By now, even the most casual pro football fan has heard of the Madden cover curse, the inexplicable coincidence that has seen the NFL’s biggest stars be plagued with bad luck in the season immediately following its release. appearance on the cover of the franchise.

Fans are so terrified of the curse that San Diego Charger fans went so far as to create a website, saveltfrommadden.com, to discourage their star from appearing on the Madden 2008 cover again.

It looked like the curse would finally be lifted when EA Sports announced that Madden 2009 would feature a retired player on the cover. Let’s start there.

Number 5

Madden 2009 Cover: Brett Favre Through many tears, Brett Favre announced his retirement from the NFL in early 2008, shortly after leading the Packers to a heartbreaking loss in the NFC Championship game. That should have been the end of Madden Cover Curse, but instead, Favre went through an ugly divorce with the Packers and became the quarterback for the New York Jets. What initially seemed like a storybook season caught fire when the previously indestructible QB suffered a torn biceps tendon in his throwing shoulder and destroyed the Jets’ season by losing 4 of their last 5 games.

Number 4

Madden 2002 cover: Daunte Culpepper Following an improbable run to the NFC Championship game the previous year, Culpepper and the Vikings went to a 4-7 record before Culpepper suffered a knee injury and ended his season.

Number 3

Madden 2003 cover: Marshall Faulk After four straight seasons of being arguably the most explosive player in the NFL, Faulk’s Madden season was hampered by injuries that kept him from eclipsing even 1,000 yards. The Rams also missed the playoffs.

number 2

Madden 2004 Cover: Michael Vick Vick was coming off an explosive season that included an improbable playoff appearance for the historically abysmal Atlanta Falcons. But Vick broke his fibula a day after Madden was released and missed most of a terrible 5-11 season. The curse has persisted for Ron Mexico, who has watched his career burn ever since.

Number 1

Madden 2006 cover: Donovan McNabb Donovan McNabb had led the Eagles to five straight playoff runs and even challenged The Curse, which might be a trend, but I don’t believe in the curse at all.

Bad move! McNabb suffered a sports hernia in the first game and was sidelined for nearly half the season. Meanwhile, the Eagles finished last in the East.

The 2010 Madden cover is taking things in a new direction by having both Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald on the cover. Will the Curse double as potent, or will bad luck finally subside? I can’t wait to find out!