The Next Victim of the Madden Cover Curse is Giants’ WR Odell Beckham
Athletes tend to be very superstitious. For example, veteran defensive tackle John Henderson loves to get slapped across the face on game day. New York Giants fans are hoping one of the strangest sports curses in recent history doesn’t impact their star receiver. New York Giants’ dynamic wideout Odell Beckham has been selected as the Madden NFL ’16 Cover Athlete. But talk about a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s a huge honor for OBJ. But could Odell Beckham become the next victim of the Madden Curse? If so, it would be devastating news for the Giants, their fans, and the NFL. At 22-years-old, Beckham becomes the youngest athlete to be featured on the EA Sports Madden NFL 16 cover. Let’s hope he can stay healthy.
Man I just personally wanna thank all the love and support from everybody for voting today !! It's mean so much to be on the cover of Madden
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) May 14, 2015
Stiff Curse Competition
Odell Beckham, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, Pittsburgh Steelers’ wideout Antonio Brown, and the Arizona Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson were the four finalists for the Madden cover spot. Rob Gronkowski came in second in the fan voting. Beckham had an overall Madden rating of 94 with a 99 for Spectacular Catch. Beckham’s other Madden NFL 16 ratings were 97 CTH/97 RTE/96 JKM. His physical skills were 92 for speed, 93 for acceleration, and 94 for elusiveness.
The Madden Cover Curse
Believe it not, the Madded curse is real. Bleacher Report published an in-depth look at victims of the curse’s history. The urban legend has reached the levels of the Billy Goat and the SI cover jinx, and we believe it’s more than just eery coincidences. The victims have included:
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (2011)
The curse’s impact least affected Brees. The year he was selected, the Saints made the playoffs but lost in a shocking upset to the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander (2007)
In 2006, Alexander’s production tanked. He missed six games due to a broken foot, failed to rush for 1,000 yards, and had a career-high in fumbles despite only playing in 10 games.
Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick (2004)
By 2003, Vick seemed to finally be coming into his own as a passer in the NFL. One day after Madden 2004 was released Vick badly broke his leg in a preseason game. As a result, he only played in five games. He threw for only four touchdowns and averaging barely 100 yards through the air per game. It was his worst season ever due to the injury.
St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk (2003)
After scoring the cover for his 2001 and 2002 MVP-level stats, Faulk’s dipped significantly in 2003. He only had 1,450 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. He was hampered by injury all year long, and after appearing on the cover, he never rushed for 1,000 yards in a season again.
For his part, Beckham Jr. is dealing with the ‘curse talk’ in stride. He posted on Twitter,
I believe in God and his divine plan not something that is wished upon of others ! #WalkinByFaith pic.twitter.com/CgqJvR6FAh
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) May 14, 2015
We want to see more Beckham great catches rather than social media posts talking about injuries and curses. Regardless, congratulations to Odell Beckham on the honor, but please avoid the Madden Curse.