McNabb next in line for Madden Curse

[WVRed]

http://images.ea.com/sports/2005/home/spotlights/money/mad06_cool.jpg

On a side note, NCAA 2006 looks awesome. I may buy that one. :thumbup:

[kbrake]

any pics of NCAA 2006

[WVRed]

http://images.ea.com/sports/games/06/ncaa/screenshots/conferences/bigeast/ncaa06_bigeast18_640x412.jpg

Theres more on EASports.com

[savafan]

And the curse claims another victim.

Interesting interview from the Madden '06 release party:

http://sportsbloggerslive.podcast.aol.com/111605_sbl_mcnabb.mp3

To quote:

JM: "Daunte Culpepper is over there, he was part of that famed Madden Curse. There's been five or six years in a row where players have gotten hurt or their team's have had bad fortunes. Are you worried about that at all in 2005?"

McNabb: "Not at all. Not at all. And I'm pretty sure if you'd asked Daunte he wasn't worried about it either, so I'm going to focus in on what it takes for my team to be successful and we'll see where it takes us."

[WVRed]

And another one bites the dust.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AqGFR1eoRzbmJ_Wlnf1dMT5DubYF?slug=ap-seahawks-alexander&prov=ap&type=lgns


MVP Alexander out indefinitely with cracked bone in foot
By GREGG BELL, AP Sports Writer
September 25, 2006

KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) -- The Seahawks' insulation from the recent hex of Super Bowl runners-up has a crack. League MVP Shaun Alexander has a broken left foot and will be lost to the Seahawks for at least a couple of weeks.

Coach Mike Holmgren said Monday that a bone scan revealed Alexander sustained a "small crack" and "displaced fracture" on a non-weight-bearing bone in his foot sometime during the Seahawks' 42-30 win over the New York Giants on Sunday. Alexander ran for 47 yards on 20 carries while wearing new shoes and orthotic inserts before sitting out the fourth quarter, which began with Seattle leading 42-3.

Alexander missed practices last Wednesday and Thursday because of soreness from a bone bruise he sustained while rushing for 51 yards on 19 carries in the Sept. 10 season opener at Detroit.

Holmgren said last season's NFL rushing leader was on crutches inside team headquarters Monday, a special player's off day following their third straight win. Alexander had departed the facility by the time Holmgren made his announcement.

"You lose the MVP for a while, it's a hit," Holmgren said. "Let's face it, he's the MVP. We're not going to sugarcoat it."

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The test of whether this crack becomes the gaping void that has derailed the previous five Super Bowl losers begins Sunday night at Chicago, which is also 3-0. Maurice Morris will make his fifth career start for Alexander.

Seattle has its bye the following week before playing at division rival St. Louis on Oct. 15.

"I don't think it will be real lengthy," Holmgren said. "Now, he just has to stay off of it and let it heal."

Holmgren said he could not yet specify how long Alexander would be out.

"We're looking at a few weeks, let's put it that way," Holmgren said. "The good thing is, it's just a small, little crack -- if you want to talk about a good thing."

Beginning in March, Holmgren has had a ready answer for the many who have asked about this: since 2001, the Giants, Rams, Raiders, Panthers and Eagles have combined to go 31-49 in the seasons immediately following their Super Bowl losses.

"All that means is, everyone has had key guys get hurt." Holmgren said, a message he gave him players more than once before this season began.

Donovan McNabb, Stephen Davis, Rich Gannon, Orlando Pace, among others, all had major injuries that led to those pratfalls.

"There's no hocus-pocus to it," Holmgren said repeatedly.

Seattle Seahawks' Shaun Alexander, left, looks for running room during an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. The Seahawks said Monday, Sept. 25, 2006 that Alexander has a broken left foot and will be lost to the team for at least a couple of weeks.
AP - Sep 25, 7:32 pm EDT
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On Sunday, the Seahawks welcomed former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch by featuring four-wide receiver formations, and Matt Hasselbeck threw a franchise record-tying five touchdown passes. Seattle's running game was already weakened by current injuries to starting guards Floyd Womack and Chris Gray and the top two tight ends, Jerramy Stevens and Itula Mili.

Now, it's Morris instead of Alexander. The second-round draft choice in 2002 from Oregon rushed 15 times for 18 yards against the Giants on Sunday.

"I do have a lot of confidence in Mo Morris," Holmgren said, adding the team also has "some roster things to do" by the end of the week.

"You have only one way to go. Just plug someone in and go."

When asked how he was initially injured, Alexander said last week, "People falling on you. It is just football. Football is physical. It is just one of those things."

Holmgren said the original bone bruise led to the small crack.

Alexander has started 69 of the last 70 games for the Seahawks. His only absence in that span was a 2002 start that he missed to help with the birth of his first daughter. He entered that game in the second quarter.

Last season, Alexander rushed for 1,880 yards and scored a league-record 28 touchdowns. He has just 187 yards, an average of 2.9 yards per carry, and two touchdowns through three games. His career average is 4.5 yards per rush. He has gained fewer than 100 yards in each of Seattle's three games this season, his first such streak in two years.

That all is far below the standards he set for himself. During training camp, he said with a straight face that his goal was to score 40 touchdowns this season.

"Every game I put unbelievable amount of pressure on me to do things that are just not normal," Alexander said last week.

"I look at the big picture before the season starts and then when the season is over and that is about it. After that, it is just week to week."

Monday, that became weeks to weeks.

[SeeinRed]

Lets just hope that all Bengals players decline to be on the cover if they are asked.

[RedFanAlways1966]

Lets just hope that all Bengals players decline to be on the cover if they are asked.

At this point in time... Odell Thurman can do it! :devil:

[OldRightHander]

Lets just hope that all Bengals players decline to be on the cover if they are asked.

I'm fearful that a Bengal may end up on the cover of the next installment of Grand Theft Auto.

[RollyInRaleigh]

I'm fearful that a Bengal may end up on the cover of the next installment of Grand Theft Auto.


:laugh:

[WVRed]

Lets just hope that all Bengals players decline to be on the cover if they are asked.

I'm all for a team photo of the Pittsburgh Steelers being on the next Madden cover.

[Johnny Footstool]

I'm fearful that a Bengal may end up on the cover of the next installment of Grand Theft Auto.

Wow.

Just an awesome line. :beerme:

You deserve tons of rep for that.

[Blimpie]

Wow.

Just an awesome line. :beerme:

You deserve tons of rep for that.Couldn't agree more. I took care of him on my end...:D

[BoomerSoonerRed]

I'm all for a team photo of the Pittsburgh Steelers being on the next Madden cover.
Frankly, I wouldn't mind seeing just Roethlisberger on the cover, but that's a good one.
Others I wouldn't mind seeing on next year's Madden cover:
Clinton Portis
T.O. (and I'm a Cowboy fan)
Jeremy Shockey
Tom Brady
Jake Plummer

[WVRed]

Frankly, I wouldn't mind seeing just Roethlisberger on the cover, but that's a good one.
Others I wouldn't mind seeing on next year's Madden cover:
Clinton Portis
T.O. (and I'm a Cowboy fan)
Jeremy Shockey
Tom Brady
Jake Plummer

I have a feeling that next years will be a wide receiver. They have improved with the defense, quarterback, and runningback already and used Ray Lewis, Donovan McNabb, and Shaun Alexander on that already.

If I had to guess, this is next years poster boy.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b338/MaddenCovers/Cincinntti%20Bengals/JohnsonCover.jpg

[StillFunkyB]

I'm all for a team photo of the Pittsburgh Steelers being on the next Madden cover.

WORD! :thumbup: