Madden Cover: An Open Letter to Packers Nation on Aaron Rodgers and "The Curse"

Dear Packers Nation,

Get off your hands and go vote for Aaron Rodgers to be on the cover of Madden ’12!

There, I said it.

For years, football fans all around America have been positively terrified at the very thought of their favorite player landing the Madden cover. They believe in “The Curse.”

Since Eddie George graced the cover in 2001, believers cite a growing list of players who suffered injuries or major declines in play after being chosen by Madden. The Tennessee Titans lost in the 2001 playoffs, and George never again averaged over 3.3 yards per carry for the rest of his career. Marshall Faulk was on the cover in 2003, and out of league by 2005.

I’d keep going, but I don’t want to give any of my fellow Packers fans a coronary.

After the Packers victory in Super Bowl XLV, Aaron Rodgers immediately shot to the top of the list for the cover of Madden ’12. And just as quickly, Packers fans became worried. We have a dynasty in the making they say, why risk it by exposing the man at the center of that dynasty to dark forces?

Here’s the thing, though. “The Curse” is nonsense. Yes, it’s hard to deny that some of the players who have been on the cover came upon hard times. But many of those players—Eddie George, Marshall Faulk, Shaun Alexander and Vince Young to name a few—were either selected a year or two late, or just weren’t ever that good (ahem, Young).

With Aaron Rodgers, Packers fans don’t have to worry about either of those things. In fact, I’m just going to come right out and say it.

Aaron Rodgers is the best QB in the NFL.

Granted, he doesn’t yet have the trophies to match Brady, Brees and Manning, but no one can top his combination of accuracy, athleticism and strength. Simply put, the guy can do things with a football that no one else can.

It’s time for the rest of the world to stand up and give Rodgers his due. Landing the cover of Madden ’12 is a step in the right direction.

This year, fan voting will decide who gets the cover. After breezing through the first three rounds, Aaron Rodgers currently finds himself in a dogfight with Peyton Hillis in the semifinals.

Peyton Hillis? Really?

Fellow Packers fans, if you want Aaron Rodgers to finally get the same respect that Brady, Brees and Manning get from the football intelligentsia, then we cannot let this happen.

Go here to vote: http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/feature/madden2012cover

Semifinal voting ends on April 18th at noon ET, with the finals (against either Michael Vick or Adrian Peterson), beginning immediately afterwards.

Still think Rodgers needs protection from “The Curse?” Take it from the man himself (via Twitter).

“I don’t like losing and I don’t believe in the curse. Workout time…”

Amen. Now go vote! 

For more rants and ravings, follow me on Twitter @InspectorKrum.