The Madden Curse

Has the clock struck twelve for Arizona in 2009?

Updated: June 8, 2009
Original Release: August 18, 2003

With the official unveiling of the cover boys for the 2010 version of the most popular football video game ever, we have also officially updated the most feared curse in all of sports... ever.  How feared?  According to ESPN, LaDainian Tomlinson reportedly turned down the 2008 cover (summer 2007 release) and the millions in additional revenue that came with it. Perhaps to avoid the Madden Curse? (He still didn't escape, as evidently just being selected as the potential cover boy causes the Madden Curse to take effect). Back in 2003, this article was originally composed to be nothing more than a tongue-in-cheek, fun read to discuss a quirky trend. Years later, this is just getting downright freaky. We can't rationalize it. We can't explain it. We can't even make any sense of it. It just is what it is. So with that in mind, let's just accept it at face value and take a look at a FootballDocs' timeless classic to show you what the Madden Cover Curse is all about...

So what is the Madden Cover Curse?
Move over Sports Illustrated, it's time to talk about a real curse. It's not even Halloween yet, and we are already diving into the realm of the supernatural with all this talk regarding curses. So here we go... turn down the lights and sit back as we pass this little urban electronic legend down into your neck of the woods.

The Madden series of electronic football games by Electronic Arts (EA) Sports has been a staple for America's youth (and some not so youthful) ever since its launch in 1989. Since then, it has become the best selling sports title in the history of the electronic gaming industry. In 2000, the Madden franchise decided to place a NFL player on the cover instead of using John Madden's mug. That 2001 version (released in 2000) was the beginning of one of the soon-to-be most infamous curses in all of sports. It was discovered that if you went into a bathroom, turned out the lights, and said John Madden's name five times in a row, he would appear and start signing "My Brett Favre is Back!" (GASP!! SWEET HEAVENS!) Err... sorry... wrong Madden Curse ... OK, how about we try this again... (ahem) It was discovered that after NFL players started to grace the cover of the Madden Game, every offensive player that appeared on the cover experienced a substantial drop in production for the year of the cover's release (enter "Psycho" music - IT'S A FANTASY FOOTBALL NIGHTMARE!!)

In 2004, Linebacker Ray Lewis was the first cover boy to come from the defensive side of the ball, and also the first (and only) to make it through a season without a significant drop in production. Perhaps nature had decided Lewis had experienced enough turmoil in his NFL career and deserved a BYE on from the Madden Curse.   Well, unfortunately for Donovan McNabb and the Philly Nation, the Madden Curse promptly got back on track in 2005, and it hasn't looked back ever since. The first time that the curse was in effect it took an extra year to get started.  Ever since then it has been very consistent in crushing a player's season for that release year. Some might say that the Madden Curse doesn't exist, but try telling that to the previous eight out of nine cover boys of Madden Football.

The Numbers:

2001 Cover (Summer 2000* Release) Passing/Receiving Rushing Year Player Team Pos Games Yards TD INT Yards TD 2000   Eddie George TEN RB 16 453 2 -- 1509 14 2001   Eddie George - CURSED TEN RB 16 279 0 -- 939 5

* There was a one year delay to get the Madden Curse rolling!

2002 Cover (Summer 2001 Release) Passing/Receiving Rushing Year Player Team Pos Games Yards TD INT Yards TD 2000   Daunte Culpepper MIN QB 16 3937 33 16 470 7 2001   Daunte Culpepper - CURSED MIN QB 11 2612 14 13 416 5

2003 Cover (Summer 2002 Release) Passing/Receiving Rushing Year Player Team Pos Games Yards TD INT Yards TD 2001   Marshall Faulk STL RB 14 765 9 -- 1382 12 2002   Marshall Faulk - CURSED STL RB 14 537 2 -- 953 8

2004 Cover (Summer 2003 Release) Passing/Receiving Rushing Year Player Team Pos Games Yards TD INT Yards TD 2002   Michael Vick ATL QB 15 2936 16 8 777 8 2003   Michael Vick - CURSED ATL QB 5 585 4 3 255 1

2005 Cover (Summer 2004 Release) Defensive Statistics Year Player Team Pos Games Tackles Assists Sacks Fum. Rec. INT 2003   Ray Lewis BAL LB 16 121 42 1.5 2 6 2004   Ray Lewis* - IMMUNITY BAL LB 15 101 46 1 2 0

* Defensive immunity to "The Curse"...?

