Since 1999, the “Madden Curse” has haunted NFL stars who’ve dawned the famous video-game-series cover. A year of success for an NFL star often puts him in the running for the Madden case, the front page of the most popular sports video game in the world. And year after year, players who’ve been featured on the cover have seen a fall from grace–a decline in numbers, demotion, or even injury.
Many believe in the curse. And the stats hold up.
In 1999, it was Garrison Hearst. Hearst had the best statistical regular season of his career, with 1,570 rushing yards on 310 carries and seven touchdowns. He also hauled in 39 receptions for 535 yards and led the 49ers into the playoffs. But on the first play from scrimmage in a divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons, Hearst suffered a broken ankle. He didn’t see the field again until the 2001 season.
*It should be noted that the Madden year, i.e. Madden 1999 is not released at the start of the 1999 season. Its release coincides with the following year–1998. So one year previous to Madden 1999 is actually the 1997 season. Just as the most current Madden, Madden 2009, is being released this year, before the start of the 2008 season–and last year was the 2007 season.
Barry Sanders was next in 2000. Some debate this cursed season. Sanders retired unexpectedly before the season, ending his career.
Eddie George graced the 2001 cover. This ”cursed” year, however, occured one year after the cover, not the season of his appearance. One season after George was on the cover, he fell short of the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career, and had the lowest yards-per-rush in his nine-year NFL tenure. The previous year, George had 1,509 yards on the ground and 14 touchdowns.
2002 featured Daunte Culpepper, after a season in which # 11 threw for 3,937 yards and 33 touchdowns. The year of his cover, Culpepper’s touchdown tosses were cut in half, and he threw 13 interceptions. His passing yards, too, fell to 2,612.
Marhsall Faulk’s numbers fell dramatically in 2002, with his appearance on Madden 2003. His rushing yards fell from 1,382 in 2001 to 953. It was the first season in five years that Faulk failed to reach 1,000 yards, and only the second time in his nine-year career to that point. He never reached 1,000 yards again in his NFL career.
Michael Vick graced the cover in 2004, and before the regular season even began — during a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens – he suffered a fractured right fibula. Vick would play in only the last five games of the season, finishing with 585 passing yards and four passing touchdowns after a 2002 season in which he had 2,936 passing yards, 16 touchdown tosses and 777 rushing yards.
2005 featured star linebacker Ray Lewis. It would be his first and only season in his 12-year career without a single interception. Though, Lewis still totaled 146 tackles, 100 solo.
After throwing for nearly 4,000 yards, and 31 touchdowns in 2004 to lead the Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX against the New England Patriots, McNabb was given the cover of Madden 2006. In 2005, his “cover” year, McNabb suffered a sports hernia, continued to play, and then aggrevated the injury further and elected to have season-ending surgery. The Eagles finished 6-10 following their 2004 Super Bowl run.
Shaun Alexander had 2007’s cover after a stellar 2005 campaign in which he racked up 1,880 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. In his cover year, however, Alexander missed six starts with a fractured foot and failed to reach 1,000 yards for the first time in five years and only the second time in his career to that point. Alexander finished the year with 896 rushing yards and his touchdowns fell from 27 to seven.
Vince Young had the box in 2008 and suffered a quadriceps injury in the Titans fifth game of the season. Young did, however, return the following game and continued to develop as a quarterback. Young led the Titans into the playoffs in only his second season behind center. Some say Young put an end to the curse in 2007.
And now we have Brett Favre. Will Favre continue the infamous Madden curse? Brett Favre, who at 38 had one of the most impressive statistical performances in his career?
The Jets, Favre’s new team, don’t seem to be improving his odds.
Last season, the Jets won only four games and finished third in the AFC East. Offensively, the Jets posted 294.7 yards per game–26th in the league–and ranked 25th in the league with 268 points per game. Will Favre be enough to spark a struggling offense?
They have two capable receivers in Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. Running back Thomas Jones had over 1,000 yards last year, a stat Favre would like to see again in 2008.
The Jets defense surrendured 355 points in 2007– 19th in the league–nearly 332 yards per game, and intercepted 15 passes–fifth worst in the NFL.
So once Favre overcomes the hurdles of leading a questionable team, with a middle-of-the-road defense, then he can concentrate on breaking a 10-year bad-luck streak.
Source: NFL.com, Fannation.com, Profootballreference.com, Newyorkjets.com - Aug. 8, 2008 - 10:54 p.m. et
