Vote to save Matt Ryan from the Madden Curse
101111 Atlanta; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) attempts a deep pass in the first half of their game hosting the Baltimore Ravens at the Georgia Dome Thursday night in Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 11, 2010. Jason Getz jgetz@ajc.com
BIRDLAND – Most football fans want nothing to do with a player from their team appearing on the cover of the John Madden football game.
Everybody knows about the Madden Curse.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has a shot to appear on the cover of EA Sports’ Madden 2012. But why would he want to be on the cover? He advanced out of the first round of this bracket styled contest. If you are a true Falcons fans, you’ll vote him out of this madness as quickly as possible.
He’s up against Cleveland running back Peyton Hillis this week.
All 32 NFL teams had one player represented. The voting will be done over a four week period at ESPN.com/MaddenVote.
ESPN show SportsNation, which airs at 4 p.m. on ESPN2 Monday through Friday, will be the TV home for this ongoing event.
In the first week of the voting, Ryan pounded Carolina’s Jordan Gross 89 to 11 percent.
More than 6.8 million votes were cast during the opening round from March 21 – 28.
Round 2 voting is open and fans can make their selections exclusively at www.ESPN.com/MaddenVote to determine which of the 16 finalists/injury candidates advance to the next round.
Chicago voting rules — vote early and often — are in place.
ROUND 1 BREAKDOWN OF MADDEN NFL 12 COVER VOTE CAMPAIGN
* 72% Aaron Rodgers / 28% Ndamukong Suh
* 57% Sam Bradford / 43% Larry Fitzgerald
* 61% Hakeem Nicks / 39% Brian Orakpo
* 62% Danny Woodhead / 38% Steve Johnson
* 66% Maurice Jones-Drew / 34% Dwight Freeney
* 64% Jamaal Charles / 36% Tim Tebow
* 62% Peyton Hillis / 38% Ray Rice
* 89% Matt Ryan / 11% Jordan Gross
* 67% Philip Rivers / 33% Darren McFadden
* 57% Adrian Peterson / 43% Julius Peppers
* 55% Mark Sanchez / 45% Jake Long
* 56% Drew Brees / 44% Josh Freeman
* 76% Michael Vick / 24% DeMarcus Ware
* 69% Andre Johnson / 31% Chris Johnson
* 54% Patrick Willis / 46% 12th Man
* 72% Hines Ward / 28% Carlos Dunlap
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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95 comments Add your comment
FalconUGAFan
March 30th, 2011
11:46 am
@Katherine….well played..yes seen..I mean Sydnee…we will be happy to vote for your rep..oh wait I did
Ummmm
March 30th, 2011
12:03 pm
@SeenThisB4 A Falcon has been on the cover before. Before a Saints player, no less!
AFL Rules
March 30th, 2011
12:07 pm
Go Ga. Force………NFL sux
Richard Dawson
March 30th, 2011
12:33 pm
Matty pre-empted the curse with a curse of his own, the horrid performance against Green Bay. Hard to believe he’s doing so well in the voting given that season-ending major disappointment. I love the guy, but he is not in the top 5 QBs. Maybe not top 10.
Richard Dawson
March 30th, 2011
12:33 pm
Ahh, I see why he’s doing so well. He’s up against Jordan Gross. Whoever that is.
Richard Dawson
March 30th, 2011
12:36 pm
gabeaux, you’re worse than seen this b4. Why someone would want to spend so much time and energy running down another person is hard to understand. I feel sorry for you and anyone who has the misfortune to know you. Folks like you, who attack someone for having a different opinion than you, are below scum. Ditto to UKFalcon.
Curses To You, Matty Ice
March 30th, 2011
12:42 pm
[...] The Atlanta Journal Constitution has launched a campaign asking fans to vote against their beloved Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to make the cover of Madden 2012. Why? Because they live in fear of the infamous Madden Curse. The makers of the game have set up a bracket-esque contest to pick the next cover boy. The voting will be done over a four week period at ESPN.com/MaddenVote. Ryan’s already advanced to the second round. This week, he’s up against Peyton Hillis and this Saints fan will certainly do whatever it takes to make sure he makes it all the way!! [...]
SawThat1nce
March 30th, 2011
1:14 pm
STDB4 @10:33am……..STDB4 calling out another team for nose-diving at the end of last season, after it’s saints had a melt-down themselves.
Showing your ignorance.
