A couple days ago, Jared Allen beat Cowboy Demarcus Ware in the first round of the EA Madden Cover Vote Contest. For those that aren’t familiar, every year (or for the last couple years at least), ESPN hosts a contest to see who will get to be on the cover of that year’s Madden game. Stud players across the NFL are pitted against each other in a bracket-style tournament. This week, Allen faces of against New England tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Now, I should say that I am not a superstitious person. Not in the slightest sense. But, when going through the different matches and voting for who I think should win, I hesitate when I get to Jared Allen’s match-up. Do I really want to subject our all-pro defensive end to the “Madden Curse”? Do I really want to risk it?
You see, in my eyes, the Madden Curse isn’t a myth… It is real and it is scary. This article by Bleacher Report does a great job of outlining the history of the Madden Curse and it’s “victims.” I understand that it’s an invalid argument to suggest that simply being on the cover of a game could cause an injury or a drop in production… But still, there’s just part of me that is hesitant to risk it.
Head over to ESPN to cast your vote in the contest. Whether you vote for or against our favorite defensive end is entirely up to you!
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On a side note: Adam wanted me to mention that he will be MIA this weekend but back writing for everyone Monday. Both of us kind of got swamped with work. Luckily, it's a down time for news but we'll do our best to have new fresh content over the weekend. Thanks!
i am kinda a superstitious person....although it is an honor to make it on the cover...and wouldbe cool to have a viking on the cover...the other side says keep a viking clear off the cover..wehave enough problems dont need to temptthe curse
I don't think we have to worry to much. Gronk has you tube video's out there telling for fans to vote for him.
This is old, old news.
Everyone already knows that the first two picks of the 2012 NFL Draft are going to be quarterbacks. Stanford's Andrew Luck with go first to the Colts, and Baylor's Robert Griffin III will go to the Redskins (because I don't, for one second, believe the smokescreen the Colts are attempting to put out there that they're "undecided" as to which quarterback to go with). The third pick, thus far, has been thought to be just as yawn-inducing, as the Minnesota Vikings have been linked to Matt Kalil ever since the Redskins made the trade to move up to the St. Louis Rams' spot at #2.
That is, unless a team happens to fall in love with a player. . .perhaps a quarterback. . .that could possibly entice them to move up to Minnesota's spot at #3. And, as was pointed out in the FanPosts earlier, it appears that somebody might have done just that.
Ryan Tannehill. . .COME ON DOWN!
If the Seahawks want Tannehill, it's now a certainty that they'll have to trade up from their 12th overall spot in this year's draft. Not only are the Dolphins looking at him as a very likely prospect, the Browns -- who have the fourth overall pick -- are also very interested in Tannehill. Childress echoed Schneider's comments about the intrigue Tannehill brings to the process as a college receiver before he was a quarterback -- he's the only player in FBS history to achieve a 400-yard passing game and 200-yard receiving game, and no other player in FBS history has totaled more than 4,000 passing yards and 1,500 receiving yards in a career.
"It's remarkable that a wide receiver came in as proficient as he did at a big-time program," Childress said. "I have no reservations [about the lack of big-time quarterback experience]. I like kids who haven't been playing the position since Pop Warner."
Well, I mean, if Brad Childress likes him, then BAM! Book it! Done!
I'm not sure why that first line about the Seattle Seahawks is there, considering that they just signed Matt Flynn to a contract and still have Tarvaris Jackson hanging around. When it boils down to it, the two teams that would be most interested in Tannehill. . .to crib from Dennis Green. . .are who we thought they were. They are the Cleveland Browns, who pick right after the Vikings at #4, and the Miami Dolphins, who currently hold the #8 selection. Adding to the intrigue of the Dolphins being interested is that former Green Bay Packers' head coach Mike Sherman is the Dolphins' new offensive coordinator. . .oh, and he was Tannehill's college coach at Texas A&M, too.
I still have trouble envisioning a scenario where the Vikings put themselves in a position to miss out on any of the big three non-quarterbacks in Kalil, Justin Blackmon, or Morris Claiborne. (I guess Trent Richardson belongs there, too, but come on. . .the Vikings aren't drafting Trent Richardson, and we all know it.) Miami's selection at 8 might be too far to drop for Minnesota, but I suppose stranger things have happened. After all, if the Dolphins are interested, Rick Spielman might be able to extract a pretty decent price from his former employers.
But, if you're one of those "trade down and stockpile picks" guys, then Ryan Tannehill did exactly what you wanted him to do. . .thrown a potential monkey wrench into the top part of the draft board.
From DailyNorseman.
Minnesota Vikings Stadium: State And Charitable Gaming Interests Reach Deal
by Christopher Gates on Apr 1, 2012 4:24 PM CDT in Minnesota Vikings Stadium
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Reports are starting to surface that another significant hurdle has been cleared in the quest to get a stadium deal for the Minnesota Vikings taken care of.
According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the state and Allied Charities of Minnesota put the finishing touches on a deal last night that would provide more tax relief to charitable gaming interests throughout the state. Under the deal, the charities would receive $36 million in tax relief rather than the $10 million that the state had originally proposed.
Because of this, ACM will support the introduction of electronic bingo and electronic pull tabs, which is said to be the state's main source of funding a Minnesota Vikings' stadium. Proceeds from the new machines will be what funds the state's $400 million contribution to a new stadium. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, in the event that there is a shortfall, there are several backup sources of income in the new proposal that will attempt to make it up, including a special lottery game (and there's already a Vikings-themed lottery game out there, if my memory serves me correctly), a luxury suite tax at the new stadium, and Hennepin County tax money.
So, it appears that the team's contribution is pretty much set. . .the state's contribution is pretty much set. . .and the Minneapolis City Council has signed off on things. From what I've been seeing people say on Twitter here so far this afternoon, the last big hurdle might be those back-up funding sources.
Maybe this thing is going to get done after all.
From DailyNorseman.
Pro Football Talk Interviews Rick Spielman
by Christopher Gates on Mar 31, 2012 11:40 AM CDT in Minnesota Vikings 2012 Off-Season
The folks over at Pro Football Talk interviewed Minnesota Vikings' General Manager Rick Spielman a couple of days ago for their "PFT Live" show. The interview was originally spread out over two segments, but Mike Florio and the gang have been kind enough to mash them into one convenient piece of viewing for everybody.
Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.
The interview clocks in at about fifteen minutes, making it the longest period of time that anybody outside of a Minnesota Vikings blog has spent talking about the Minnesota Vikings since Brett Favre's streak ended.
Spielman touches on numerous topics during the interview, including the progress that Adrian Peterson is making with his injury (and Peterson's contract), the New Orleans Saints' bounty scandal, and where the team is going to be looking in the 2012 NFL Draft. All in all, it's a pretty interesting chat with the guy that has been placed in charge of the Minnesota Vikings' rebuilding process.
From DailyNorseman.