11
Apr
2012
Adam Schefter ponders the Madden Curse’s effect on Peytons everywhere (PIC)
Today’s deep thought comes to us via Adam Schefter’s Twitter, where he wondered aloud whether the infamous Madden Curse might be stronger than ever:
(via Twitter.com)
Mind = Blown.
It really makes you wonder why anyone would ever want to be on the cover of Madden at this point … let alone campaign for it like Rob Gronkowski did this off-season.
Fortunately for Pats fans, Gronkowski got knocked out of this year’s voting in the quarterfinals by Calvin Johnson, who will now square off against Aaron Rodgers in the semis, prompting Packers Nation to flood the voting for Johnson to keep Rodgers away from the cover. On the other side of the bracket, favorite Cam Newton is up against surprise #11 seed Patrick Willis, who narrowly defeated Victor Cruz to advance in the quarters, much to the delight of Giants fans everywhere.
I’m not sure if this is quite what EA Sports had in mind when they opened the cover up to fan voting, but it at least makes things interesting.
CHECK OUT A LIST OF MADDEN CURSE VICTIMS AFTER THE JUMP
28
Apr
2011
Peyton Hillis wins cover of Madden ’12
(Image via waitingfornextyear.com)
In what amounts to a total shocker, Cleveland Browns RB Peyton Hillis was chosen to grace the cover Madden ’12. This year, the cover boy of the popular EA Sports’ video game franchise was put up to a fan vote, with 32 players (one from each team) entered into a March madness-style tournament, with fans deciding who would advance. And after five weeks and 13 million votes, the undrafted RB out of Arkansas was crowned the winner.
Hillis, a 10th seed, went through a gauntlet of higher-ranked opponents, defeating Ray Rice, Matt Ryan, Jamaal Charles and #1 seed Aaron Rodgers in a stunner to reach the finals, where he soundly defeated Eagles QB Michael Vick to win the cover with 66% of the final round votes. The victory over Rodgers stunned everyone the most, leading many to speculate that Packers fans rallied to vote against Rodgers in fear of the dreaded “Madden Curse”.
But regardless, Hillis – who burst onto the NFL scene last season with over 1,600 total yards and 13 TDs – clearly had his own viral support team of Browns fans, and is eager to disprove the existence of the curse:
“For people to believe in this so-called curse, I can’t wait to prove people wrong,” he said. “From what I believe and where I am in my spiritual life, it would be good to prove them wrong in that sense.”
You’ve gotta know that the folks at EA sports had something else in mind when they started this tournament. But Hillis is pretty much a prototypical “Madden Guy”, so he actually fits the brand perfectly. And at this point, Browns fans will take anything that could even be considered a positive sign for their franchise, and Hillis is the best thing they’ve got going right now.
WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE MADDEN ’12 COVER ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER THE JUMP
11
Sep
2009
Polamalu makes pro bowl in 1st quarter, out 3-6 weeks with Madden Curse
In case you missed it, Troy Polamalu was a one-man highlight reel in the first half of last night’s Steelers/Titans game. The Pro Bowl S was everywhere, firing into the backfield with speed and power that you just don’t see, even at the NFL level. He led both teams with 6 tackles in the first half, all the while his thick black hair floating majestically in the Pittsburgh night air.
And then there was this, ridiculous one-handed interception at the end of the 1st quarter:
With their defense picking up right where they left off, everything was looking good for the Steelers and their faithful.
But then, it happened. With about three minutes left in the half, Polamalu injured his left knee when a Titans player fell on him after the Steelers blocked a 31-yd FG attempt. Head Coach Mike Tomlin stated in his post-game press conference that Polamalu will miss 3-6 with an MCL sprain.
If I had Larry Fitzgerald on my fantasy football team, I'd be worried
In addition to being a major blow to the SB champs, Polamalu also becomes the latest victim of the Madden Curse, after gracing the cover of Madden NFL 10 with Larry Fitzgerald. I’m not normally a big believer in this sort of thing, and I thought the SportsIllustrated curse got overblown. But as Shutdown Corner points out, this is becoming a real trend. Other recent victims of the Madden curse include Michael Vick (broken leg/prison), Donavan McNabb (hernia, missed 7 games), Shaun Alexander (broken foot, 6 games), Vince Young (moron/back-up) and Brett Favre (douche bag).
The injury happened when Polamalu was attempting to pick up the ball and make yet another play for his team. He was taken to the locker room before the half, and did not return, with back-up Tyrone Carter taking his place. Tomlin said that Polamalu will undergo further tests to determine the exact extent of the injury, and couldn’t rule out the possibility that it could be worse than initially thought.
