Almost as well known as the game is the idea of the Madden cover jinx. This year, perhaps in an effort to avoid the responsibility of crippling another player, EA Sports let the fans vote for the cover boy. Madden fans are not typical gamers, and they truly know the NFL and it's players.
Basically EA Sports turned the cover choice this year into a popularity contest, and it came down to two guys, Cleveland running back Peyton Hillis and Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick. (If you are reading this and don't know by now that Hillis has been picked, NPR.com is upstairs to the left. See what I just did there?)
I know I'm not the only one, but I couldn't help but think of the completely different paths these two men have taken to get to where they were this morning, literally in the same place.
Vick was drafted no. 1 overall, out of Virginia Tech, in 2001. He spent six years being one of the most electrifying players in the NFL. He was also one of the first players to sign a $100 million contract. Then came the dog fighting arrest. He literally lost everything...the glory, the money, his freedom. He spent time in Leavenworth. He was conditionally reinstated to the NFL, signed by the Eagles, and then last year returned being one of the most dynamic players in the league. He's also worked very hard to rehab his image. In the eyes of fans, at least Madden fans, he has obviously done that.
Hillis, on the other hand, was taken in the 7th round of the NFL draft. He spent most of his college career at Arkansas either blocking for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones or getting crowbarred into the offense at tight end, h-back, wide receiver, fullback, etc. He didn't get much respect in Denver, starting at fullback as a rookie, until injuries thrust him into the starting running back role. Enter Josh McDaniels, Hillis goes to Cleveland, starts off as the fullback there until injuries push him into the starting line-up again. This time he seized the job and didn't let go, using his bruising style to run for almost 1,200 yards, receive almost 500, and score 13 touchdowns.
This final pair shows that NFL fans, at those that play Madden, really only care about what happens on the field. They can be very forgiving about off field transgressions and someone's path to stardom. Get it done on Sunday and the masses love you.
This turning a blind eye to everything other than performance is shown in another way....race. It doesn't take much to notice that Hillis is a white man excelling at a position traditionally dominated by black men, and Vick is just the opposite, a black man excelling a position traditionally dominated by white men. Again, do the damn thing on the gridiron and that's all anyone will care about.
In the end Hillis was voted on to the cover by a 66% to 34% margin. Does this mean he isn't as forgiven as we thought? Probably not. He did get to the finals after all. The one thing no one is talking about is the fact that Vick was on the cover of Madden 2004. (In true Madden curse form, he broke his leg in a pre-season game five days after the game was released.) If there was any backlash against Vick it was most likely because of his previous cover. (Then again, he did make to the finals.)
So what does it all mean? These guys' paths couldn't have been more different, Madden fans are forgiving, white guys can tote the rock, but this white guy is probably going to have a catastrophic season-ending injury. Then again, the way he runs, that is probably going to happen sooner rather than later.
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