Curses! Madden cover jinx strikes again

by Dan Dormer { Oct 16th 2007 at 7:08PM }

Ah, the best laid plans of game developers and men. Originally selected because of his youth, Vince Young succumbed to the "Madden Curse" this past weekend, suffering a strained right quadriceps muscle in a 13-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (we should have placed that bet!).

He's listed as day-to-day by the Titans, but let this be a lesson to any future cover boys out there: the Curse remains. Just ask Garrison Hearst, Barry Sanders, Dorsey Levens, Eddie George, Daunte Culpepper, Marshall Faulk, Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Donovan McNabb, Shaun Alexander, or of course, Vince Young.

Tags: Madden, madden-curse, MaddenCurse, NFL, Vince Young

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

kennethrios @ Oct 16th 2007 7:11PM

This is getting kind of spooky, guys. Kind of REAL spooky.

Hashbrown_Hunter @ Oct 16th 2007 9:40PM

*cue Twilight Zone Theme Song*

FOXHOUND @ Oct 17th 2007 2:06AM

*barry sanders

Alexander @ Oct 16th 2007 7:14PM

really ask Micheal Vick it fucked him over twice lol

ukickmydog (NDF - Earth) @ Oct 16th 2007 7:14PM

lol, Michael Vick

Slvrgun @ Oct 16th 2007 11:12PM

That shit ain't funny. Imagine going to prison over some damn dogs. That's some grade A bullshit. I feel sorry for him. Wasting my tax dollars because he killed dogs that nobody would have wanted. Whatever.

ill trooper @ Oct 17th 2007 6:05AM

"Wasting your tax dollars," Silvrgun? That's a waste of your tax dollars? Are you in the same state as the Vick trial? What about $200,000,000 every day that we spend in Iraq? Maybe rethink your priorities if you're going to pick Vick's case as a 'waste of your tax dollars.'

The Boo @ Oct 17th 2007 9:45AM

Seriously Slvrgun, WTF!?! I hope you don't have any pets.

Bertz @ Oct 17th 2007 9:50AM

You are right, Vick shouldn't go to jail over just a bunch of dogs. He should be going on RICO charges. Fact is, he and his "boys" set up and illegal gambling operation and they should be doing federal time.

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 16th 2007 7:14PM

I can't decide between "Oh snap" or "That's for appearing in a EA game biotch".

kennethrios @ Oct 16th 2007 7:19PM

I vote for "That's for appearing in a EA game biotch".

Justin @ Oct 16th 2007 7:19PM

I'd wait until he misses a game to say the curse has come into effect. You are reaching a bit with this one. Every little bad thing that happens to the cover boy does not mean the curse was invoked. Save that for the following: season ending injuries, an entire season of piss-poor performances, or time in federal prison. You are watering it down by saying a bruised leg qualifies. Especially when you know he's going to come back and play against Houston...his home town team that also passed him in the draft.

kennethrios @ Oct 16th 2007 7:20PM

You and your cold logic. Repent!

Tim Harding @ Oct 16th 2007 7:19PM

It's a bit too early to tell if this injury could qualify as the Madden curse. If he's back within a week or two, I'd chalk it up to the fact that he plays professional football, not appearing on the cover of a game.

ill trooper @ Oct 17th 2007 6:16AM

I totally agree, it may be reaching a bit to include being listed 'day-to-day'as part of 'the curse' just yet, especially when the reality is NFL injuries are up all across the board over the last several years. Good article early this year in ESPN magazine on steroids and injuries, if you like that sort of reading.

Odog4ever @ Oct 16th 2007 7:20PM

It's only the curse if his whole season goes down the crapper because of this injury. If he gets healthy within a few games, and has a great remaining season, then what?

I think the bigger curse is that he doesn't have much help personel wise. Not to mention how many players have been injured this year. It's getting ridiculous.

Blast Processing Megadrive @ Oct 16th 2007 7:20PM

Now I wonder if the Madden Curse will affect Luis Castillo, cover star of Madden en español 08.

Chris Pereira @ Oct 16th 2007 7:25PM

He's day-to-day. This really isn't on-par with prior injuries and things the Madden curse has yielded.

Matters @ Oct 16th 2007 7:37PM

Not much of a curse. He might not even miss a single full game.

tripmode @ Oct 16th 2007 7:39PM

Who the hell is Barry Sander?

Mr Khan @ Oct 16th 2007 7:48PM

This has always been an entertaining curse, but of course those things are made to be broken (Red Sox in 2004)

Although this is more a Sports curse than a video game curse, i would like to see a topic about people's superstitions in games (like me and OoT's Spirit Temple, every time except once that i've beaten it, and that once was technically Master Quest, something bad's happened either in-game or out)

rockinrodrigo @ Oct 16th 2007 7:51PM

haha man Michael Vick sucks, he wasn't even that good of a QB

now if this curse is true someone please put Brady on it

Jake @ Oct 16th 2007 8:14PM

This is honestly the most persistent curse I have ever heard of. It is somewhat scary when you really think about it.

