If you root for or against the Pittsburgh Steelers, you have a reason to be happy today.
For fans of the team, it’s good news because Antonio Brown’s brand and star power will increase as he was announced as the cover athlete for forthcoming Madden 19 video game.
It’s also good news for foes, as now the wideout is a candidate to fall victim to the Madden Curse.
Congratulations @AB84‼️ #Madden19 pic.twitter.com/csU6sd2V93
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 18, 2018
The curse, which first struck when Garrison Hearst broke his ankle in 1998 after being selected for the cover of Madden NFL 99, is said to cause a player who graces the Madden cover to have a poor year or get injured the following season.
Since it struck Hearst, 17 of the game’s 20 cover stars – including Peyton Hillis, Michael Vick, and Rob Gronkowski – have had troubling or abruptly shortened seasons due to injury following their appearance.
Despite that, Brown sounds like he feels he will be reversing, or at least immune to, the curse.
“To be on the cover is a real honor I’ve wanted to always have because I have so much connection with the game,” Brown said. “Growing up as a kid I played Madden all the time, was being inspired by the players in the game. And now to be on the cover, it’s a special feeling.”
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