That's what you get for being a madden coverboy

[wade moore]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2602571

KIRKLAND, Wash. -- The Seahawks' insulation from the recent hex of Super Bowl runners-up has a crack. League MVP Shaun Alexander has a broken left foot and will be lost to the Seahawks for at least a couple of weeks.

Coach Mike Holmgren said Monday that a bone scan revealed Alexander sustained a "small crack" and "displaced fracture" on a non-weight-bearing bone in his foot sometime during the Seahawks' 42-30 win over the New York Giants on Sunday. Alexander ran for 47 yards on 20 carries while wearing new shoes and orthotic inserts before sitting out the fourth quarter, which began with Seattle leading 42-3. Alexander missed practices last Wednesday and Thursday because of soreness from a bone bruise he sustained while rushing for 51 yards on 19 carries in the Sept. 10 season opener at Detroit.
Holmgren said last season's NFL rushing leader was on crutches inside team headquarters Monday, a special player's off day following their third straight win. Alexander had departed the facility by the time Holmgren made his announcement.
"You lose the MVP for a while, it's a hit," Holmgren said. "Let's face it, he's the MVP. We're not going to sugarcoat it."
The test of whether this crack becomes the gaping void that has derailed the previous five Super Bowl losers begins Sunday night at Chicago, which is also 3-0. Maurice Morris will make his fifth career start for Alexander.
Seattle has its bye the following week before playing at division rival St. Louis on Oct. 15.
"I don't think it will be real lengthy," Holmgren said. "Now, he just has to stay off of it and let it heal."
Holmgren said he could not yet specify how long Alexander would be out.

"We're looking at a few weeks, let's put it that way," Holmgren said. "The good thing is, it's just a small, little crack -- if you want to talk about a good thing."
Beginning in March, Holmgren has had a ready answer for the many who have asked about this: Since 2001, the Giants, Rams, Raiders, Panthers and Eagles have combined to go 31-49 in the seasons immediately following their Super Bowl losses.
"All that means is, everyone has had key guys get hurt," Holmgren said, a message he gave him players more than once before this season began.
Donovan McNabb, Stephen Davis, Rich Gannon, Orlando Pace, among others, all had major injuries that led to those pratfalls.
"There's no hocus-pocus to it," Holmgren said repeatedly.
On Sunday, the Seahawks welcomed former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch by featuring four-wide receiver formations, and Matt Hasselbeck threw a franchise record-tying five touchdown passes. Seattle's running game was already weakened by current injuries to starting guards Floyd Womack and Chris Gray and the top two tight ends, Jerramy Stevens and Itula Mili.
Now, it's Morris instead of Alexander. The second-round draft choice in 2002 from Oregon rushed 15 times for 18 yards against the Giants on Sunday.
"I do have a lot of confidence in Mo Morris," Holmgren said, adding the team also has "some roster things to do" by the end of the week.
"You have only one way to go. Just plug someone in and go."
When asked how he was initially injured, Alexander said last week, "People falling on you. It is just football. Football is physical. It is just one of those things."
Holmgren said the original bone bruise led to the small crack.
Alexander has started 69 of the last 70 games for the Seahawks. His only absence in that span was a 2002 start that he missed to help with the birth of his first daughter. He entered that game in the second quarter.
Last season, Alexander rushed for 1,880 yards and scored a league-record 28 touchdowns. He has just 187 yards, an average of 2.9 yards per carry, and two touchdowns through three games. His career average is 4.5 yards per rush. He has gained fewer than 100 yards in each of Seattle's three games this season, his first such streak in two years.
That all is far below the standards he set for himself. During training camp, he said with a straight face that his goal was to score 40 touchdowns this season.
"Every game I put unbelievable amount of pressure on me to do things that are just not normal," Alexander said last week.
"I look at the big picture before the season starts and then when the season is over and that is about it. After that, it is just week to week."
Monday, that became weeks to weeks.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

[Joe]

lol some of those "curses" listed are big stretches..

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Joe

lol some of those "curses" listed are big stretches..

Eddie George is certainly a stretch...

I thought Ray Lewis had more injury trouble than that though...

[Joe]

Originally Posted by wade moore

Eddie George is certainly a stretch...

I thought Ray Lewis had more injury trouble than that though...

He did in the 2005 season, only played in 6 games. But he was on the cover of the 2005 game, meaning the 2004 season was cursed. He had 146 tackles in that cursed season. Eddie George's cursed season consisted of 1509 rushing yards and 14 TDs..

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Joe

He did in the 2005 season, only played in 6 games. But he was on the cover of the 2005 game, meaning the 2004 season was cursed. He had 146 tackles in that cursed season. Eddie George's cursed season consisted of 1509 rushing yards and 14 TDs..

Gotcha, was mixing the years up...

Those two years are definately stretches then... but it's still relatively eerie...

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Joe

He did in the 2005 season, only played in 6 games. But he was on the cover of the 2005 game, meaning the 2004 season was cursed. He had 146 tackles in that cursed season. Eddie George's cursed season consisted of 1509 rushing yards and 14 TDs..

C'mon, you can't take the Ravens tackle counting seriously.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by wade moore

Gotcha, was mixing the years up...

Those two years are definately stretches then... but it's still relatively eerie...

No, it isn't really all that eerie at all. A lot of those situations, including this one could be called before hand. Faulk and Alexander were used heavily and the history of RB's who are used that heavily is not good. About 85% of the time, those guys see major reduction in numbers and/or injuries. It was easy to call. It's only a curse for those guys if Terrell Davis, Priest Holmes, and others who have been used heavily are also considered curses.

Some, like Ray Lewis, Eddie George and Barry have nothing to do with curses. He didn't get an INT? Please. . . We've now eliminated 5 of the 8.

Vick? He's a running QB, we all knew/know that injuries will be a part of his career because of his style and his size. Just goes with the territory.

McNabb and Culpepper? OK, they were fluke injuries and horrible years. I don't think either involved a curse. YMMV

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by TroyF

No, it isn't really all that eerie at all. A lot of those situations, including this one could be called before hand. Faulk and Alexander were used heavily and the history of RB's who are used that heavily is not good. About 85% of the time, those guys see major reduction in numbers and/or injuries. It was easy to call. It's only a curse for those guys if Terrell Davis, Priest Holmes, and others who have been used heavily are also considered curses.

Some, like Ray Lewis, Eddie George and Barry have nothing to do with curses. He didn't get an INT? Please. . . We've now eliminated 5 of the 8.

Vick? He's a running QB, we all knew/know that injuries will be a part of his career because of his style and his size. Just goes with the territory.

McNabb and Culpepper? OK, they were fluke injuries and horrible years. I don't think either involved a curse. YMMV

Wow, let's just overanalyze something that is so obviously just a fun little joke that very few people take seriously...

[bulletsponge]

if you believe in curses then your an idiot redsox or cubs fan

[Kodos]

Jimmy Hoffa was on Madden '76. Look what happened to him.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by bulletsponge

if you believe in curses then your an idiot redsox or cubs fan

Red Sox fans don't believe in curses. Only Dan Shaugnessy of the Boston Globe and Joe Buck do.

[MikeVic]

I hope he comes back 100%, since my fantasy team is suffering without him.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by wade moore

Wow, let's just overanalyze something that is so obviously just a fun little joke that very few people take seriously...

Not to be rude to Troy, but he kind of does that to everything. I find it charming though.