Saturday, August 14, 2004
NOT JUST MADDEN
In recent years, football fans have heard about the "Madden Curse". What is the "Madden Curse"? It is a tag that has been slapped on the players who have appeared on the cover of the EA Sports NFL video game since 2000.
Madden 2001 (2000 season) --- Eddie George, Tennessee
The Titans couldn't defend their AFC Championship, losing to the Ravens in the divisonal playoffs in Nashville.
Madden 2002 (2001 season) --- Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota
The Vikings went 5-11 in 2001, just one season after they had played in the NFC Championship Game.
Madden 2003 (2002 season) --- Marshall Faulk, St. Louis
Faulk only ran for 953 yards, his lowest total since the 1997 season. The Rams missed the playoffs (7-9) after winning the NFC Championship the year before.
Madden 2004 (2003 season) --- Michael Vick, Atlanta
Vick broke his right leg in the Falcons' first preseason game in 2003. The Falcons would struggle without him, going 2-10. When Vick came back, the Falcons were 3-1, finishing 2003 at 5-11.
Madden 2005 (2004 season) --- Ray Lewis, Baltimore
It remains to be seen what happens with Lewis and the Ravens in 2004.
Before the 2000 season, no NFL player was featured on the cover of the Madden game. John Madden was the only person to grace the cover. After all, it is his game.
Anyways, I've thought about this for a while now. Is there more to the "curse"? Well, judging by these results, it's very possible.
Dating back to 1993, there have been 39 players featured on the covers of 38 various NFL video games.
(Games listed by title, player featured on cover)
(* - games that I have owned)
1993 season
--- NFL '94, Joe Montana* (Sega Genesis)
1994 season
--- NFL '95, Joe Montana
1995 season
--- NFL Quarterback Club, Steve Young
--- NFL Gameday, William Floyd
1996 season
--- NFL Quarterback Club, Dan Marino
--- NFL Gameday, Daryl Johnston
1997 season
--- NFL Gameday '98, Jerome Bettis
1998 season
--- NFL Gameday '99, Terrell Davis* (Playstation)
--- NFL Blitz, Kordell Stewart
--- NFL Extreme, Mike Alstott
1999 season
--- NFL Gameday 2000, Terrell Davis
--- NFL Extreme 2, John Randle
--- NFL Quarterback Club, Brett Favre
--- NFL 2000, Randy Moss
2000 season
--- Madden NFL 2001, Eddie George
--- NFL Gameday 2001, Marshall Faulk
--- NFL Quarterback Club 2001, Brett Favre
--- NFL 2K1, Randy Moss
2001 season
--- Madden NFL 2002, Daunte Culpepper* (Playstation 2)
--- NFL Gameday 2002, Donovan McNabb* (Playstation 2)
--- NFL Blitz 2002, Charles Woodson
--- NFL Quarterback Club, Brett Favre and Rich Gannon
--- NFL Fever 2002, Peyton Manning
--- NFL 2K2, Randy Moss
--- ESPN NFL Primetime 2002, Edgerrin James
2002 season
--- Madden NFL 2003, Marshall Faulk
--- NFL Gameday 2003, Tom Brady
--- NFL 2K3, Brian Urlacher
--- NFL Blitz 2003, Michael Strahan
--- NFL Fever 2003, Peyton Manning
2003 season
--- Madden NFL 2004, Michael Vick* (PC)
--- NFL Gameday 2004, LaDainian Tomlinson
--- ESPN NFL Football, Warren Sapp
--- NFL Blitz Pro, Terrell Owens
--- NFL Fever 2004, Peyton Manning
--- NFL Street, Ricky Williams
2004 season
--- Madden NFL 2005, Ray Lewis
--- ESPN NFL 2K5, Terrell Owens* (Playstation 2)
Out of all of these players, there is only one that has gone on to win the Super Bowl in the same season that he was featured on a video game.
That one player would be Denver's Terrell Davis, who was featured on the cover of 989 Sports' NFL Gameday '99. The Broncos defeated the Falcons 34-19 in Super Bowl XXXIII.
So there you go. It isn't just the "Madden Curse". The point being, the chances of a player winning the Super Bowl are much better if he doesn't put himself on the cover of a video game. Could Ray Lewis or Terrell Owens win the Super Bowl this year? I wouldn't bet on it.
