So the Madden candidates are out and you can vote for who you want to appear on the Madden 11 cover, but the question is not who you want to be on the cover, but who do you think should take their chances with the curse? Drew Brees, the Super Bowl MVP and the Cinderella story of the 2009-2010 season; Reggie Wayne, one of Peyton Manning’s many threats; or Jared Allen, the defensive end who breaks tackles, not in the open field, but on the offensive line. Who’s next?
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want any of these guys to get hurt because I love to see them play and I hate curses, stigmas, whatever you’ll call them. “Evidence” is there though, so let’s track it back, just a few years.
2010: Larry Fitgerald and Troy Polamalu – Larry Fitzgerald did pull out of the Pro Bowl because of injury, but it was not considered as serious, so we’ll see how he well he does as he starts this next year; his stats may take a dive with Leinart at QB, but there’s no telling until then. Troy Polamalu made some excellent plays in his short season, but played only a few games after getting hurt in the season opener.
2009: Bret Favre – We all know what happened here. Favre was expected to be the exception to the curse because he had just retired. Bret Favre would become the indecisive man we know today, signing with the Jets and suffering a hidden injury that landed the Jets in hot water when it was later discovered. The Jets’ hot season melted away; was it the injury, or was it Bret? Either way, the curse struck again.
2008: Vince Young – Gracing the Madden cover following his rookie season, Young’s sophomore campaign ended in the playoffs, but an injury in the final game of the season led to a dismal playoff performance. The following year would have the curse strike in full. He was benched and replaced by Kerry Collins for the entire season and into 2009. He’s since reclaimed the starting job, and seemed to have shaken off the Madden funk, though he has yet to start a full season in his career.
2007: Shaun Alexander – His stats slipped and injuries plagued him in the 2007 season, leading to his release from the Seahawks. He was then signed to the Redskins, where nothing really happened and he soon became a free agent. He has expressed interest in returning, but has not received any contract offers yet.
I’ve chosen not to believe in this curse, but man is it hard to deny when you’re watching a guy follow a stellar season with one on the bench. So as the year moves on and the cover is set, as I do every year, I’ll be watching to see whether or not the Madden curse continues to grow.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I say we do a write-in campaign for Brett Farve. Maybe that will send send him into retirement forever.
I hope it’s Brees, and I hope he’s the one to break the curse…
I hope it’s Brees, and I hope the curse hits him worse than anyone else.