The Pissed Off Tree Rat » Football

John Madden can kiss my ass!

The Pissed Off Tree Rat — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:03:27 +0000

What the hell did the Detroit Lions ever do to EA and John Madden? What do you feel the need to punish the long suffering NFL fans of Michigan for? In a cruel joke, Calvin Johnson “Mega-Tron” has been selected as for the cover of Madden NFL 13. The associated “Madden Cover Curse” will now doom the lions to an 8-8 record at best for the upcoming season.

Dear Electronic Arts/Mr. Madden,

You suck and I hate you.

-The POTR

Madden Curse

Prior to 1999, every annual installment of the Madden NFL series primarily featured Madden on its cover.^[1]^[33] In 1999, Electronic Arts selected Garrison Hearst to appear on the PAL version’s cover, and has since featured one of the league’s top players on every annual installment^[34] despite Madden’s opposition.^[1]

While appearing on the cover has become an honor akin to appearing on the Wheaties box,^[1] much like the Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx, certain players who appeared on Madden video game box art have experienced a decline in performance, usually due to an injury.

Injury list:

Garrison Hearst appearing on the 1999 PAL cover was known to be the “start” of the curse, as after his appearance, he broke his ankle and was out for 2 seasons, and his performance was never the same.
After Barry Sanders’ appearance on the 2000 cover, Sanders abruptly retired before training camp, falling just short of the record for most career rushing yards.
Dorsey Levens appeared on the PAL version of the 2000 game, and the Green Bay Packers, whom Levens was playing for at the time, failed to make the playoffs, and Levens was eventually released the year later.
After Eddie George appeared on the 2001 cover, the Tennessee Titans lost in Divisional round in the 2001 playoffs. Late in the 4th quarter with the Titans down 17-10, a Steve McNairpass was bobbled by George and intercepted by Ray Lewis for a touchdown, sealing the game. George also never averaged more than 3.4 yards per carry for the rest of his career.
Daunte Culpepper led the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs in 2000, but after appearing on the Madden 2002 cover, he threw 23 interceptions as the Vikings slumped to a 5–11 record. He also broke the record for most fumbles in a single season. While his career looked to be back on track in 2004 with a career season, he blew out both knees in 2005 and 2006 and never resembled the player he was at the start of the decade.
Marshall Faulk appeared on the 2003 cover, and his career (and the success of the St. Louis Rams) severely declined afterwards. He did not register another 1,000 yard rushing season and his yards per carry average dropped from a consistent 5.4 over the previous three years to 4.5 in 2002 and 4.0 in 2003 and 2004. He started 21 out of a possible 32 games from 2002–2003 as knee injuries got the better of him. He underwent reconstructive knee surgery in 2005 and retired that same year. Since 2007, the Rams have a record of 15-65.
After appearing on the cover of Madden NFL 2004, Michael Vick broke his fibula in a pre-season game against the Baltimore Ravens, and the Atlanta Falcons went 5-11. Years later it was discovered that he participated in an illegal dog-fighting ring and he was sent to prison.
Ray Lewis, 2005 cover athlete and middle linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, had his season cut short in week 15 with a wrist injury. It was also Lewis’ first season without an interception.
In 2006, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb tore his ACL and meniscus in his right knee while jumping out of bounds in a game versus the Tennessee Titans, ending his season. McNabb also suffered a sports hernia in the first game of the season.
Running back Shaun Alexander, then the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player, was featured on the cover of Madden NFL 2007, and sustained a foot injury that caused him to miss six starts.^[35] As a result, Alexander’s rushing statistics were substantially less than those from the previous season, and he never returned to true form.^[35] Alexander himself has asked, “Do you want to be hurt and on the cover, or just hurt?”^[36]
In 2007, GameSpot and CNBC reported that a large number of LaDainian Tomlinson‘s fans, who believed in the Madden Curse, were strongly opposed to EA Sports’ initial decision to feature him on the 2008 cover, so much that a fan created SaveLTfromMadden.com to voice their disdain.^[37]^[38]^[39] Tomlinson eventually declined the offer, but stated it was solely due to contract negotiations.^[39]
Madden NFL 2008′s cover featured Vince Young, the starting quarterback of the Tennessee Titans. Young missed one game of the 2007 season due to a minor injury, but for the rest of the season was roughly even with his 2006 performance. When Young appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live to officially announce that he would appear on the cover of Madden NFL 2008, he derided allegations of becoming the curse’s next victim, and stated, “I’ve done prayed about it and we’re gonna go home and try to get to the playoffs and try to get to the Super Bowl. We’ll see what happens.” ^[40]^[41] In contrast, Young suffered longer-term injuries in 2008 (from which he successfully came back in 2009) and 2010, which, combined with a coaching dispute, led to his departure from the Titans prior to the 2011 season.
Brett Favre appeared on the cover of Madden NFL 2009 as a Green Bay Packer, under the impression that Favre was retired. However, shortly after the decision, Favre came back out of retirement and was traded to the New York Jets, where he was plagued by poor on-field performance and an off-field sexual harassment scandal. He also suffered an ankle injury as a Jet and later suffered a shoulder injury as a Viking that would end his career.
On September 10, 2009, Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals and safety Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers, were both featured on the cover of Madden NFL 10. Polamalu sprained his MCL in the first half of the season opener and missed the next four games. After returning, Polamalu played in three more games before injuring hisposterior cruciate ligament on November 14, 2009 against Cincinnati, and missed more games as a result. Fitzgerald, on the other hand, started all 16 regular season and both playoff games for the Cardinals. He did not attend the Pro Bowl due to a rib injury, leaving Steve Smith of the New York Giants to take his spot in the 2010 Pro Bowl. He recorded 97 receptions (third-most of his NFL career), 1,092 yards (fourth-most), and a career-high 13 touchdowns.^[42]
Madden NFL 11 cover athlete Drew Brees played in every game of the 2010 NFL Season. However, he threw twice as many interceptions (22) that season than in the Saints’ 2009 Super Bowl-winning campaign (11). Also, his Quarterback Rating dropped nearly 20 points, and the Saints lost in the first round of the playoffs to the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks, the only team to date to make the playoffs with a losing record in a full-length season. He made the 2011 Pro Bowl as a reserve, after being unable to participate in the 2010 Pro Bowl, as the Saints had made the Super Bowl. Brees played 6 weeks of the NFL Season with a torn MCL, a fact that was first outed by his teammate, Heath Evans,^[43] later confirmed by another teammate, Jon Stinchcomb^[44] and, eventually, Brees himself.^[45] More recently, Brees’s team, the New Orleans Saints, were implicated in a bounty scandal. The Saints lost draft picks, and head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the 2012 NFL season. Former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely.
Madden NFL 12 cover athlete Peyton Hillis missed five games in the 2011 NFL season with a hamstring injury and missed one game with strep throat, causing his numbers to decline continuously after the second week. Hillis suffered a re-injury to his hamstring during practice before week nine. In addition, his divisive behavior in the Browns locker room during the season, particularly with regards to his contentious contract negotiations, were the subject of much media attention. Hillis eventually left the Browns, signing a with the Kansas City Chiefs during the off season as a free agent.^[46] When asked about his significant decline, Hillis pointed towards the infamous Madden curse as a factor, saying “Things didn’t work in my favor this year. There’s a few things that happened this year that made me believe in curses. Ain’t no doubt about it.” ^[47]

