The New Jinx

Football fans everywhere were crushed by the news that Michael Vick broke his leg in last night's preseason game. Though he'll only miss about four regular season games, it still means we'll be without the game's most exciting player for at least a quarter of the season.

The more pressing issue arising from Vick's injury was that of the ominous curse that's sweeping the sports world: The EA Sports Madden Cover Jinx. The country's most popular video game, Madden NFL, has been putting players on the it's cover for the last four years, and each player has been subsequently hit with undue malady. The 2001 edition cover (which was released in August, 2000) featured Eddie George, who had just led the Titans to the Super Bowl. After appearing on Madden, he had a subpar, injury-plagued season. The 2002 coverboy, Daunte Caulpepper had just come off of a breakthrough season in which he and Randy Moss tore up the field. His 2001 season was a major setback, as his interceptions went up while the Vikings' win total went down. Last year's victim was, Marshall Faulk, fresh off an MVP season. After the EA curse, his team mysteriously lost their first five games and inexplicably missed the playoffs. And now, a mere three days after the 2004 edition's release, coverboy Michael Vick goes down with a horrific injury. A mere coincidence? Perhaps. But if I were a guy like Jeremy Shockey, when EA Sports comes calling a year from now, I'd run like hell.