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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.