Madden 2013 Cover: Cam Newton Is Perfect Choice to Break Curse

The Madden Cover Curse has waylaid many a productive NFL career, from Michael Vick and Shaun Alexander to Vince Young and Peyton Hillis.

But, like any curse, Madden's is meant to and will be broken, and Cam Newton may be the one to break on through to the other side.

The Carolina Panthers quarterback and reigning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year is duking it out with Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson for the right to adorn the cover of "Madden '13". The winner will be announced on ESPN SportsNation tomorrow at 5 p.m. EDT.

Either would be a worthy victor of the fan vote, though Cam would clearly be the better choice to lead the charge out of the dark days of Madden coverdom.

And it has very little to do with his Pro Bowl performance on the football field, though his record-setting campaign in Carolina was certainly something to behold.

Rather, it has everything to do with Newton's own zeal for the challenge, as best demonstrated in his very own campaign video.

So, what about this video makes Cam the obvious choice?

Well, for one, he has more nicknames than you could shake a stick at. As he lays out from the beginning, Newton's list of monikers includes Ace Boogie, The Dinosaur, Super Cam, Killa Cam, Killa, Mr. Swagman, Mr. Goals and H.A.M.

That's eight alter egos for one man. EIGHT!

How many does Calvin Johnson have? One—Megatron. And while that one is pretty awesome, it can hardly stack up to Cam's smorgasbord of labels.

But what's in a name if you ain't go game, you ask?

No need to worry about that with Newton. He makes it clear that he's a lifelong Madden fanatic, someone who's dedicated countless hours to his craft, both on the field and on the couch.

Why else would he have a game room (Boogieville, USA) at the Panthers' offseason training facility with two flatscreen TVs, one hooked up to an XBox and the other connected to a PS3?

Both loaded with (you guessed it!) Madden.

And lest you think it's all bluster and chest puffing, Newton puts his money where his mouth is and offers to go head-to-head online with fans and haters alike, on either platform.

The dude's a gamer, in every sense of the word. He understands the history of the Madden franchise, because he's lived and played his way through it. He understands the perceived risk of CAMpaigning for the cover.

But, guess what? He's not afraid. As his shirt says, he fears "No1".

Whether that sort of fearlessness will be enough to overcome a curse that's plagued the game's endorsers ever since John Madden himself ceded the spotlight to players in 1999 (completely in 2001).

That being said, if ever there were a candidate whose skills as a football player and a gamer merited selection in pursuit of peace and prosperity for Madden cover boys, it's Cam.

Or Ace Boogie, or Mr. Swagman or whatever you'd prefer to call him. 

Follow @J0shMart1n