Posts Tagged ‘Green Bay Packers’

Let’s Look At The Madden Football Curse

Comments: 0October 14th, 2011 by admin



Historically, few people are more superstitious than athletes. From eating the same thing before every game to wearing the same old t-shirt under their pads during each game, athletes and fans alike look for any reason to explain victories, losses, hot streaks, and cold runs. This expands into the world of video games, let’s take a look at The Madden Curse.

The Madden Curse is the belief that bad things can happen to the player or the player’s team that is featured on the cover of the All-Madden football game each year.

Madden NFL ’99

This is the first year that All-Madden Football carried a picture of a player on the cover, that player was Garrison Hearst. Hearst had a career year in 1999 and was one of the hotter names in the NFL at the time. After appearing on the cover, he led the 49ers in rushing and to a first round playoff win over the Green Bay Packers. In their next playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons, Hearst would go down with a knee injury and wouldn’t play again until the 2001 season.

Madden NFL 2000

Barry Sanders appeared on the cover with John Madden for the 2000 edition of All-Madden Football. Sanders had a long and impressive career and was still putting up some of the best numbers in the league, as well as some of the most exciting plays. A week before training camp opened for the season, Barry Sanders retired leaving the Detroit Lions with no effective running game.

Madden NFL 2001

During the 2001 season following his appearance on the Madden Football cover, Eddie George averaged 3 yards a carry (a career low) and only ran for just over 900 yards rushing while battling a nagging toe injury.

Madden NFL 2002

The year before, Daunte Culpepper had thrown for over 4,000 yards and completed 33 touchdown passes. After appearing on the cover of Madden NFL 2002, Culpepper went on to throw just 13 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions before having his season ended in week 11 because of injury.

Madden NFL 2003

Running back Marshall Faulk appeared on the Madden NFL 2003 cover. Faulk had one of his best years in the league the previous season, but after appearing on the cover he missed five regular season games due to an ankle injury. He never again rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season. The Rams would go 7-9 on the year, one year removed from a 14-2 season that resulted in a Super Bowl appearance.

Madden NFL 2004

Michael Vick, quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, appeared on the cover Madden NFL 2004. Five days after the cover was released, Michael Vick fractured his right fibula. He was only able to play in the last five regular season games that season.

Madden NFL 2005

Madden NFL 2005 saw the first defensive player appear on the cover, Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens. That season Lewis would have no interceptions after having made six the previous season. He would also be injured during week 15 of that season and be forced to miss the last game of the year. The Ravens would also miss the playoffs that year after having won their division the season before.

Madden NFL 2006

After having led the Eagles to the Super Bowl only to lose to the Patriots, Donovan McNabb appeared on the cover of Madden NFL 2006 the next season. Though the Eagles as a team would make it back to the NFC championship Game, McNabb would battle a sports hernia the entire season only to get knocked out of the game against the Dallas Cowboys and have season ending surgery.

Madden NFL 2007

Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander appeared on the Madden NFL 2007 cover the year after setting the record for most rushing touchdowns scored in a season. After missing only one game in his previous 64 starts, Alexander would miss six starts due to a fractured foot. He would go on to fail rushing for 1,000 yards in season for the first time since 2000.

Madden NFL 2008

During Tennessee Titans’ quarterback Vince Young’s season on the cover of Madden NFL 2008, he would go on to throw for less than 2,500 yards with 17 interceptions. Young would go on to be hurt and miss his first NFL game because of an injury. Up until that point, Young had never missed a game due to injury during his NFL, college, or high school seasons.

Superstitions have been around for a long time in sports, but the Madden Curse is a pretty good one with a long and lengthy history.

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Is This the Year For McNabb and Reid?

