Madden Curse
Why some NFL stars would rather not be on the box.
The Madden Curse is the name fans gave to the run of injuries and slumps suffered by players after they appeared on the cover of a Madden NFL game. Until 1998 nearly every Madden box showed John Madden himself; from Eddie George in 2000 onward the series usually put one of the league's top players on the cover, despite Madden's own objections.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Madden NFL
- First regular player cover
- Eddie George (2000)
Facts from the source article.
Background
The cover became an honor on the level of a Wheaties box, but like the Sports Illustrated cover jinx it picked up a reputation for bad luck. EA Sports' Chris Erb said neither EA nor the players believed in it. Shaun Alexander, the Madden NFL 07 cover athlete, asked whether people would rather be hurt and on the cover or just hurt, and Madden NFL 08's Vince Young was skeptical, but Madden NFL 12's Peyton Hillis blamed the curse for his poor season. Fans of LaDainian Tomlinson pushed so hard against EA's plan to put him on Madden NFL 08 that one created SaveLTfromMadden.com; Tomlinson turned the offer down, later saying it was only over contract terms.
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