Richard Sherman vs. Cam Newton: Final Battle for Madden 15
By Todd Pheifer
We have reached the finals of the fan-driven contest that will determine the cover of Madden 15. In one corner is quarterback Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers. In the other corner is our very own Richard Sherman, cornerback of the Seattle Seahawks.
Can we just save everyone a lot of time and skip to the part where Richard Sherman is put on the cover?
I acknowledge the possibility that Newton could sneak away with this particular victory. However, that would surprise me for a couple of reasons.
For one, Sherman is a popular figure right now, even beyond the geographic boundaries of the Pacific Northwest. Certainly he is a polarizing player, and he has received his fair share of criticism. However, he is admired by a great many football fans who appreciate what he accomplished in 2013.
There is also the “curse” angle. As I wrote in a previous article, there are those that believe (or enjoy the idea of believing) in the Madden curse. The Madden curse is a peculiarity in the NFL where certain players have had unfortunate injuries or drops in production after being put on the cover.
What this may do is cause the Sherman haters to vote for him in the hopes that he too will experience some sort of football tragedy in 2014. Hardly a classy gesture if people are voting with the thought that Sherman might fail, but this is football fandom. No love is lost between fans and certain players.
It would be ironic if people who hate Richard Sherman actually vote for Richard Sherman, but in this instance it makes sense.
Decide for yourself who you think should grace the cover of this iconic video game. In the grand scheme of the football universe, it matters little who ends up on the cover. However, bragging rights are worth something, particularly to certain players.
You can vote for Sherman here, unless you are afraid that voting Mr. Sherman will put him in grave danger.