Bay Area Sports Blogging

The Madden Curse is broken!

Vince Young has made the cover of Madden 08 and lived to tell about it. The vile curse has brought on misery to big name stars such as Marshall Faulk, Donovan McNabb, and Shaun Alexander. During pre-season, I predicted that Young would encounter a similar fate, with a season ending shoulder injury. No such luck.

Vince Young started 14 out of 15 games so far this year, and all indications say he will start in the Titans' last regular season game. In fact, the Tennessee Titans still have a chance at making the playoffs. That doesn't sound like a curse to me.

The 2006 Rose Bowl is arguably the best Rose Bowl game in a long, long time. Two powerhouse schools were meeting head-on in the biggest game of the year. The University of Southern California's Trojans football team entered the 2006 Rose Bowl on a 34 game winning streak. They were undefeated for about 2.5 years. The Texas Longhorns entered the game on a 19 game winning streak. They, too, were undefeated that year. This was the #1 ranked team versus the #2 ranked team for the BCS national title. Everything a championship game should be.

USC's list of star players included former Heisman winner Matt Leinart at quarterback, current Heisman winner Reggie Bush at half back, and LenDale White at half back. Texas' list of star players include Heisman runner-up Vince Young at quarterback and Michael Huff as a defensive back. All of the mentioned players are on NFL rosters.

It was a great game, with a drama filled 4th quarter. If you haven't seen the game, find it. USC was a heavy favorite to win the game, but a heroic fourth quarter performance by Vince Young won the game for the Longhorns. I'm sure many fans out there lost money on the game.

Unless all of the mentioned players are voted onto the Pro Bowl teams of their respective conference (NFC: Leinart, Bush. AFC: Young, White, Huff), the Monday Night Football game next week is the closest thing to a reunion for the Rose Bowl game. The Tennessee Titans visit the New Orleans Saints.

Vince Young is starting to feel the mythical Madden Curse. During training camp drills, Young was involved in an on-field incident with fellow Titans' safety, Donnie Nickey. Young needs to buck up and recognize the consequences of his actions. Being on the cover of EA's Madden NFL game puts a curse on you!

Eddie George, Daunte Culpepper, Marshall Faulk, Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, and Shaun Alexander have all felt the sting of the Madden Curse. And now, Vince Young is starting to feel it too.