How the Madden Curse Affected My Fantasy Football Team

So there I am with my my laptop, cheat sheets, and my iPad loaded with ESPN Insider tips and strategies …. it’s Fantasy Football Draft Night.  In all my other leagues I’ve always been at the bottom of the draft order but this league I have the #4 pick and with that, extra pressure to make a solid selection.

Ray Rice, Arian Foster, and then Aaron Rodgers come off the board.  It’s finally my pick. I look at my draft sheets and strategies and they are all telling me to pick Detroit’s Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson.  Seems like the right choice, he’s poised to have another great season, but there is one thing that has me concerned. The Madden Curse.

I then proceed to have a conversation with who I believe to be Calvin Johnson:

CJ: What are you waiting for, pick me up.

Shop: Calvin Johnson? I don’t know man. I mean you are on the cover of Madden this year and that is the one curse I believe in and don’t want to be a part of.

CJ: You have got to be kidding me. Look, there is no Madden Curse, it’s all made up.

Shop: I’m not too sure about that.  I know you know football but I’m a Madden expert and there is a Madden Curse.  Just go through the history and you’ll see.  I’m just gonna pick Tom Brady to be safe.

CJ: Hold on! So you are telling me no one has survived the Madden Curse?

Shop: No one, not one single one. Not even the sure thing of Peyton Hillis last year who battled injury all season and ultimately got released.

CJ: What about the great Ray Lewis?

Shop: The year he was on the cover he broke his hand and missed a game and didn’t have the statistical season he had the year before. The Curse doesn’t mean you go down in flames but it does mean you don’t have the year you had before.  That’s a guarantee!

CJ: What about McNabb … well wait … ok that’s not a good example because I think he really fell off that year. I know, Shaun Alexander; that was my favorite Madden, Madden 07 I think.

Shop: Don’t talk to me about Shaun Alexander, he had the worst year, broke his foot, and he cost me a shot at $100,000 on the ESPN Madden Nation Reality Show … argghhhh … I don’t even want to talk about this anymore.  Going with Brady, sorry Calvin.

CJ: Oh, my bad …  wait, what about Larry Fitzgerald?  I know Larry Fitz was the first WR on the Cover and he went to the SuperBowl that year.

Shop: You are right, but he also split the cover with Troy Polamalu who had a knee injury, missed 11 games and the Steelers missed the playoffs a year after winning the Super Bowl.  Look Calvin, I can’t make this stuff up, but if you can assure me that this will not affect you then I will pick you because I think you are a top 4 Fantasy Football option this year.

CJ: The curse won’t affect me bro, just go ahead and pick me.

I finally made up my mind up and decided to select Calvin Johnson with the 4th pick, only problem is that my pick passed and the CPU selected Ryan Matthews …. damn Cursed Again!