After their performance for the entire year, they were lucky to even make the playoffs.
jarvis
March 30th, 2011
1:16 pm
@sydnee….i didnt know the NFL give rings to the fan too……..hey but i’m a falcon fan so what do i know, huh!!!
jarvis
March 30th, 2011
1:20 pm
Maybe Matt Ryan being on the cover will counter the curse he have playing in the off season. Anybody think of that?
jarvis
March 30th, 2011
1:21 pm
i meant post season
jarvis
March 30th, 2011
1:22 pm
or playoffs
Falkin Phraud
March 30th, 2011
1:25 pm
How can Ryan even be the subject of a “curse”? He hasn’t accomplished anything. First, you have to be somebody before you can be “cursed” and decline as a result.
Really?
March 30th, 2011
1:53 pm
Ummmmm, to all of you who like to comment about the Saints last season, please remember, your team didnt make it to the big dance EITHER. Remember the Saints have a SuperBowlRing. The Falcons, have a promise ring? No,maybe its a ring around the tub?
Until you walk the walk, and get the ring, STFU!!!!
Yeah, I said it!
Trish
March 30th, 2011
3:15 pm
I guess this is to make it seem like the reason he wouldn’t win anyway is because people are voting to keep him from being “cursed”? LOL
Matt
March 30th, 2011
3:19 pm
Only uneducated, superstitious idiots believe in “curses”. It would be a great thing for the Falcons and for Matt Ryan if he got the cover.
dbird1
March 30th, 2011
3:46 pm
@Really?,
win one without the zebra’s help then you can talk.
fansince74
March 30th, 2011
3:51 pm
Aaron Rogers is the one who is the most deserving to be on the Cover.
Decatur Falcon
March 30th, 2011
3:54 pm
Look people, the Madden Cover is a curse, every NFL player that has gotten on that game cover has a bad year or never play again. Madden need to focus on the fans, and that is it. If I was Matt Ryan, I will tell them “No Thank You”, I hope it is Hillis and not Matt Ryan. I would like to see the Atlanta Falcons win a Super Bowl, before I leave this Earth if there is any football or not. I love football, and can’t see myself not watching if that take them 2 years to get their act together. Matt Ryan please say no to Madden 2012, we need to win a Super Bowl. GO FALCONS!!!!!!
Anointed champs/NOT
March 30th, 2011
4:37 pm
Falcants still looking for stardom, some kind of way. Didn’t the falcants win the super bowl last year. After all, that’s what their fans said would happen, since they were the number one seed last year. Oh I forgot, another year, no ring for the falcants.
JuneBaby
March 30th, 2011
5:55 pm
No qb should be represented if he doesn’t throw td passes longer than 10-15 yds. If the only good thing you can say about a qb is he’s efficient, it means he’s a system qb and has no natural talent to be able to rise above, meaning he can’t carry a team with his extrordinary play. So when other teams figure out the system, he’s almost uselesss. That is not criteria for being on the cover of Madden!
hbcuclassics
March 30th, 2011
7:02 pm
HBCU Classic Sports Draft Board 2011 (11-21)
11. Jason House 5′11,185 FS Southn 10 ints 2009
12. Chris Adingupu 6’0, 189 FS PView All-SWAC
13. Phillip Sylvester 5’9, 185 RB FAMU All-MEAC, 4.39/40
14. Ray Webber 6′2, 218 WR UAPB FCS All-American
15. David Mims 6’8, 348 OT VA Union 3x All-CIAA
16. Josh Harrison 6’4, 285 OG SC State All-MEAC, 3x MEAC Champ
17. Dejuan Fulghum 6’0, 220 OLB Tx South 2010 SWAC Defensive POY
18. DeAngelo Branche 6′0 220 RB Norfolk FCS All-American
19. Andre Carroll 6’4, 280 DT Del St. FCS All-American
20. Frank Kearse 6′4, 302 DE Ala AM 2x All-SWAC
21. Marshall McFadden 6’1, 230 LB SC State All-MEAC,3xMEAC Champ
http://www.hbcuclassics.com
WTF?
March 30th, 2011
8:15 pm
why is tim tebow in there….correct me if im wrong but the kid has started TWO GAMES!!!..HES HAD HIS LAME NCAA (SAME GRAPHICS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT) COVER…I WAS HOPING THAT WOULD HAVE HAD A CURSE AND HED BREAK HIS NECK SO THE REST OF AMERICA WOULDNT HAVE TO HEAR ABOUT THIS NO TALENT ‘TEEN’ HEARTHROB ANYMORE….NOW HES A CABANA BOY FOR UNDERWEAR
ls1z28chris
March 30th, 2011
8:16 pm
Why are you folks cheering against Ryan? He can’t win a playoff game. Y’all should try to win this for him.
drmondo
March 30th, 2011
8:30 pm
Stop responding to B4 and all his aliases…He’s a tool who has no real life. Don’t feed the Troll(s)
MountainDawg
March 30th, 2011
8:41 pm
Glad to see top QBs Rodgers, Brees & Ryan advance…along w/ (grossly underrated Woodhead & Hillis).