This post is over. Go watch the Olympics, or better yet, go play some video games.
Madden 2001 (2000 season) --- Eddie George, Tennessee
The Titans couldn't defend their AFC Championship, losing to the Ravens in the divisonal playoffs in Nashville.
Madden 2002 (2001 season) --- Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota
The Vikings went 5-11 in 2001, just one season after they had played in the NFC Championship Game.
Madden 2003 (2002 season) --- Marshall Faulk, St. Louis
Faulk only ran for 953 yards, his lowest total since the 1997 season. The Rams missed the playoffs (7-9) after winning the NFC Championship the year before.
Madden 2004 (2003 season) --- Michael Vick, Atlanta
Vick broke his right leg in the Falcons' first preseason game in 2003. The Falcons would struggle without him, going 2-10. When Vick came back, the Falcons were 3-1, finishing 2003 at 5-11.
Madden 2005 (2004 season) --- Ray Lewis, Baltimore
It remains to be seen what happens with Lewis and the Ravens in 2004.
Before the 2000 season, no NFL player was featured on the cover of the Madden game. John Madden was the only person to grace the cover. After all, it is his game.
Anyways, I've thought about this for a while now. Is there more to the "curse"? Well, judging by these results, it's very possible.
Dating back to 1993, there have been 39 players featured on the covers of 38 various NFL video games.
(Games listed by title, player featured on cover)
(* - games that I have owned)
1993 season
--- NFL '94, Joe Montana* (Sega Genesis)
1994 season
--- NFL '95, Joe Montana
1995 season
--- NFL Quarterback Club, Steve Young
--- NFL Gameday, William Floyd
1996 season
--- NFL Quarterback Club, Dan Marino
--- NFL Gameday, Daryl Johnston
1997 season
--- NFL Gameday '98, Jerome Bettis
1998 season
--- NFL Gameday '99, Terrell Davis* (Playstation)
--- NFL Blitz, Kordell Stewart
--- NFL Extreme, Mike Alstott
1999 season
--- NFL Gameday 2000, Terrell Davis
--- NFL Extreme 2, John Randle
--- NFL Quarterback Club, Brett Favre
--- NFL 2000, Randy Moss
2000 season
--- Madden NFL 2001, Eddie George
--- NFL Gameday 2001, Marshall Faulk
--- NFL Quarterback Club 2001, Brett Favre
--- NFL 2K1, Randy Moss
2001 season
--- Madden NFL 2002, Daunte Culpepper* (Playstation 2)
--- NFL Gameday 2002, Donovan McNabb* (Playstation 2)
--- NFL Blitz 2002, Charles Woodson
--- NFL Quarterback Club, Brett Favre and Rich Gannon
--- NFL Fever 2002, Peyton Manning
--- NFL 2K2, Randy Moss
--- ESPN NFL Primetime 2002, Edgerrin James
2002 season
--- Madden NFL 2003, Marshall Faulk
--- NFL Gameday 2003, Tom Brady
--- NFL 2K3, Brian Urlacher
--- NFL Blitz 2003, Michael Strahan
--- NFL Fever 2003, Peyton Manning
2003 season
--- Madden NFL 2004, Michael Vick* (PC)
--- NFL Gameday 2004, LaDainian Tomlinson
--- ESPN NFL Football, Warren Sapp
--- NFL Blitz Pro, Terrell Owens
--- NFL Fever 2004, Peyton Manning
--- NFL Street, Ricky Williams
2004 season
--- Madden NFL 2005, Ray Lewis
--- ESPN NFL 2K5, Terrell Owens* (Playstation 2)
Out of all of these players, there is only one that has gone on to win the Super Bowl in the same season that he was featured on a video game.
That one player would be Denver's Terrell Davis, who was featured on the cover of 989 Sports' NFL Gameday '99. The Broncos defeated the Falcons 34-19 in Super Bowl XXXIII.
So there you go. It isn't just the "Madden Curse". The point being, the chances of a player winning the Super Bowl are much better if he doesn't put himself on the cover of a video game. Could Ray Lewis or Terrell Owens win the Super Bowl this year? I wouldn't bet on it.
This post is over. Go watch the Olympics, or better yet, go play some video games.
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