As Shaun Alexander's season slowly wastes away on the bench, I am left to wonder if there is any truth to this Madden Jinx?  From an intellectual side, the recognition of such a jinx is really a post hoc fallacy.  I get it.  But, after 8 years of various curses and tragedies falling upon those who grace the cover of Madden, one is left to wonder if there is some validity to the jinx.  There are many websites devoted to this subject and a recent Google search of "Madden Jinx" revelaed over 88,000 hits.  Consider the history:

• Madden 2000: Barry Sanders. Sanders was the first NFL player to be on the cover (he's in the background) and quickly became the first ex-NFL player on the cover. He retired before training camp began and hasn't been seen since.

• Madden 2001: Eddie George. He was the only one to escape the curse as he rushed for 1,509 yards and 16 touchdowns, both career highs.  However, he was on the losing team in one of the most heart-breaking Superbowl losses of all time and anyone that's watched him stumble through his current broadcast career after his playing career went south really quick may wonder if the curse just had a delay on him.

•Madden 2002: Daunte Culpepper. Missed the final five games that season with a knee injury, but the curse kicked in well before the injury. He went from being tied for the league lead with 33 TD passes in 2000 to having almost as many interceptions (13) as touchdown passes (14) in 2001.  He still isn't 100% healthy and he is playing for task master Nick Saban behind one of the worst offensive lines in football.  His curse continues today.

•Madden 2003: Marshall Faulk. He rushed for 1,000 yards in seven of his first eight seasons, but he hasn't surpassed that mark since appearing on the cover of the game. In 2002, he missed two games that season with an injured ankle.  He too got really old, really fast and was replaced by Stephen Jackson.

• Madden 2004: Michael Vick. Suffered a broken right leg during an exhibition game. He missed the first 11 games of the regular season.  Since then he has shown flashes of brilliance and has had bouts of inconsistency.

• Madden 2005: Ray Lewis. The Ravens' linebacker didn't have an interception for the only time in his career. He missed the regular-season finale because of an injured wrist.  Plus that whole murder thing kind of tarnishes your image just a bit.

• Madden 2006: Donovan McNabb. After the Eagles slipped to a 4-5 record, McNabb missed the final seven games because of a sports hernia.  He also had to endure the cancer that is T.O.  Playing a season with T.O. is like having ####, an annoyance that never goes away.

• Madden 2007: Shaun Alexander. He loses his Left Guard (Steve Hutchinson) in one of the shadiest deals in the history of Pro Football.  He gained 187 yards in the first three games, his worst start since 2002, and now is out with a broken bone in his left foot which is healing very slowly.  Quite mysterious.

Now HERE is the Question?

If we can suspend reality just a bit, let's imagine that we the people have the power to nominate the next Madden cover player.  If we are to believe that the curse is true, who would you most want to see on the cover of Madden?  Is it T.O (no explanation necessary)?  Is it Chad Johnson (too arrogant)?  Is it Tom Brady (too perfect)?  Is it Peyton Manning (too many commercials)?  Is it Sean Salisbury (I know he doesn't play but boy, anything to shut him up would be appreciated)?  Why don't you weigh in and tell us what you think.