SawThat1nce
March 30th, 2011
9:26 pm
The saints were ushered into the SB by the NFL’s officials.
Plain and simple.
Big Wood
March 30th, 2011
9:31 pm
Don’t do it…
Runnin With The Dawgs
March 30th, 2011
10:04 pm
The poor performance against Green Bay wasn’t just Matty Ice. It was the whole team!
Michael Nash
March 30th, 2011
10:09 pm
seenthisb4 YOU ARE AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!! There has been a Falcon on the cover before, and by the way the 12th man didnt make it past the first rd.
SeenThisB4
March 30th, 2011
10:12 pm
The Saints won their appearance in the Super Bowl, which is vastly better than what the falcan’ts did in their sole SB appearance, and sure the Saints didn’t repeat last year, but that’s attributable to the Super Bowl hangover, the Madden Curse, and the officials helping the falcan’ts win at the Super Dome. and overwhelming injuries, in particularly at running back. Even still, 11-6. Falcan’ts lost 2 of 3 at home, losing 2 games to winning teams (Saints, of course, and the Packers) only managing to beat the worst team in the league, Carolina. Bottom line, the falcan’ts couldn’t close the deal, couldn’t take advantage of the gifts the refs handed them, couldn’t make the big play, and couldn’t stop their oppnents when it counted.
SeenThisB4
March 30th, 2011
10:21 pm
@Mike Nash: You are correct, that was the guy that gave all you falcan’t fans the middle finger, was it not? The guy whose name can’t be posted here?!
LOL!
Gave ya’ll the middle finger salute! Your own QB!! LOL!
Runnin With The Dawgs
March 30th, 2011
10:23 pm
B4 — Now go ahead and tell us all about the Saints game with the Seahawks.
SeenThisB4
March 30th, 2011
10:32 pm
@Running: At least we didn’t get our butts whipped in front of our home crowd where your claim was you were invincible. Your team was fortunate that the Saints lost to the hawks, cause the Saints would have beaten the falcan’ts again in your house.
BirdDawg
March 30th, 2011
11:06 pm
SeenThisB4, A loss is a loss no matter what, but still, it’s much more understandable to lose to the Super Bowl Champs than to lose to the first “playoff” team with a losing record. And if you hate the Falcons so much, why are you on a Falcons blog in the middle of the off season? What a clown.
Singletary
March 30th, 2011
11:18 pm
Please let it not be MR2. We don’t need distractions, particularly beyond, UH, TB & their big and beefy team looming in our rear view mirror.
Ctstyle
March 30th, 2011
11:51 pm
Come on Falcons fans. Start voting for Brees. I don’t want to see another Falcons QB with a broken fibula lying on the Dome floor.
falcon88
March 31st, 2011
7:10 am
Seenthisb4 sounds like a closet falcon fan can’t stop talking about them anytime. Besides his lovely AINTS lost to the first team ever I mean ever to make the playoffs with a losing record we lost to the superbowl champs that must hurt little AINT but no worries it was a hangover right so stupid got one ring and an now your the pats haha swim out of that city get back in the real world dumb a$$
SeenThisB4
March 31st, 2011
7:20 am
falcon88: Yeah it hurt, but it was assuaged by the shiny Super Bowl Rings. As opposed to your team who was one and out, on their Super Bowl drive. LOL!
Aaron Rogers will win the Madden cover!
Facon James
March 31st, 2011
8:13 am
Can we talk about the new Auburn scandal?
Falcon 4 Life
March 31st, 2011
11:45 am
You all are a bunch of haters! Growing up in the ATL, we havent had many successful quarterbacks with the Faalcons at all. Im not sure if a falcon has ever been on a cover of madden ever. DOnt down the man cuz hes the best we have because judging from history, he may be the best quarterback we have ever had. Rise up Dirty Birds! And think if your team can really compare…i mean they did go 13-3 last year, how was your team?
SawThat1nce
March 31st, 2011
10:28 pm
STDB4 @7:20am…….The closest you’ll ever get to seeing a SB ring is on the TV.
SawThat1nce
March 31st, 2011
10:29 pm
STDB4……..What a DA, you are.
SeenThisB4
April 1st, 2011
7:47 pm
SawThat1nce: You’re a DA yourself.
Rogers is going to beat out Fatt Ryan, again, and beat him big time. Brees is going to take on your middle fingering ex-QB, then Rogers will beat out Brees by the thinnest of margins, (they may even need a recount).
ASHCAN.
April 4th, 2011
8:37 am
Who cares,atlanta teams are already cursed.This city is so racist and divided all the way from the fans to the sports columnist.A kingdom divided will not stand and we wonder why atlanta teams have ONE championship(Sorry braves) in 40+ years.