Has EA Sports Resurrected the Madden Curse?

                     In 2009 EA Sports must have been tired of being blamed for the so called #Maddencurse. EA tried something they had not done yet and put 2 players on the cover. While this tactic did somewhat work, Larry Fitzgerald remained essentially unscathed, with just a slight reduction in production mainly due to Kurt Warner's retirement and his only bad thing being that he missed the Pro Bowl with a rib injury. Troy Polamalu was not as fortunate. Troy in week 1 sprained his MCL, he ended up missing the next four games. When he returned he played three more games, only to injure his posterior cruciate ligament in November. Pittsburgh ended up missing the playoffs and finished at 9-7.

                     EA Sports in an attempt to eliminate this curse, or at least not take blame for it anymore  gave the power to the people. In 2010 they held the first Madden Cover Vote where Drew Brees graced the cover. It looked as though it may have begun to work, Brees did have an unusual bad year. But no major injuries nothing that put his career in danger, but they did lose to Seattle in the Wild Card round. Seattle that year was the first team in NFL history to make it to the playoffs with a losing record.              

                       Ea must have saw satisfaction with these results, no blame and no detrimental injuries to the cover athlete. They have had a Madden Cover Vote fore every year since with Madden 12 being the last sign of the curse since when Peyton Hillis won the vote to be on the cover. You are probably asking who is Peyton Hillis, MADDEN CURSE. He had a terrific 2010 campaign with The Browns, 1177 yds rushing and 477 yds receiving. In 2011 he only played 10 games due to sickness and injuries, accumulating just 587 yds rushing. Browns did not resign him and he hit FA at the end of the season. He played for a few more teams never being relevant again and faded into nothingness.



             


                                                                       
 

            Finally...Success.. In 2012 the curse was ended Calvin Johnson AKA Megatron won the vote and made the Madden Cover. He destroyed The Curse. He ended up Breaking the all time NFL receiving yards record that was previously held by NFL Hall Of Famer, Jerry Rice for 16 years. The broken curse trend continued for the next three years with exception of Madden 14 or 25 as it was called. That was the anniversary Madden with Barry Sanders who was already out of the game and in no danger of the curse. Madden 15 with Richard Sherman and Madden 16 with Odell Beckham Jr. the curse seemed that EA had beaten The Curse by putting the power in the hands of us the fans.




                                    EA in an attempt to challenge The Football Gods, said "Fuck You, Football Gods! We select Rob Gronkowski to be on the cover. We killed your curse and have no fear of it." Are they wrong? Should they fear it? Prior to the Madden Cover Votes you have Madden 99 - Madden 10, that is 12 players that EA selected with 11 of them cursed. Why would you change it up at the point that you have essentially proved the curse dead. Why go back to what didn't work at first? Let's just hope I am wrong and this will not reawaken the curse and that it truly is gone for good, but if I am correct, at least its a dirty cheating patriot who is on the cover.