They're Making A Movie About The 'Madden Curse'?...Really?

The 'Madden Curse' refers to the misfortune that has plagued the athletes who have graced the cover of the popular video game named for John Madden.

Since 1998 the game has featured the NFL's most prominent athletes as its cover-man. 10 of the 12 who accepted the "honor" have suffered through injury (Shaun Alexander, Larry Fitzgerald, and Garrison Hearst) or misfortune (Ray Lewis and Michael Vick) as a result.

Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not, but the phenomena has prompted Electronic Arts (EA) to develop a sports comedy about the jinx.

The story, according to The Wrap, "will follow a former Madden video game champion who is forced out of retirement just as he finds himself on the corner of the game's cover—and subject to the curse."

I'm as much a fan of a good sports comedy as anybody, but this has idiocy written all over it and, if EA is smart, they might rethink making a movie based on a curse—especially given the disappointment of their recent releases.

My advice, if they were so inclined to listen, would be to spend their money improving the Madden game or their other popular football release, 'NCAA Football' as neither is as innovative or exciting as it used to be—just my opinion.

Related articles

• The Madden Curse Is Becoming A Movie (cinemablend.com)
• Electronic Arts Developing 'Madden Curse' Movie (slashfilm.com)

Twist of Fate: Would Donovan McNabb Still Lobby For Vick Today?

Remember this interview given by McNabb just hours after the Eagles signed Michael Vick to a two-year contract?



Well, just a little more than a year later that whole there's "no threat to me, no threat to Kolb" comment is looking quite comical. I wonder if McNabb would have been as quick to lobby for the Vick signing if he knew that his career would be so negatively impacted by his arrival?

Think about it, Michael Vick is back to doing endorsements (sorta), leading a winning football team, and garnering league accolades (Pro Bowl and MVP talk), while McNabb has been relieved of his starting role, likely stripped of a $78 million contract, and heading towards unemployment.

I don't know McNabb personally, but you can be sure that this is not the outcome he was hoping for when he let it be known that the Eagles "made a mistake" by letting him go.

McNabb is now a punchline. A punchline so not funny that you almost want to weep for him.

Here he is, only a few seasons removed from being one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in the NFL, now suffering through the embarrassment of being benched in favor of a guy who has more fun throwing to defenses than to his own receivers—don't kid yourself—Rex Grossman is NO team's answer at quarterback and the fact that McNabb has been benched in his favor is just ugly.

Even more, it has to sting to see Michael Vick succeeding on his old team, throwing to his old teammates, and playing for his old coach. Quite frankly, he probably feels a lot like he did at his draft day when the Philly fans—allegedly—booed his selection.

Dude just can't catch a break.

At this point he probably does feel like he's been knocked out by Michael Strahan...



Ouch.

Is McNabb's career over? It's hard to say that for certain but, right now, it sure feels like it's heading in the wrong direction. 

Related articles

• Donovan McNabb Benched As The Shanahans Look To The Future (withleather.uproxx.com)
• Donovan McNabb "very disappointed," "I strongly disagree" (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)

Dan Snyder: The Washington Redskins Bust of The Decade

Today the Washington Redskins suspended Albert Haynesworth—a guy they signed under much fanfare just a season ago.

He was supposed to be the catalyst behind a burgeoning Redskins' defense that was going to be built for stopping the run and making opposing quarterbacks miserable.

Unfortunately for the Redkins, Albert Haynesworth proved to be just the guy that many thought he was—a 'take the money and run' guy (or in his case, a take it and sit on your backside one).

Haynesworth hasn't been effective at all this season, and his explanation is that he's better suited for a 4-3 defense than the 3-4 that Shanahan tried to force him into when he took over the head coaching job.

Haynesworth was uncomfortable playing nose tackle (a key position in the 3-4) and refused to be pushed into a spot he didn't feel built to play. After all, the Redskins knew what they were getting when they acquired him—their decision to change schemes and coaches a year after he signed was on them—Albert wasn't going to let anyone tell him how to play the game of football.

And, to be honest, with that kind of money going into his bank account, he had no reason to concern himself with things like conditioning, practice, or attending team meetings. He had better things to do with his valuable, and expensive, time. Most understood that Albert was about Albert. He wanted a big payday and he played to get it. Once he did, he became a useless pile of flub—fair or unfair—that's what happened.

