Sports simulators and curses. Part 1. MADDEN NFL. 20 years of misfortune.
What is a curse? A superstitious relic of ancient people, or some mysterious and mystical substance that influences our lives out of nowhere? The question is definitely rhetorical. Perhaps the most famous curse of the sports simulation world, Madden NFL, turns 20 this year. Its essence is that the player who ends up on the cover of the upcoming game is sure to face difficult challenges in life and career, and almost immediately after the cover is published. Let’s figure out whether this curse exists, and whether all of those who sent their portraits for “gold” really suffered.
The Madden NFL series is the largest series of American football games, launched back in 1988. Its creator is John Madden, a famous and very controversial coach in the National Football League (the main American football league in the USA) and its commentator. Until 1999, selfish John on the cover of games, if he depicted people, then of all the worthy ones he chose only himself.
In 1999, EA Sports’ policy changed, and San Francisco running back Harrison Hurst was invited to play the role of the face of the game.
Hurst became an American football legend during his (sports) lifetime, he broke many records and was one of the closest contenders for entry into the NFL Hall of Fame after his retirement.
It is worth saying here that the season in the National Football League starts in August and ends in February. And a new face for the game franchise is chosen in December, when the regular season ends, and it becomes clear who, based on the results of the sports year, becomes the most talked about figure in the league. At that time it was Hirst.
However, already in the very first playoff match after signing a contract with Electronic Arts, Garrison suffered a severe ankle fracture, which left him out of football for the next 2 years. The player will never be able to return to his legendary form. The curse has begun.
THE CURSE HAS WORKED
For your convenience, we will go further in chronological order, from the most ancient games to the most recent.
Barry Sanders and Dorsey Levensey. 2000.
Anyone who is in the know and generally follows American football knows that Barry Sanders has never appeared on the cover of Madden. But few people know that he was incredibly close to this.
After signing a contract with EA, but before the championship season, Sandres, who was the best running back in the league in the 90s, and one of the best in NFL history, shocked absolutely every fan of the game. While working in a training camp, he announced his retirement (apparently, he felt a catch), and never resumed it.
EA Sports quickly re-released the cover of the game that had already gone gold, featuring Green Bay Packers running back Dorsey Levensey on the cover. The team at that time won 2 Super Bowls in a row (the final playoff game in the NFL), and Levensey was the most powerful engine of that team. But in the coming season, the Wisconsin club failed to even make it into the knockout matches, and Levensey suffered a knee injury that ruined his career.
Eddie George. 2001.
Eddie George entered professional football 9 years earlier. Came to the status of the best player in the college football league (NCAA), winner of the Heisman award. Over 9 seasons, he has earned a reputation as one of the most reliable workhorses in the league.
The year before, his team, https://magnusbetcasino.co.uk/mobile-app/ the Tennessee Titans, was one step away from the Super Bowl, they lost in the finals. George, however, remained a star. For 4 seasons in a row, he covered more than 1200 yards with the ball, with a grandmaster result per season of 1000.
The Titans had a dominant regular season and it looked like the curse was falling. But, already in the semifinals of the playoffs, it was George who dropped the pass he was supposed to receive, after which the team dropped out of the race for the championship, and he never again reached 1,000 yards in a season in his career.
Donte Culpepper. 2002.
Donte Callpper was a young, bright, up-and-coming quarterback who immediately found a home with the Minnesota Vikings, his slick long pass, his connection with future Hall of Famer Randy Moss, and his unusual touchdown celebrations earning him a spot on the cover.
However, there is a catch here too. The season that started with the new simulator brought disappointment to Vikings fans. 4 wins, 7 losses for the team, Culpepper’s problems with drugs and weapons, and then the rupture of the cruciate ligaments of the knee (both front and back) allowed the curse to live on.
After the injury of their leader, the northerners won 6 victories in a row, which doomed Donte to polish the bench even after recovery. And after the exchange to another team, his reputation already spoke against the player.
Marshall Faulk. 2003.
