Madden Curse: Alive Or Dead With Brett Farve

Before we go straight to a verdict, let's recap where it all started and how.

Madden 2000 featured Madden as the main portrait, but you could see Barry Sanders in the background. The curse comes in with the fact Barry didn't take one snap in the season of 1999-2000.

Barry did quit well before the start of the season, so EA did substitute with a cover of Dorsey Levens and Barry Sanders, but the effect still was there. So far poor Lions fans have suffered.

Madden 2001 featured Titans running back at the time, Eddie George. In the previous year, Eddie George led the Titans to a Super Bowl, where they came up short. This could have predicted though, because in the last five years, only one losing team has made a return trip back.

In that year, Eddie bobbled a pass, which was returned for a touchdown to end their run to the Super Bowl. The next year, Eddie George was hampered by injuries and saw his rushing average sink to an all-time low. He would never really return to glory.

Madden 2002 featured Daunte Culpepper, who impressively had a great debut, making it to the NFC Championship Game and losing. The next year, after the new cover was out, Daunte consequently led his Vikings to 4-7 and ended his season with a knee injury. Now he is retired as a former has-been.

Madden 2003 featured Rams running back of the time Marshall Faulk. The previous year, Faulk led his team with an amazing rushing and receiving total to a Super Bowl appearance, but the following year, Faulk became plagued with an ankle injury.

After two Super Bowls in three years, the Rams missed the playoffs at 7-9. How good has the Rams' running game been since that cover came out?

Madden 2004 featured one of the biggest disappointments in NFL history, Michael Vick. In 2003, he fractured his right fibula and there went the season. This may have been the biggest hit of the curse. The following season, he played five games and the Falcons finished 5-11. Now where is Vick? A court case later, his NFL career might be over.

Madden 2005 featured the Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis. Ray had a terrific 2003 season, helping his Ravens reach the playoffs for the third time in four years. In 2004, he failed to stand out, and in the final game Ray Lewis sat out due to injury, and the Ravens missed the playoffs at 9-7. The following year, Ray Lewis tore his hamstring in the sixth game and missed the season.

Madden 2006 featured Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. Five years before the cover was released, McNabb and the Eagles went to five straight playoff appearances and sported around a 59-21 record.

When the cover came out, Donovan suffered a sport hernia and fought his way through eight games before opting out to have surgery and end his season. Donovan so far has made the best comeback of all cover athletes.

Madden 2007 featured the Seahawks former running back Shaun Alexander. In 2005, Shaun Alexander had a terrific year, leading the Seahawks to a Super Bowl appearance for the first time ever.

Then, in 2006, in the third week of the season, Shaun suffered a broken left foot and missed the next six games. The Seahawks, in response, made the playoffs, but lost in the second round to the Chicago Bears.

Madden 2008 featured the quarterback of the Titans Vince Young. Vince had an amazing rookie year, but in 2007, in the fifth game of the season, he hurt his right quadriceps and missed his next game, which was a first for Vince. Now he is the talk of the NFL whether it be about the status of his knee injury or his emotional state.

Currently, Madden 2009 features Brett Favre, the best quarterback of all time. One week into the season and the curse looks dead, but deceiving it may be.

Could the trade to the Jets be the curse hiding in the background? Is a Super Bowl the only justification? The New York Jets are showing the potential, with the AFC wide open after witnessing terrible play from the Colts, Tom Brady going down, and Shawne Merriman opting out for surgery.

If the Jets don't win it all, is the curse justified? I would say so.

This is Brett Favre's final hoo-rah. He wants to win, but with so much football to play, we will have to see. Will the curse show its ugly face and take down the greatest, or end its reign as a player killer? We will see soon.