Always listen to your elders.

The Pissed Off Tree Rat — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:47:56 +0000

You don’t know Barry? Then you don’t know sh#t…

Barry Sanders (1992):

“Too often we are scared. Scared of what we might not be able to do. Scared of what people might think if we tried. We let our fears stand in the way of our hopes.

We say no when we want to say yes. We sit quietly when we want to scream. And we shout with the others, when we should keep our mouths shut. Why? After all, we do only go around once. There’s really no time to be afraid.

So stop. Try something you’ve never tried. Risk it. Enter a triathlon. Write a letter to the editor. Demand a raise. Call winners at the toughest court. Throw away your television. Bicycle across the United States. Try bobsledding. Try anything. Speak out against the designated hitter. Travel to a country where you don’t speak the language. Patent something. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. JUST DO IT.”

The Leo’s 2012 Regular Season Schedule

The Pissed Off Tree Rat — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:59:52 +0000

Hot of the press Freaks (from ESPN), Oh the itch returnith!

2012 Regular Season Schedule:

Quick hit good news for Lions fans

The Pissed Off Tree Rat — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 01:33:58 +0000

You can keep your “Free Agency Splash” crap, Calvin Johnson has just signed an eight-year deal with Detroit. Hot Damn!

Yeah, yeah, I know this will kill the Lion’s salary cap sure as hell, but why screw up a good thing right?

Full SI article here.

March Maddness – Pissed Off Tree Rat Style!

