Of all the off season NFL events, one of the most exciting (in my mind, at least) is the announcing of the cover athlete for Madden NFL. Towards the end of the NFL season, and after the Super Bowl, there’s always great discussion of who will grace the historic cover. This year, to nobody’s surprise, the cover will feature Arizona Cardinal WR Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, who played a key role in the Cardinal’s Super Bowl campaign, will not be alone on the cover however. He will be joined by Pittsburgh Steeler Safety Troy Polamalu. This marks the first time in Madden cover history that two players will be featured on the cover.
Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the Madden cover, is the infamous “Madden curse.” Since the game began featuring athletes on the cover (as opposed to John Madden, himself) certain players have undergone a performance downgrade, whether it be from injury, or just poor playing. A notable example of this is Shaun Alexander (Madden 2007) , the reigning league MVP who faced an injury the following season causing him to miss several starts. I personally do not believe in this curse, but you cannot deny the presence of it. It’s nothing more than a coincidence in my eyes, but one has to question; will Fitzgerald and Polamalu suffer in 2009? These guys are both at the top of their game, and I expect it to continue in 2009. Maybe this will finally end some of the Madden curse nonsense.
The concept of this cover is really cool in my opinion. Featuring two elite players from the most recent Super Bowl is a great idea, and I’m curious if it will be the new formula for the Madden cover. If this is so, what would happen if the Steelers were to make the Super Bowl again? (which is very possible; I make no mention of the Cardinals, well, because it’s just not gonna happen). Would they really put another Steeler on the cover again? I think it’d be silly to have a Steeler on the cover two years in a row. Well, if this formula does hold true, I’m really pulling for an Eli Manning Madden NFL 11 cover…
*Shout out to my friend Mike (Gis) for this blog idea…
Keith M. Heiman 