Odell Beckham Jr. Makes ‘Madden NFL 2016’ Cover, Responds To ‘Madden Curse’
Odell Beckham Jr. was a standout receiver during his rookie season with the New York Giants last year. As the Inquisitr previously reported, Beckham made an incredible, one-handed touchdown catch that stunned all of those who witnessed it and made him a household name. Today, it was announced that football fans voted for Beckham to be the next athlete to be featured on the cover of the long-running Madden gaming franchise.
The official SportsCenter Twitter page broke the news about Odell Beckham Jr. making the cover of Madden NFL 2016. The 22-year-old Beckham competed for the title against New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
BREAKING: Odell Beckham Jr. will be on the cover of #Madden16. Beckham is the youngest cover athlete in game history. pic.twitter.com/f2PaykcMse
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 13, 2015
When he received word about being selected, Beckham took to Twitter to thank all of those who voted for him.
Man I just personally wanna thank all the love and support from everybody for voting today!! It’s mean so much to be on the cover of Madden
— Odell Beckham Jr (@OBJ_3) May 14, 2015
Truly honored and blessed! God has opened doors I would of never believed — Odell Beckham Jr (@OBJ_3) May 14, 2015
But the one thing that many football fans are concerned about is the “Madden curse.” History has shown that after some athletes appeared on the cover of a Madden game, they get injured or they don’t perform as well the following season. A 2014 Digital Trends article reports that the so-called “curse” struck San Francisco 49ers running back Garrison Hearst, as well as Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper. However, there have been some instances in which an athlete didn’t have a bad season. Examples include Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions and Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks.
With Odell Beckham Jr. being selected for the cover of Madden NFL 2016, there’s already speculation that he may fall victim to the curse. But as Beckham told his Twitter followers, he doesn’t believe a curse exists.
I believe in God and his divine plan not something that is wished upon of others! #WalkinByFaithpic.twitter.com/CgqJvR6FAh
— Odell Beckham Jr (@OBJ_3) May 14, 2015
Writing for Bleacher Report, Gary Davenport also notes that there is no such thing as the “Madden curse.” If Odell Beckham Jr. were to have a bad year, it could be based on a number of things, but not some superstition.
“Opposing defensive coordinators will have had an entire offseason to game-plan against him. Quarterback Eli Manning had one of the best statistical seasons of his career in 2014. The potential return of Victor Cruz could mean fewer looks. If any of those things break wrong, Beckham’s numbers could dip. They may well just dip anyway, at least on a per-game basis.”
What’s your reaction to Odell Beckham Jr. making the cover of Madden NFL 2016?
[Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images]
