THE MADDEN CURSE: WILL TOM BRADY FALL UNDER THE SPELL?
By Marc Auker
It’s that special time of year again for sports fans and gamers alike. Recently, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was selected as the cover athlete for Madden 18, the newest title in the popular Madden video game franchise. Sure, being a cover athlete is an honor of the highest degree in every sport; but being on the cover of an installment in the Madden franchise is risky business.
The risk I’m referring to is the dreaded “Madden curse.” The “Madden curse” is the idea that the current Madden cover athlete will have a lackluster season after appearing on the cover. This idea has gained a lot of traction in the realm of sports because of the relatively high number of cases in which a Madden cover athlete hasn’t met the high standards.
Take former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, for example. As the cover athlete of Madden 06, McNabb was thought to be one of the top players in the National Football League (NFL). Unfortunately for McNabb, and the championship-hungry city of Philadelphia, he suffered a sports hernia that eventually required surgery. Not only did his personal performance suffer, but the Eagles also suffered with a record of 6-10 that season.
Former Cleveland Brown running back Peyton Hillis is arguably the poster child for the “Madden curse,” though. Hillis appeared on the cover of Madden 12 after rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2011. After appearing on the cover, Hillis suffered a slew of injuries and rushed for only 577 yards in 10 games in 2012. Since then, Hillis is almost an afterthought in the NFL; and many fans blame the “Madden curse” for that.
Of course, there are exceptions to the whole idea of the “Madden curse.” Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman helped lead the Seahawks to a second consecutive Super Bowl after appearing on the Madden 15 cover. Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson broke Jerry Rice’s record for receiving yards in a season after appearing on the cover of Madden 13.
So where will Brady fall on this spectrum? It’s really hard to imagine that one of the all-time greats of the game will tank this upcoming season, especially coming off leading the Patriots to the historic comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI (51).
Brady has made a career of overcoming adversity. He started his rookie season fourth in line to be the starting quarterback; but by his second season, he was a Super Bowl MVP. The “deflategate” scandal of 2015 could’ve wrecked the Brady train; but, in typical Brady fashion, he went out and won a Super Bowl.
We’ll have to wait and see if Brady can overcome the “Madden curse” this season. As fans know, though, he perseveres time and time again.
