Madden Curse
Will the Music City experience a
Titan disappointment in 2007?
Updated: August 14, 2007
Original Release: August 18, 2003
Are you ready from some EA Sports 2008 Madden
NFL Football??.... and are you ready for a Madden Curse? (jukebox scratch)
With the official unveiling of the 2008 version of the most popular football video game ever,
we have also officially unveiled the most feared football curse… ever.
How feared? According to ESPN LaDainian Tomlinson reportedly turned down
the 2008 cover and the millions in additional revenue that come with it to
avoid “The Curse”. So let’s take a look at a FootballDocs’ timeless
classic to show you what “The Curse” is all about…
Move over Sports Illustrated, it is time to talk about a real curse.
With today marking the release of the 2008 version of the most popular football
video game ever, we thought there would be no better timing than to update
our classic Madden Curse article with its latest victim. Unfortunately
for the Music City Faithful, that victim is Vince Young. While his
pocket book may be a little heavier thanks to a heavy endorsement check courtesy
of EA Sports, Young 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 Curse”. Some might say that “The Curse” doesn’t exist, but try telling
that to the previous six out of seven cover boys of Madden Football (article
continued below EA Sports Ad).
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What is the Madden Cover Curse?
It’s not even Halloween yet, and the Docs are already diving into the realm of the supernatural with all this talk regarding curses.
Well here we go, so 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 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 John Madden’s mug.
That 2001 version (released in 2000) was the beginning of one of the soon-to-be most infamous curses in sports.
Every offensive player that has appeared on the cover of Madden has experienced a substantial
reduction in production for the year of the cover’s release. 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 the curse. Well, unfortunately for Donovan McNabb and the Philly Nation, "The Curse" promptly got back on track in 2005...
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.
The Numbers:
2001 Cover (2000 release) - Eddie George
(note: George had a one year delay after being the inaugural cover boy)
Team
|
Year
|
Games
|
Rush Yards
|
Rush TDs
|
Rec. Yards
|
Rec. TDs
|
Tennessee Titans
|
2000
|
16
|
1509
|
14
|
453
|
2
|
Tennessee Titans
|
2001
|
16
|
939
|
5
|
279
|
0
|
2002 Cover (2001 release) - Daunte Culpepper
Team
|
Year
|
Games
|
Pass Yards
|
Pass TDs
|
INT
|
Rush Yards
|
Rush TDs
|
Minnesota Vikings
|
2000
|
16
|
3937
|
33
|
16
|
470
|
7
|
Minnesota Vikings
|
2001
|
11
|
2612
|
14
|
13
|
416
|
5
|
2003 Cover (2002 release) - Marshall Faulk
Team
|
Year
|
Games
|
Rush Yards
|
Rush TDs
|
Rec. Yards
|
Rec. TDs
|
St. Louis Rams
|
2001
|
14
|
1382
|
12
|
765
|
9
|
St. Louis Rams
|
2002
|
14
|
953
|
8
|
537
|
2
|
2004 Cover (2003 release) - Michael Vick
Team
|
Year
|
Games
|
Pass Yards
|
Pass TDs
|
INT
|
Rush Yards
|
Rush TDs
|
Atlanta Falcons
|
2002
|
15
|
2936
|
16
|
8
|
777
|
8
|
Atlanta Falcons
|
2003
|
5
|
585
|
4
|
3
|
255
|
1
|
2005 Cover (2004 release) - Ray Lewis...defensive immunity?
Team
|
Year
|
Games
|
Tackles
|
Assists
|
Sacks
|
INT
|
Fum. Rec.
|
Baltimore Ravens
|
2003
|
16
|
120
|
41
|
1.5
|
6
|
2
|
Baltimore Ravens
|
2004
|
15
|
100
|
46
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
2006 Cover (2005 release) - Donovan McNabb
Team
|
Year
|
Games
|
Pass Yards
|
Pass TDs
|
INT
|
Rush Yards
|
Rush TDs
|
Philadelphia Eagles
|
2004
|
15
|
3875
|
31
|
8
|
220
|
3
|
Philadelphia Eagles
|
2005
|
9
|
2507
|
16
|
9
|
55
|
1
|
2007 Cover (2006 release) - Shaun Alexander
Team
|
Year
|
Games
|
Rush Yards
|
Rush TDs
|
Rec. Yards
|
Rec. TDs
|
Seattle Seahawks
|
2005
|
16
|
1880
|
27
|
78
|
1
|
Seattle Seahawks
|
2006
|
10
|
896
|
7
|
48
|
0
|
2008 Cover (2007 release) - Vince Young
Team
|
Year
|
Games
|
Pass Yards
|
Pass TDs
|
INT
|
Rush Yards
|
Rush TDs
|
Tennessee Titans
|
2006
|
15
|
2199
|
12
|
13
|
552
|
7
|
Tennessee Titans
|
2007
|
TBD
|
??
|
??
|
??
|
??
|
??
|
The only lessons that can be learned here are to stay away from the cover if you are an NFL
star, and to stay away from players that grace the cover if you are a prospective fantasy
football owner and ere to the side of the superstitious...
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