Fantasy Football: The Madden Curse

Fantasy Football: The Madden Curse

By Muntradamus
BEAST DOME NATION.

Every year we make no big deal on who is the cover of madden.  Well, we will make a semi-big deal about it, but we draft away regardless of the curses history.  Let us recap every season since the madden curse took place when Madden selfishly took himself off the cover of every game.  Calvin Johnson owners, this is what history has shown as he is the cover man of Madden 2013.

PEYTON HILLIS – MADDEN 2012

No introduction needed her.  Hillis went from waiver wire claim of the year the previous season, to being the biggest bust who could not stay healthy or keep his job.  He later did admit that it was hard to live up to the hype and put a lot of extra pressure on himself.

DREW BREES – MADDEN 2011

Brees was a monster and was able to throw for 4,600 Yards, and 33 TDs.  He did however have 22 INT’s which is a lot for a QB of his quality, it is also the most he has thrown in a season.  He also had his worst season rushing in the NFL with a total of minus three yards.

LARRY FITZGERALD/TROY POLOMALU – MADDEN 2010

Fitzgerald had his worst yardage season as a pro while dealing with a broken thumb and terrible rib injury in the postseason.  Polomalu was dealing with injuries every week, and missed 11 games because of a sprained UCL that he suffered in Week 1.  Madden curse struck double the year they had two cover men.

BRETT FAVRE – MADDEN 2009

Favre was doing great leading the Jets to an 8-3 record, but of course the curse struck and he tore a tendon in his arm to cut his season short.

VINCE YOUNG – MADDEN 2008

Young had his best season as a pro leading the Titans to a playoff berth.  Young did not suffer from the curse that season, but it did not take long for him to be a forgotten man in the NFL after that.  The next season he was injured in week 1, and it went downhill from there.  Quickly.

SHAUN ALEXANDER – MADDEN 2007

If you had the luxury of owning Shaun Alexander before his madden cover debut, he was a Fantasy Monster.  He was league MVP and then as soon as he was on the cover of Madden the curse began.  He broke his foot in week 3 of the season he made the cover and never returned to form.

DONOVAN MCNABB – MADDEN 2006

McNabb suffered from groin injuries, and one of his worst seasons as a pro.  The Eagles did not make the playoffs and McNabb quietly started going down hill after that.

RAY LEWIS – MADDEN 2005

Lewis broke his wrist the year he was on the cover, but he only missed one game.  Obviously Lewis’ career has been going strong since, and the Madden curse did not really effect him, but he still did get hurt.

MICHAEL VICK – MADDEN 2004

Vick broke his leg in a preseason game and miss 11 total games as the cover man on Madden.  Would not be surprised to see Vick get injured this year.

MARSHALL FAULK – MADDEN 2003

Faulk was the best fantasy football player being the #1 pick year after year after year.  For the first time since 1998 Faulk fell below 2,000 total yards the year he was on the cover of Madden.  It was also the first year since 1997 that Faulk failed to rush for 1,000 Yards.  He never recovered.

DAUNTE CULPEPPER – MADDEN 2002

Culpepper was having a terrible season with 13 INTs in 11 games.  He ended up having a serious knee injury that hindered how long he could have been great in this league.  He was the Cam Newton of that generation.

EDDIE GEORGE – MADDEN 2001

George had his best season as pro rushing the ball an incredible 403 times that season.  He only had three more productive years after, but George did break the curse.  Interesting to note, Steven Jackson now has Jeff Fisher who coached George during the glory years, and Chris Johnson during the CJ2K campaign.

BARRY SANDERS – MADDEN 2000

Sanders was in the background of cover, his career ended that preseason as he retired out of the blue.

DORSEY LEVENS – MADDEN 2000

Madden came out with three different covers this season.  One of the three included Dorsey Levens who only played 5 games and released by the Packers the year after he was on the cover of Madden .  The Vince Young effect began with Dorsey.  While he was on the cover he managed to scrape one of his two career 1,000 Yard seasons.

GARRISON HEARST – MADDEN 1999

Hearst was fine during the regular season he was on the cover of Madden.  However in the postseason his ankle had a terrible injury that made him sit out the next two seasons.  Never was the same RB again.