However, this injury is not very severe. Eddie George actually wasn't totally rocked by the curse either, though he was hurt and lost over a yard per carry which is massive for a RB.

The season is still Young though. See what I did there. Watch your back Vince.

Joe P @ Oct 16th 2007 8:30PM

I think they should just start featuring crappy players and see if the curse works in reverse.

Efren @ Oct 16th 2007 8:41PM

Did you guys really type Barry Sander?

Leonidas @ Oct 16th 2007 9:02PM

For the people who don't believe in the Curse.

Vince Young was injured when he slipped AFTER carrying the ball out of bounds on the sideline. He wasnt even hit. The Curse is real.

gregory mitchell @ Oct 16th 2007 9:06PM

i was just gonna say that. the verdict=the curse

Shagittarius @ Oct 16th 2007 9:28PM

He didn't slip on the sidelines he was just trying to stop running...like all of EAs games.

teenagertc @ Oct 16th 2007 9:09PM

Dorsey Levens was on a Madden Cover? I didn't know that!! I remember the days when Levens was catching passes out on the flat from Favre. Favre still stands tall!!! Let's go Green Bay Packers!!!

vidGuy @ Oct 16th 2007 9:22PM

If my memory and wikipedia serve me well, Vince Young was selected as the cover athlete because LaDainian Tomlinson turned it down, for fear of the curse. When players are turning down big money to be on a video game cover on account of a "curse", I'd say it has some real power.

I agreee, though, this probably won't be a season-ender like the others. But he'll be weakened by it and could end up with a season-ender after a big sack or a scramble the wrong direction.

I DID see that an ESPN newswriter mentioned the Madden curse on his blog within minutes of Young's injury.

3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Oct 16th 2007 9:46PM

It wasn't completely about the curse.
It had more to do with money.

frrs @ Oct 17th 2007 2:10AM

EA wasn't going to pay LT much (for what he's worth) to go around to their events, promote the game, or anything else EA wanted. A few commercials are good for the players that popular but being with EA wasn't worth it.

ill trooper @ Oct 17th 2007 6:16AM

Oh you read that on Wikipedia? Hold on a second, I'll go change it.

I remember reading speculation that it wasn't enough money for LT due to the amount of travel and promotion the cover star needs to commit to with EA... But who knows, it was speculation. I can tell you that's the first I've heard it was a 'fear of the curse.' I definitely believe that you probably saw that on Wikipedia though.

Shmil @ Oct 16th 2007 9:26PM

whats a madden?

Arno @ Oct 16th 2007 9:39PM

Fact: American Football is lame.

(not opinion, FACT! :p)

vidGuy @ Oct 16th 2007 9:45PM

Fact: (American) Football is the most watched and most played sport in the country with the biggest culture influence on the world.

Arno @ Oct 16th 2007 10:02PM

On the *world*? Really now... Most of the *world* would probably disagree with you.

blooh (CDF - Nipple Ring) @ Oct 16th 2007 10:54PM

soccer = gay

FACT

also hockey and nascar

vidGuy @ Oct 16th 2007 11:40PM

Biggest Fast Food, McDonalds - USA
Biggest Retail Store, Wal-Mart - USA
Biggest Film Hub, Most Recognizable Celebrities - California, USA
Blue Jeans - USA
iPod - USA
Some of the best known authors, musicians, and Nobel prize winners - USA
Weblogs, Inc, of which Joystiq is a part - USA
Internet - USA

Every country has its claim to fame, but to deny that the US has a dramatic cultural influence on the world? Oh, you silly Arno...

Arno @ Oct 17th 2007 12:15AM

I don't disagree with you there. You made it seem as if Football was a major influence on the world, that's all I was replying to.

ill trooper @ Oct 17th 2007 6:23AM

Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Soccer/footy: awesome, Football: awesome, NBA: awesome, etc... Everybody wins! No need to argue!

Watch 'em all!

My Pro Sports, Let Me Show You Them...

Christopher7xii @ Oct 17th 2007 10:49AM

Saying Soccer = gay? You're an idiot. It's the only sport that exists on an international level... Where we put our best against others best on a regular basis. It's existed for hundreds of years with virtually no rule changes, and for some reason you still doubt it's sway? Naive much? It's so funny how slammed something gets for not being created in America. Talk about a self-absorbed country.

"Some of the best known authors, musicians, and Nobel prize winners - USA"
Saying 'some of the...' doesn't mean much when you live in the land of the free time. We're a country that revels in it's own glory and our only take to fame really is our pursuit of entertainment gives us the ability to excel in such fields.