2006 Cover (Summer 2005 Release) Passing/Receiving Rushing Year Player Team Pos Games Yards TD INT Yards TD 2004   Donovan McNabb PHI QB 15 3875 31 8 220 3 2005   Donovan McNabb - CURSED PHI QB 9 2507 16 9 55 1

2007 Cover (Summer 2006 Release) Passing/Receiving Rushing Year Player Team Pos Games Yards TD INT Yards TD 2005   Shaun Alexander SEA RB 16 78 1 -- 1880 27 2006   Shaun Alexander - CURSED SEA RB 10 48 0 -- 896 7

2008 Cover (Summer 2007 Release) Passing/Receiving Rushing Year Player Team Pos Games Yards TD INT Yards TD 2006   Vince Young TEN QB 15 2199 12 13 552 7 2007   Vince Young - MILD CURSE TEN QB 15 2546 9 17 395 3 2008   Vince Young* - CURSED TEN QB 3 219 1 2 27 0 Year Player Team Pos Games Yards TD INT Yards TD 2006   L. Tomlinson SDG RB 16 508 3 -- 1815 28 2007   L. Tomlinson** - CURSED SDG RB 16 475 3 -- 1474 15

* While Young experienced a decent drop in production from 2006 to 2007 (19 vs. 12 total TDs and 13 vs. 17 INTs), the real hammer came in 2008... hmmmm... perhaps back in 2000, "The Curse" didn't need a year to get rolling... perhaps if you play for Tennessee, the Madden Curse has a one year delay to realize its full effect! Chalk it up to "Music City Magic"? ** Tomlinson reportedly was offered the 2008 cover (summer 2007 release) and turned it down along with the millions in additional revenue that came with it. Perhaps to avoid the Madden Cover Curse? (He still didn't escape, as evidently just being selected as the potential cover boy causes the "The Curse" to take effect).

2009 Cover (Summer 2008 Release) Passing/Receiving Rushing Year Player Team Pos Games Yards TD INT Yards TD 2007   Brett Favre GB QB 16 4155 28 15 12 0 2008   "Jet" Favre - CURSED NYJ QB 16 3472 22 22 43 1

So who is on the cover for the 2010 edition of Madden Football?
Unfortunately for the fans of Arizona still seeing stars from their amazing playoff run to the Super Bowl last year, the latest cover boy for the Madden franchise is Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald shares the cover with Pittsburgh Steelers' Safety Troy Polamalu; however, as Ray Lewis' year in 2004 suggests, Polamalu could experience defensive immunity to the Madden Curse and show no signs of a drop in production. As for Fitzgerald, he is not so lucky. While his pocket book may be a little heavier thanks to a heavy endorsement check courtesy of EA Sports, Fitzgerald would be served well this season by throwing some salt over his left shoulder each Sunday, keeping a four-leaf clover in his jersey, and never, ever leaving his home without his trusty rabbit's foot. With a little luck, those efforts will help balance the bad luck generated by the the Madden Curse. Perhaps the fact that Fitzgerald is the first wide receiver to ever grace the cover and also the first player to share the cover with another player will help confuse the Madden Curse.  Perhaps the fact he shares the cover with a defensive player grants him "immunity through association". Well, only time will tell:

2010 Cover (Summer 2009 Release) Passing/Receiving Rushing Year Player Team Pos Games Yards TD INT Yards TD 2008   Larry Fitzgerald ARZ WR 16 1431 12 -- -- -- 2009   Larry Fitzgerald - CURSED? ARZ WR ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? Year Player Team Pos Games Tackles Assists Sacks Fum. Rec. INT 2008   Troy Polamalu PIT S 16 54 19 0 0 7 2009   Troy Polamalu - IMMUNITY? PIT S ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??