Sorry Titans fans, but it looks like this upcoming season will belong to Kerry Collins, as I am sure many of you have already heard that Vince Young has agreed to be this year’s cover boy of the Madden game. Every year this happens, and the hometown fans say “surely no, its not really a curse, its just coincidence”. Really?

2000
The very first year the game did not boast John’s huge head on the cover, the title went to Barry Sanders, who then promptly left the game forever. He was replaced on later prints by Dorsey Levens, once the Ben Affleck to Brett Farve’s Matt Damon. But Dorsey was cut by the Pack in 2001, but I hear he still eats a lot of cheese.

2001
A former Heisman winner, and rookie of the year, Eddie George’s career completely and totally imploded; vanishing and leaving nothing behind.

2002
Remember when Daunte Culpepper was good? Yea, me neither… but he was when all he had to do was throw it up to Randy Moss in a million-dollar version of three flies up. When not cruising the waters with strippers, Daunte has had a hard time finding anyone who wants him… even the Dolphins now after only one year.

2003
This was the first year that the curse clearly took hold in the form of an injury. Marshall Faulk was once a freak of nature, and the game’s best. He was unstoppable… until of course the Madden jinx and he never ran for 1,000 yards again (although Mike Martz and the St. Louis offense had something to do with that too).

2004
Michael Vick. Does marijuana help with broken legs?

2005
The only arguable player to hold off the curse, Ray must have threatened to stab the curse and drive off in his limo. But a broken wrist did ultimately end his season that year. But I can’t blame the curse for being reluctant.. Ray Lewis scares the crap out of people.

2006
Donovan McNabb’s story is similar to Daunte’s (sans sex boat). Injuries have worn him down and has not been completely effective since taking his team to the Super Bowl and appearing on the cover. It’s also possible that his nemesis, Terrell Owens, stole his mojo before leaving the Philly facilities for good.

2007
For a guy who ducks out of hits like Shaun Alexander does, his injury seemed improbable, but it happened anyway. An fractured bone in his foot left Shaun almost completely ineffective last year, and considering how many Seahawks went down last year, it could be argued that the curse is spreading amongst teammates now.

2008
Ah Vince, the guy who won the hearts of fans by acting like a young Ron Mexico seems to be taking an eerily similar path. If Vince breaks something in the pre-season, I’m setting the over/under for marijuana possession at 2012 and officially making my case for Al Davis, Terrell Owens and Jerry Jones to share the cover.

Hey, if they put Maurice Clarett on the cover, do you think it would have the reverse effect on him, or would he just be instantly engulfed into flames and vanish from the Earth?