Madden 2013 Cover: Cam Newton Fortunate to Dodge Video Game Curse

The Carolina Panthers must be thanking their lucky stars that Cam Newton came in second behind Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions in the fan vote to decide which NFL star would be featured on the cover of EA Sports' Madden 2013.

After all, the Panthers could hardly have afforded Newton, the 2011 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and their new franchise superstar, to be struck down by the infamous "Madden Cover Curse," in some form or fashion—especially if they're to build on a four-win improvement and compete for a playoff berth out of an NFC South division blown wide open by the scandal-related woes of the New Orleans Saints.

Newton played an integral part in Carolina's quick improvement from 2010 to 2011. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft threw for 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns, and ran for another 706 yards and 14 touchdowns while setting records (rookie and otherwise) left and right.

The Panthers went 6-0 when Cam took pristine care of the ball, but lost every game in which he registered a turnover.

In other words, Carolina's success or failure hinged on that of its rookie quarterback, who was named to the 2012 Pro Bowl for his efforts. It speaks volumes of Cam's value that the Panthers were able to win as many games as they did, and lose six others by single digits, with a middling ground game and one reliable receiver (Steve Smith) playing opposite one of the NFL's worst defenses.

Of course, Newton didn't fall short by any fault of his own. He pushed hard for the honor, coming up with a litany of nicknames and touting his credentials as a life-long gamer in this campaign video:

But even that couldn't get Cam on the cover of his favorite video game ahead of "Megatron," who just so happens to be the best pass-catcher in football today.

That's just as well—at least among those superstitious folks in the Panthers' front office and around Charlotte at large. They'd rather not see Cam succumb to a curse that's cost the likes of Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Brett Favre and Troy Polamalu a significant measure of health and on-field performance.

Even if "Mr. Swag Man" himself doesn't believe in it.

Follow @J0shMart1n