I'm not a very superstitious person. I don't believe in the breaking of mirrors causing bad luck. I walk under plenty of ladders and stepping on a crack in the sidewalk never broke my mother's back. But there's one superstition I wholeheartedly believe in, and that's the infamous Madden Curse.
Those who don't know what it is, well it's pretty simple. Basically if you're an NFL athlete and your likeness graces the cover EA Sports' Madden video game, you're screwed. In some way, shape, or form your career is in jeopardy. Most people deny the Curse, but apparently EA believes in it enough to be developing a movie based on it.
According to The Wrap, the film would reportedly follow a former Madden champion who comes out of retirement and finds himself on the cover of the latest game...which makes him susceptible to the Curse.
The history of the Madden Curse is undeniable. Just take a look at the damage it's done ever since the year 2000 and tell me there isn't something to it...
NFL legend John Madden appeared on the cover of all the Madden games until 1999, when San Francisco 49ers running back Garrison Hearst had the unfortunate honor. Hearst played well throughout the regular season but broke his fibula in the NFC divisional playoffs. He missed two full seasons rehabbing his leg and never fully recovered from the injury.
In 2000, the Madden cover featured runnings backs Barry Sanders and Dorsey Levens. When Sanders retired before the season, EA Sports released new copies of the game with Levens on the cover. He injured his knee and never won his starting job back.
The Madden Curse struck 2001 cover subject Eddie George a year late, though his career was cut short nonetheless, while QB Dante Culpepper suffered a season-ending knee injury after appearing on the 2002 cover.
After rushing for more than 1,300 yards for four straight seasons, 2003 cover Marshall Faulk was bothered by a lingering ankle injury that limited him to under 1,000 rushing yards.
Michael Vick broke his leg one day after Madden 2004 was released with his photo on the cover. He only played in five games all year.
After earning the honor in 2005, perennial Pro Bowler Ray Lewis failed to record a single interception, and a torn hamtring forced him to watch the Ravens fail to make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.He also broke his wrist and missed 10 games the following year with a thigh injury.
In 2006, Donovan McNabb said publicly that he didn't believe in the curse. The Philadelphia Eagles QB suffered a sports hernia in his first game before opting for season-ending surgery after eight games.
In 2007, running back Shaun Alexander broke his foot and missed six games, never regaining his Pro Bowl form.
After Ladainian Tomlinson turned down the 2008 cover, EA turned to Tennessee Titans QB Vince Young, who was swiftly struck by the curse, which limited him to just five games thanks to a quadriceps injury. The following year, he suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss most of the season.
Madden 2009 featured golden boy Brett Favre on the cover, but even the Madden Curse couldn't keep him out of the lineup. I would argue that Favre's escape that year has caused the Curse to have double repercussions this year.
The 2010 cover featured both Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu, the latter of whom sprained his MCL in the season opener before tearing his PCL later in the season. As for Fitzgerald, he suffered a rib injury that caused him to miss a playoff game, as well as the Pro Bowl.
Thus far, Drew Brees has remained injury free, but there's a lot of season left to play. Anybody wanna bet he catches a severe case of turf toe and has to call it a year?
