The Sports Informant

Legendary quarterback Brett Favre is on the cover of the Madden NFL 09 video game. This could ultimately spell his doom.

While those before him have suffered a string of bad luck, so may Favre. If he follows as the next cursed player, the video game could not only end his season, but his career.

The myth is that anyone who agreed to be on the cover of Madden NFL video games were cursed to have terrible seasons shortly after. Don’t believe me?

In 2001, running back Eddie George was on the cover. Prior to the cover, George had career highs in yardage and touchdowns. The following season he averaged only three yards per carry and posted career lows of 939 yards and five touchdowns due to a toe injury the whole year.

Daunte Culpepper graced the 2002 cover (for the 2001-2002 season) after throwing for almost 4,000 yards and 33 touchdowns in the 2000 season. He was never the same after, suffering a back injury in the season and sat out the rest of the year.

Marshall Faulk was on the 2003 cover, then suffered an ankle injury and missed five games the next season.

Michael Vick was on the 2004 cover, was injured in the preseason after its release and played in only the last five regular season games. His team missed the playoffs and finished 5-11.

Ray Lewis was on the 2005 cover, and after being labeled the best defensive player in the game, he followed with a season without a single interception (after six the year before), then broke his arm in week 15. His team failed to make the playoffs after winning its division the previous year.

Donovan McNabb was on the cover of Madden NFL 06. He led the Eagles to the Super Bowl the year prior, then suffered a sports hernia in the 2005-2006 campaign that eventually needed surgery and ended his season.

Shaun Alexander was on the 2007 cover. He rushed for 1,880 yards and scored a record 28 total touchdowns the year before the cover, then fractured a bone in his foot after being on the cover. He missed six starts that season after only missing one start in his previous 64 games.

Quarterback Vince Young, after winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, threw only nine touchdowns and a whopping 17 interceptions the year after he donned the 2008 Madden cover. This year, he’s doing even worse, replaced as the starting quarterback while he recovers from mental problems.

Why do these guys keep signing up for this? Here’s what I don’t get. If I’m a professional athlete, I don’t need the endorsement money the video game brings, especially if it could potentially be harmful to my career, which in the long run is what will keep me making any sort of money anyway.

If Favre escapes a tragedy it’s only because of one thing. No, it’s not stretching before a game or getting rid of the ball before a big hit. It’s simply that he’s not the same guy on the cover.

The cover features Favre in his old Packers’ uniform. After the cover came out, he was traded to the Jets, where he’s seemingly thrived early on.

Good for you, Brett. You found a loophole. Don’t get too comfortable, though. If this is anything like the “Final Destination” movies, you’re never really in the clear. Watch out for that safety blitz from the Patriots. I’m sure Rodney Harrison would love to end your career.