Throwdowns > Closed

HOOTZ said 12/31, 12:00 PM
In the world of sports a curse is more of a superstition than it is a curse. The longer a superstition holds true, the more alluring it becomes. Such is the case with one of the most popular superstitions in sports today: The Madden Curse.

Some people may think of this as a crock or an old wives tale. Yet, as time goes on there seems to be more and more credibility to its believers.

The Madden Curse has been going strong for 11 years and shows no sign of letting up. Some may argue that Larry Fitzgerald broke the curse in 2010. If we take a closer look however, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamolu was also on the cover in 2010. It's no secret that Polamolu's 2010 season was severly injury plagued.

Many players have openly voiced their disbelief in the curse, only to fall victim to it as their season unfolded. While this notion can be interpreted as ludicrous, its results to date have been invariable.

Now, I'm not trying to convince anyone that curses or superstitions are the handy work of some evil doer. I'm only pointing out how substantial rumors become when a said pattern keeps manifesting itself season after season.

Is Peyton Hillis really full of hot air?

HOOTZ said 01/01, 09:07 PM
I have no love for Hillis. Even less so after this season. I'm not going to offer any excuses for his personal conduct or his lack of work ethic.

I do want to point out that Hillis was the finalist in an EA Sports (makers of the Madden video game) Fan Poll cunducted by ESPN. It came down to Hillis vs Michael Vick in the final vote. Since Vick had already been on the cover before, I'm guessing that's how Hillis ended up amassing 66% of over 1,000,000 votes in the final poll.

Regardless, Hillis' 2011 season was a toxic mess for Cleveland.

But, Hillis DID have a hamstring injury that sidelined him for 5 games and I don't blame that on his agent. A team physician would have had to approve that. As for Hillis 'pretending' his strep throat was so severe he couldn't play...lets pretend he didn't have a severe head cold at the time either.

Now, in your opening statement you said "The Curse is BS, IMO" and that is what we're debating.

IMO it is real and Hillis is a dud. Guys a fool. I hope Cleveland gives him the boot tomorrow. He's definitely touched if not cursed. He's become a special needs person.

There are no rules to the Madden curse Marlins. It just works.

HOOTZ said 01/02, 10:10 PM
There have been superstitions and curses in nearly every sport imaginable at one time or other. Some are said to still exist. They take on an otherworldly essence of their own.

But, I don't have time to disprove every curse that ever existed. That's why I chose to promote only ONE of them. The Madden Curse.

This one is also easier for me and I'll tell you why...because the Madden Curse has only existed for a little over a decade of my adult life and I've been around long enough to see it with my own eyes and remember it in my own mind as it took place.

I'm not going to waste my time talking about foolish curses Like Booby Lane saying the Lions wouldn't win a championship for 50 years. Bobby Lane didn't forsee Matt Millen taking a huge dump on Deroit during the first decade of the 21st century. No, that one's on Millen.

I don't mind talking about one that I don't need to make up stories about to show that it does exist. Now, you can chalk it up to coincidence or say that Hillis willed it to happen. That's fine.

Ive pointed out that I don't know there to be any rules to this curse. I just say it aint broken until it's broken.

Good to TD with you Marlins.