The Pissed Off Tree Rat — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:06:12 +0000

All right you Freaks, The POTR knows jack and squat about the NCAA but here’s my bracket anyway. Flipping a coin was going to be to time-consuming so I went with a full random guess by no actual thought process method. Congratulations to………. BAYLOR for the win. Enjoy.

NFL Season 2011-12 season close out stats

The Pissed Off Tree Rat — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:59:26 +0000

Well overall if you were using my vast psychic ability to predict NFL games this season you beat Vegas. You didn’t make a damn thing in the way of profit, but you didn’t lose the house. So I have two, no three, points to make with that in mind. First, I didn’t suck as bad as your average NFL pundit. Second, weeks 5/10/13 we’re massive upset weeks that fraked up everyone not just me. Finally why the hell would you be picking any games based on what a drunken right wing zombie hunting Pissed Off Tree Rat thinks anyway?! I’m already pining away for next season……

The POTR’s s NFL 2011-12 season predictions close out stats:

In loving memory of the 2011-2012 NFL season:

A Sunday without the NFL is like a Sunday without…………….?

The Pissed Off Tree Rat — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:40:34 +0000

If it wasn’t for the fact that the second half of The Walking Dead premiers tonight I’d be in a total funk. I always dread the end of the football season. This year we have The Walking Dead marathon leading up to the premier tonight to take some of the edge off though. Many thanks to AMC! But it’s always this time of year that I hunger for the NFL to finally sanction on of these “farm leagues” that are always up and down then out. I know the NCAA is a free farm league for the NFL, but I got such a bad taste in my mouth during my college years with college sports that I’ve never recovered. I guess I’ll have to turn back to hockey……… But tonight it’s ZOMBIES!

NFL Season week #19 picks & season stats

The Pissed Off Tree Rat — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:25:12 +0000

My Leos are back prepping for their SuperBowl XLVII run but the season is not over yet. So here’s The POTR’s NFL Season week #19 picks & season stats:

I’ve said it before and I say it again: Tuesdays suck…….

The Pissed Off Tree Rat — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:55:33 +0000

I admit it, I’m a hater. I hate Tuesdays. There I said it, it’s now out there for the world to ridicule. So be it. Tuesday is just a crappy day. What does it offer those of us slugging our way through the week? It is the weekly pit of despair. When you look at the rest of the week it is clear that Tuesday is the south end of a north bound camel. Let’s check out it’s peers starting with:

Wednesday – Hump day. You’re halfway there and things are looking up. Plus it’s called ‘Hump’ day. Ya gotta like that.

Thursday – Only one more work day till Friday. You can almost taste the Friday Happy Hour specials already. Got a solid work day in the office as everyone pitches in to get crap done. Why? So they can scam out early on Friday of course. Added bonus on Thursday is the NFL game that night.

Friday – TGIF baby. You worked hard Thursday, so scamming out early today is possible. Any new work can be pushed to Monday because “Hell it’s almost the weekend boss!”. The entire weekend’s siren call sings to you. Day is spent planning your off time to come, and drinking. Not much real work done in the office, but the atmosphere is filled with the prospect of joyous libations tonight.

Saturday – Ahhh sweet sweet Saturday. Sleep in an extra hour maybe, beach in the summer, BBQs and beers in the fall. BSing with neighbors over the back fence. Maybe getting a bit of shooting in. More beers. Playing trains with the kids. Added bonus on Saturday is the college football games all the live long day.

Sunday – The day of rest. Sounds nice right? Yes, it is the Lords day. Church, lunch out with the family and more FOOTBALL! Real football, the NFL, not that NCAA stuff from Sat.

Monday – The work hangover day. No one really gets anything done in the office on Monday. You spend the AM recanting your teams delicious football victory, or moan about how the refs stole the game from them. Some boring afternoon meetings to plan the week. Those suck, but your mind is really on what Monday’s all about………. Monday Night Football, and more beer!!

Tuesday – Back on point. Tuesday’s just suck. Period. End of story.

Tonight, win or lose, is a “good” night.

The Pissed Off Tree Rat — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:47:09 +0000

Before the day even begins I’m going on the record. I predicted the Lions regular season record would be 9 and 7 with no playoff birth. Detroit is now 10 and 6 and playing the Saints tonight in the NFL playoffs. I call that “good”. A three year rebuild has paid off. Young and talented with some rough edges to improve. I want a win tonight but appreciate what it took for them just to get here as fast as they did. Next season there is no latitude. It’s big game time in the 12-13 season. So for tonight I’ll just enjoy the game, drunk dial some Saints fans and be in the moment. Nicety aside: GO LIONS, FRAK THE SAINTS!