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One of my favorite games of all-time is Madden football from EA Sports. Like a true Madden geek, I was excited about today’s announcement for the Madden 2010 cover athlete. Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu will become Madden’s first dual cover players. We can all thank the boys at EA for cursing two of the most exciting players in the NFL.

The Madden game is known just as much for its “Madden Curse” than the actual game itself. NFL fans cringe when their team’s franchise player is announced as the game’s cover athlete. The curse is very real. Eight of the last 10 cover players have had their seasons marred by injury, had disappointing seasons, or flat out retired before season’s end.

The last player to break the curse was Ray Lewis. Lewis became the first defensive player to grace the cover in 2005. Lewis did have some minor setbacks, but was overall a curse-free player. Favre can be argued as a player bitten by the curse last season due to his disappointing play. Maybe putting a defensive player on the cover is EA’s way to offset the curse?

As far as game play, this year’s cover athletes leave more questions than usual going into Madden Day. EA usually tips its hat by putting a player reflective of the game-play on the cover. Lewis donned the cover when EA spiced up the defense in 2005. Regardless, I will be counting the days down until the game’s release or what we like to call “Madden Day”. I would rather see them do a little less, take care of some minor details, and let the game be.

The press release does mention an interesting new feature. Utilizing the all-new Pro-Tak animation technology, Madden NFL 10 on the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3, ensures that the Fight for Every Yard doesn’t end until the whistle blows. This new game changing animation technology delivers steerable tackles, three to nine man gang tackles, as well as the ability to fight for fumbles at the bottom of a pile.” – click here for the entire press release.

Steelers and Cardinals fans beware. No team has ever won the Super Bowl with one of its players featured on the cover. If I were a betting man, I would bet that the tradition continues this season. Oh, and Larry Fitzgerald fantasy owners may want to consider trading the star wideout. Be proactive before the curse gets you!

Pre-order Madden 2010 for PS3 by clicking here.

Pre-order Madden 2010 for Xbox 360 by clicking here.

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