. Although he's not cursed, his potential-wildcard-contending team was winless to start the season - a fate he has never endured in his career. A high-ankle sprain has put his playing status up in the air for this week.
Perhaps Andre Johnson, the freak receiver out of Houston, could've been our cover boy? His season was cut short with a hamstring injury earlier this season, and although his team has gotten off to a hot start, the change in quarterback might set this team back from their ultimate goal.
Although just in his second season, Eric Berry's hype and rookie statistics from 2011 could be arguably worth a cover spot. And he fits right in with the rest of our contenders, since his season was ended with a knee injury.
If the curse is taking out superstars from season's past, how do we explain all these other situations? When it's broken down, the disconnect is obvious. The NFL is a grueling game, and it takes a lot for players to be able to maintain a high level of play consistently. This goes for a veteran like Olen Kreutz who unexpectedly retired, or a rookie like Julio Jones is struggling just to stay healthy.
So, is the Madden Curse real? It's about as real as a shadow: You can see that it's there, but without the real object and something to shine the light, it doesn't exist.
Just don't tell that to Peyton Hillis.
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The dreaded Madden Curse has always been a topic of discussion when it comes to the football season. Those that have been given the honor of gracing the cover have usually succumbed to unfortunate injuries or disappointing performances during the season. But as coincidental or mysterious as the curse may seem to be, are we just missing the obvious?
Let's paint the picture with our current and past cover boys. Peyton Hillis was awarded the Madden 12 cover this season in a voting bracket done by the fans. There's no way he could possibly be cursed, could he?
Well, as fate would have it, his Browns are 4-6 and he's missed substantial time with a hamstring injury. The team has made it clear that they may not renew his contract at the end of the season, and his reputation has suffered from speculation that he sat out of a game from a minor illness.
But the curse was alive long before Hillis.
Drew Brees threw the most interceptions of his career as the cover boy, and played six games with a torn MCL. Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu both suffered through injuries during the 2009-2010 campaign. Brett Favre, Vince Young, Shaun Alexander, Donovan McNabb: The list goes on and on of players who had major setbacks after appearing on the game's cover.
It seems unbelievable at times. How could so many great players experience the same dreadful end after simply appearing on the cover of a game? Perhaps the spotlight boosts a player's ego enough to where they're focused too much on themselves. Maybe they play timid in fear of getting hurt. Or maybe, we're just missing the obvious.
I'd like to present to you now a list of players that would've been worthy candidates for a cover selection for the 2012 Madden game, however ended up having nothing to do with the franchise. As you read, ask yourself this question: Is a "curse" inevitable because of the nature of the NFL?
Michael Vick was coming off his greatest season as a professional as the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles. His accomplishments were far beyond expectations, and his play was inspiring to a lot of people given his second chance at life.
Coming into this season, the Eagles were labeled a "Dream Team" by backup quarterback Vince Young for their loaded talent. This put the target on their backs, and led to an unexpected slide of bad losses and injuries. This was capped by Vick himself being sidelined with a rib injury.
Peyton Manning was coming off a typical Manning-like season, where he threw for 33 TDs and 4700 yards. His 2011-2012 season was never to be, however, because Manning suffered a neck injury that hasn't allowed him to play. Had he been on the cover of Madden, people would undoubtedly agree he was cursed. Instead, he's just an injured player.
Adrian Peterson is hurting, too. Although he's not cursed, his potential-wildcard-contending team was winless to start the season - a fate he has never endured in his career. A high-ankle sprain has put his playing status up in the air for this week.
Perhaps Andre Johnson, the freak receiver out of Houston, could've been our cover boy? His season was cut short with a hamstring injury earlier this season, and although his team has gotten off to a hot start, the change in quarterback might set this team back from their ultimate goal.
Although just in his second season, Eric Berry's hype and rookie statistics from 2011 could be arguably worth a cover spot. And he fits right in with the rest of our contenders, since his season was ended with a knee injury.
If the curse is taking out superstars from season's past, how do we explain all these other situations? When it's broken down, the disconnect is obvious. The NFL is a grueling game, and it takes a lot for players to be able to maintain a high level of play consistently. This goes for a veteran like Olen Kreutz who unexpectedly retired, or a rookie like Julio Jones is struggling just to stay healthy.
So, is the Madden Curse real? It's about as real as a shadow: You can see that it's there, but without the real object and something to shine the light, it doesn't exist.
Just don't tell that to Peyton Hillis.