Now the Skins' fans are forced to suffer through another idiotic move by their clueless owner—Dan Snyder.

Make no mistake, the most egregious mistake the Washington Redskins franchise ever made was in allowing a rich hack like Snyder to take over their team. He's done nothing but make bad decision after bad decision since his arrival.

Just to name a few: there was Steve Spurrier (the overpaid college coach who played more golf during the regular season than most people do in an offseason), Jason Taylor (just...wow), Deion Sanders (one-year blunder),  Jason Campbell (three draft picks and a lot of losing), Brandon Lloyd (bust with an attitude), Jeff George (Seriously?!?), DeAngelo Hall (No, really...he's not good), etc.

The list is long, and uncomfortable, and Dan Snyder has his 'John Hancock' on most of it—that makes him the biggest bust of the decade and, unfortunately, unless he decides to cut bait and move on, Washington is stuck floundering under his gross incompetence.

If the Redskins are ever going to return to their glory days, Dan Snyder has to go—soon. Otherwise, you can expect to see more pink slips in the near future...any bets on how much longer Donovan McNabb will be taking up residence?

Related articles

• Redskins suspend Albert Haynesworth for remainder of season (sportingnews.com)

Michael Vick: Is He Really As Good As The Media Keeps Telling Us He Is?

These days you don't have to look far to find a fan, media analyst, or casual observer who is ready to get on their knees and praise the second coming of Michael Vick. It's become a tad disgusting, quite frankly, and not for the reasons you might think.

You see, there's nothing wrong with giving the man his due.

He's paid for the wrongs he committed and come out on the other side with a golden opportunity to, once again, grab the brass ring. It would be foolish not to applaud what he's done this season because he has flourished playing in the Eagles' offense.

That said, all this chatter about him being the MVP and carrying the Eagles to the promised land is extremely premature. His stats aren't mind-blowing and, quite honestly, his stellar play has as much to do with his supporting cast as it does his arm and legs.

DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, and Brent Celek are good players, and they have been good for a few years now.  After all, this isn't the Eagles first trip around the NFC Championship conversation, they found themselves in that category for years—with McNabb.

So, Vick hasn't taken a mediocre team and made it better. He's taken a good team and made them more entertaining and he's done so by doing two things well: 1) finding the open man and 2) making smarter decisions in the pocket.

Quite frankly, neither of those things are praiseworthy as both are exactly what a good quarterback is supposed to do. 

Even with that, he's not been that much more impressive than Sam Bradford (who actually has some challenges to overcome in St. Louis), Josh Freeman (who has more yards passing with a handful more attempts), or Matt Schaub (whose team entered the season with the second toughest schedule in the league).

People want to point to his dismantling of the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football, but wish to overlook the fact that the Redskins are not really that good. They are horrible against the pass (ranked 31st), atrocious against the run (ranked 25th), and horrific overall (ranked 32nd).

They give up more yards than any team in the National Football League (NFL) and the high-powered Eagles offense did precisely what they were supposed to do against them—win.

As a matter of fact, none of the teams Vick has faced this season have a pass defense ranked better than 17th—save the Colts (a team Vick had trouble passing against)—or a run defense ranked better than 20th. So, it's astonishing that anyone is suddenly ready to crown him MVP based on six games—only a third of which were actually above average.

You can say what you want about how well he did on Monday night, but the MVP should be based on a player's total body of work, over the course of the season—not a couple of great games he's played against bad defenses.

Stats don't lie—as much as the shadow of a redemptive story might try and cloud their existence. Vick is no more special than the media has tried to sell him to be. The same media who, it seems necessary to say, wanted to decimate and eradicate his existence as a football player and a man.

Is Vick having a nice season? Absolutely, there is no denying that he has added another dimension to an already talented Eagles offense.

Has he flashed moments of pure brilliance? Yes, but no more than any other quarterback has this season.

Is he the best quarterback in the NFL? No, he isn't but he's still one of the more exciting ones to watch.

In Vick's case, it's not necessarily the praise that's the problem, it's the perspective—something not many seem to have these days.