Madden's Cover Contest Puts The Power Of The Curse In Your Hands

The so-called Madden Curse is the stuff of legend, where players who make the cover of EA's football game find themselves injured or face career slumps. EA is once again letting fans wield the responsibility of picking the next victim cover athlete in an online vote.

“Whether it be from fans, media, agents, or even the players themselves, there’s never a shortage of opinions when it comes to the annual selection of the Madden NFL cover athlete,” says Anthony Stevenson, Senior Product Manager of EA EA Sports. “So this year we’re handing the keys over to the public. ESPN continues to be a tremendous partner of the Madden NFL franchise, and it makes perfect sense for ‘SportsNation’ to be the platform that gives fans the ultimate say in who graces the cover of Madden NFL 12.”

All you have to do is visit ESPN's site and make your selection. Voting will follow a traditional seeded bracket format, with the winner making the cover of Madden NFL 12. Some of the potential cover stars include Michael Vick, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, and current cover star Drew Brees. The voting starts today and runs through April 27.

Maybe the current drama surrounding the NFL is a cumulative effect of the curse? Terrifying thought, no?