Madden 25: Twitter Weighs in on Barry Sanders Winning Cover Honor

EA Sports will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its iconic video game by placing Barry Sanders on the cover of Madden 25.

The NFL legend won after beating Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in a fan vote.

In some ways, it's difficult to believe this franchise has been around for 25 years. Then again, I can't even remember what life was like without Madden. What did I do with all my free time? 

For this final showdown, voters were forced to decide between one of the most exciting players in sports history in Sanders, and the reigning NFL MVP in Peterson. 

Sanders' win aside, it has been a productive 25 years for this franchise. The hold this game has on the public is evident in many ways, not the least of which is the kind of reaction the announcement that Sanders would be on the cover drew on Twitter. 

In honor of the announcement being made on their show, ESPN's SportsNation tweeted a sneak peak at the cover: 

How popular is the Madden vote? Sports Business Journal's Eric Fisher gives us a glimpse with the rising total of votes for the cover. 

While this vote was a tough choice, it turns out that the appeal of having a legend on the cover was too much for fans to resist. Michigan Sports News tweeted the results: 

Meanwhile, the Lions and their fans haven't had a lot of football success to celebrate, but they do have the honor of being the home for the past two Madden cover winners. Anthony Ianni celebrates that with this tweet:

In case you're wondering if this has ever happened before, ESPN's Darren Rovell has the answer:

The Lions' diametrically opposed fortunes on the real field as opposed to the virtual one did not go unnoticed.

NFL Retweet sums it up well here:

While there were undoubtedly a legion of Vikings fan pulling for Adrian Peterson to get this nod, don't expect every fan to be hanging his or her head—for reasons explained in this tweet:

As for that "Madden Curse," Sanders' win sets up an interesting test to the powers of this curse. Sportsfeedia highlights that with this tweet:

Meanwhile, the results of this vote speak to the epic career of Barry Sanders. His mythical status is only growing after his premature retirement. 

Assistant basketball coach at Marian Marcus Wiegert points that out here: 

I'm delighted to see Sanders on the cover, if for no other reason than that it has been an excuse to watch his jaw-dropping highlights. So, here's to wishing that Sanders enjoys a healthy year as the face of Madden!