Madden Cover Athlete Announced

Crushing the Curse

In case you haven't been paying attention the past few years, there are now two NFL drafts. The primary one, where players make the leap to pro, is the same as it's ever been. But a new event has stolen some of the classic draft's thunder: EA's annual announcement of the new Madden cover athlete.

Tonight on the Jimmy Kimmel show, star Tennessee Titan quarterback Vince Young proclaimed himself the cover king for 2007. Does that mean he's also in line for Madden's infamous cover curse?

ESPN may disagree (they ranked Young sixth among possible candidates for the new cover) but Vince is the ideal leading man for Madden. The youngster, a first round draft pick for the Titans only a year ago, is ultra talented and faster on his feet than most QBs. Dramatic come from behind victories helped him earn the AP's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honor, and he broke Bobby Douglass' 1969 record for rushing yards by a rookie QB.

Go ahead and make the argument that Young is unproven, and therefore unworthy of the cover. His unseasoned stats can't be argued against, but with 2K Sport set to launch back into the pigskin arena, EA needs to stay fresh, young and competitive. That's Vince Young.

And how about that Madden cover curse? Young has already sustained several appearances on the cover of Sports Illustrated, that other famously jinxed institution, which is a good sign. Granted, if we had to spotlight a possible injury (we're not cruel; it comes with the job) we'd look to the knee. A QB with a tendency to run has got to keep those joints protected, after all. Not that we expect Vince Young to have any problems there, and as long as he can keep those stats rolling he'll justify his cover presence, and maybe break the classic curse.

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