Comments: 0May 30th, 2009 by admin



I have been a true Philadelphia Eagles fan every since I was a little kid watching Randall Cunningham run, throw, and even punt the ball in order to help the team win. At the time I lived in Watertown, NY and Syracuse was my favorite college team. Then in 1999 Eagles signed Andy Reid as the head coach who at the time was the assistant head coach and quarterback coach for the Green Bay Packers. The signing of Reid was not well received in Philly especially after going 3-13 the year before and a coach coming in with not much head coaching experience. So when the Eagles selected Donovan McNabb out of Syracuse it was like Christmas for me, my favorite player in college getting selected by the Eagles. To my surprise the crowd at the draft booed McNabb because they thought Ricky Williams would have been a better selection. I bet they all regret that now with the “cloud of smoke” surrounding Williams over the years.

Since Reid and McNabb’s tenure at Philly they have gone to the playoffs 7 times, the NFC championship 5 times and reached the Super Bowl once. Thanks to the front office finally giving McNabb a go to receiver in Terrell (T.O) Owens. McNabb had career numbers that year, but unfortunately like many teams have learned T.O was not a team player and had to go. Once again the team was without any true #1 receivers.

Over the years McNabb has been banged up due to scrambling out of the pocket and taking punishing hits, including being sacked by the New York Giants 12 times in a game. Eventually the Eagles front office felt McNabb career might be winding down so in 2007 they selected Kevin Kolb out of the University of Houston to be McNabb’s future replacement. With no fail he endured the same hateful welcome McNabb did on draft day. At the time Eagle fans and other NFL sports analyst thought the Eagles should have been pursuing a legitimate wide receiver to replace T.O. That way McNabb would have another weapon besides RB Brian Westbrook, and finally last year they did.

Jump ahead to this summer, the league eagerly anticipated the return of Michael Vick. No one knew where he would go, and I for one would’ve never thought it would have been Philly. They already had 3 quarterbacks with McNabb, Kolb and A.J Feeley, and didn’t see the value in adding a forth. There were a lot of other teams out there that could’ve used Vick’s service more than the Eagles, but nobody really stepped up to the plate. Lucky for Vick with McNabb asking management to give him a chance raised a lot of questions. Does McNabb really want Vick there? Did Management do it without asking McNabb first? Does McNabb feel threatened with Vick lurking over his back? What about Kolb and Feeley?.

I think as a player over time you grow up. If you look at McNabb’s 1999 draft class, which was to suppose to be the second best quarterback class in NFL history, he is the only one remaining with the team that selected him, the rest have faded off into wonderland. He knows he is getting older and wants the one thing that every great NFL player wants a Super Bowl ring even if it means bringing in Vick to run the Wildcat offense. McNabb’s body has taken to many hits to run around the field like he use to.

With the Eagles going into a bye week, McNabb has time to rest his broken rib. Kolb has time to keep working on his throwing motions in case he is called upon again to lead the Eagles. Vick has time to clear his head and get ready for what is sure to be his chance to show other teams in the league that he still can electrify the crowd in whatever formations Reid and the coaching staff put him in.

Given the cast that coach Andy Reid has put together, this year seems to be a make or break year for him and McNabb. Both came to the Eagles in 1999 and have gone through many ups and downs. Together they know they need do whatever it takes to silence the hostile Eagle fans that just want a Super Bowl win even if they have to pelt Santa with snowballs again. We know they have a solid defense and the quarterbacks to game plan for any defensive unit. They also have the talent at running back with Brian Westbrook, rookie LeSean McCoy, and a short yard back in Leonard Weaver. Finally they have true depth at the wide receiver position lead by DeSean Jackson, rookie Jeremy Maclin, and veterans Kevin Curtis and Jason Avant.

Doubt still remains in Philly on both Reid and McNabb. A lot of people want change even though Reid is considered one of the top coaches in the NFL. McNabb is also the Eagles all time leader in wins, pass attempts, touchdowns, and passing yards. He also holds NFL records for most consecutive pass completions 24, is the least intercepted quarterback per pass attempt of all time, has the third best touchdown to interception ratio of all time, and currently has the third highest winning percentage among active quarterbacks. But in Philly you are forever hated until you leave, retire, or win the Super Bowl.

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