Drew Brees has been announced as the feature player for the cover photo of EA Sports Madden NFL 2011. The announcement has sparked discussion among fans, who are wondering if he may fall victim to the alleged “Madden Curse” that has seemingly plagued Madden cover players in previous years.
Brees, who is the star quarterback from the New Orleans Saints, was selected through a consumer vote to be on the highly anticipated 2011 Madden NFL cover. The game will be featured on popular gaming systems Playstation 3 and XBOX live and distributed all over the world.
The downside to this seemingly uplifting announcement is that Brees is now a prime candidate for what is known as the “Madden Curse.” The “Madden Curse” refers to past football stars whose careers slipped into a downward spiral after being featured on the cover of Madden NFL.
The first NFL player to be struck by the “Madden Curse” was 2001’s featured player Eddie George, who after being on the cover suffered a horrible season due to a drastic drop in his rushing yards.
Another player to be hurt by the “Madden Curse” was quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who after being on the cover of the game fell into a season full of interceptions and a losing record.
Cover player Michael Vick had a drop in his stats leading to the Falcons missing their shot at the playoffs.
The “Madden Curse” has its exceptions, such as Brett Farve, who was on the cover after his retirement and later came back to NFL football to have his best season, statistically, with the Minnesota Vikings.
Brees, who is the star quarterback from the New Orleans Saints, was selected through a consumer vote to be on the highly anticipated 2011 Madden NFL cover. The game will be featured on popular gaming systems Playstation 3 and XBOX live and distributed all over the world.
The downside to this seemingly uplifting announcement is that Brees is now a prime candidate for what is known as the “Madden Curse.” The “Madden Curse” refers to past football stars whose careers slipped into a downward spiral after being featured on the cover of Madden NFL.
The first NFL player to be struck by the “Madden Curse” was 2001’s featured player Eddie George, who after being on the cover suffered a horrible season due to a drastic drop in his rushing yards.
Another player to be hurt by the “Madden Curse” was quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who after being on the cover of the game fell into a season full of interceptions and a losing record.
Cover player Michael Vick had a drop in his stats leading to the Falcons missing their shot at the playoffs.
The “Madden Curse” has its exceptions, such as Brett Farve, who was on the cover after his retirement and later came back to NFL football to have his best season, statistically, with the Minnesota Vikings.
“The players don’t believe in the curse,” Chris Erb, EA Sports director of marketing, told the Christian Science Monitor.
Only time will tell whether Brees will become another victim to the “Madden Curse”. The planned release for the game is Aug. 10.
