Madden Curse

Prior to 1999, each annual installment of the Madden NFL series primarily featured Madden on its cowl. In 1999, Electronic Arts chosen Garrison Hearst to look on the PAL version's cowl, and has since featured {one of one among one in alone amongst one in each of} the league’s prime players on every annual installment despite Madden's opposition.

While showing on the duvet has become associate honor adore showing on the Wheaties box, very similar to the Sports Illustrated cowl Jinx, sure players United Nations agency appeared on Madden computer game box art have toughened a decline in performance, typically attributable to associate injury.

Garrison Hearst showing on the 1999 PAL cowl was famous to be the "start" of the curse, as once his look, he skin his articulation talocruralis and was out for 2 seasons. Upon his come, however, Hearst rush for one, 206 yards and won his second NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award.

After Barry Sanders' look on the 2000 cowl, Sanders dead retired before coaching camp, falling simply in need of the record for many career dashing yards.

Dorsey Levin’s appeared on the PAL version of the 2000 game, and also the metropolis Packers, whom livens was enjoying for at the time, didn't create the 2000 playoffs, and livens was eventually discharged the year later.

After Eddie St. George appeared on the 2001 cowl, the Tennessee Titans lost within the divisional spherical within the 2000 playoffs. Late within the fourth quarter with the Titans down 17–10, a Steve McNair pass was bobbled by St. George and intercepted by Ray Lewis for a touchdown, waterproofing the sport. St. George additionally ne'er averaged quite three. 4 yards per carry for the remainder of his career.

Daunte Culpepper crystal rectifier the Gopher State Vikings to the playoffs in 2000, however once showing on the Madden NFL 2002 cowl, he threw twenty three interceptions because the Vikings unselect to a 5–11 record. He additionally tied the record for many fumbles during a single season. Whereas his career looked to be back on target in 2004 with a career season, he blew out each knees in 2005 and 2006 and ne'er resembled the player he was at the beginning of the last decade.

Marshall Faulk appeared on the 2003 cowl, and his career (and the success of the St. Joseph Louis Barrow Rams) severely declined later. He failed to register another one, 000-yard dashing season and his yards per carry average born from a homogenous five.4 over the previous 3 years to four.5 in 2002 and four.0 in 2003 and 2004. He started twenty one out of an attainable thirty two games from 2002–2003 as knee injuries got the higher of him. He underwent rehabilitative knee surgery in 2005 and retired that very same year. Since 2007, the Rams have a record of 22-73-1.

After showing on the duvet of Madden NFL 2004, Michael Vick skin his leg bone during a pre-season game against the port Ravens, and also the Atlanta Falcons went 5–11. Years later it absolutely was discovered that he participated in associate illicit dog-fighting ring and he was sent to jail.

Ray Lewis, 2005 cowl contestant and middle linebacker for the port Ravens, had his season restrict in week fifteen with a radio carpal joint injury. It absolutely was additionally Lewis' 1st season while not associate interception.

In 2006, metropolis Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb molding his ACL and gristle in his right knee whereas jumping out of bounds during a game versus the Tennessee Titans, ending his season. McNabb additionally suffered a sports rupture within the 1st game of the season.

Running back Shaun Alexander, then the league's ruling Most worthy Player, was featured on the duvet of Madden NFL 07, and sustained a foot injury that caused him to miss six starts. As a result, Alexander’s dashing statistics were well but those from the previous season, and he ne'er came back to true type.[58] Alexander himself has asked, “Do you would like to be hurt and on the duvet, or simply hurt?"