At the start of the season, running back Marshall Faulk had become the league champion, played in the final game in such a way that the American press called his performance “The best performance on the turf in history,” and received the award for the best offensive player multiple times.
However, immediately after the release of the game with him on the cover, Faulk’s statistics began to decline steadily. 2002 (the game with the year in the issue was published in August of the previous year) was the first in which he failed to record 1000 yards. What happened next was worse. And in 2006, he underwent knee surgery, from which he never recovered and never took to the field again
Michael Vick. 2004.
Michael Vick was seen as the most talented black quarterback in league history. He had an excellent pass, a sharp mind and incredibly fast feet. At the time of signing a contract with EA, he had already managed to make millions fall in love with him.
However, it was after him that people began to talk about the curse of Madden NFL, because already the NEXT DAY after the game was released, Vic broke his fibula in training and missed the first 11 games of the season.
Yes, Vic managed to recover from the fracture, however, in 2007, the Atlanta Falcons player was charged with organizing dog fighting, which led to 21 months of imprisonment in places not so remote.
After his walk, Vic had one more good season, never signed a $100 million contract again (like he did in Atlanta), and recently retired.
Ray Lewis. 2005.
Number 52 of the Baltimore Ravens, where he spent his entire career, became an icon of the game long before his retirement. He changed his perspective on the linebacker position (one of the key positions in defense), and in large part why his appearance on the cover of a football simulator, him, as a fullback, was a turning point.
Perhaps, in comparison with others, Lewis did not snatch from fate so much. But still, in the season after the game was released (2004-2005), Ray, as a defender, for the first time in his career could not throw a single interception, his team did not make the playoffs for the first time in 6 years, and in the middle of the next season he suffered a torn hamstring, which healed within a year
Donovan McNabb. 2006.
Donovan McNabb was a very reliable QB. Not enough stars in the sky, but he was the leader of the team and a regular in the playoffs. And therefore, the quarterback was chosen as the new face of the computer simulator.
Already in the first match after the game was born, McNabb was forced to leave the field early due to a disc herniation. After that, Donovan missed 7 matches in a row for his Philadelphia Eagles club and managed, through journalists, to publicly quarrel with another team leader, Terell Owens.
Before being featured on the cover of Madden, McNabb played in the NFL All-Star game (Pro Bowl) 5 times. Afterwards, fans chose him only once.
Sean Alexander. 2007.
Alexander had a monster season in 2005, breaking the NFL record for most touchdowns in a season by a single player. Journalists were calling him the next great running back, so the Electronics had little choice.
After the game was released on store shelves, Alexander managed to play 5 games, after which he suffered a broken foot, missed 6 games, was unable to even come close to his previous level, went to play in the Canadian Football League, did not find himself there, and then alcoholism and bankruptcy. But I remember him, he really could have become great..
Vince Young. 2008.
The game Madden NFL 08 has perhaps the most interesting background. By the way, I still play it sometimes. Initially, San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson was supposed to be the face of the game. However, after this information was announced, fans created a collective petition demanding that Vince Young be placed on the box.
Young achieved cult status while still a college player at the University of Texas, the most popular and most football-focused sports university in the United States. He led this university to the title of national champion for the first time in a long time, and he was predicted to have a bright future. In his first professional season, he broke a ton of rookie records, won Rookie of the Year honors, and was selected to the All-Star Game, lifting Tennessee from its knees along the way.
After appearing on the box, Young openly mocked the curse through the media. As it turned out, it was in vain. In week 6 of the championship, he pulled his hamstring, after which he missed the game for the first time in his life due to injury. Young returned to the team already in the 8th game, only to be injured again in the last match of the season, opening the way to the professionals for his backup.
Young was forced to finally sit on the bench after injuring his knee in the first match of the following year. After which he never played as a starting quarterback for any NFL team.
Guys, this is, of course, only part of the material. I’m really looking forward to your feedback, are you interested in continuing to write about Madden NFL and other sports simulators?.