Mindsink":2b6kh72j said:
theascension":2b6kh72j said:
This is the 21st century, time to leave superstition back in the dark ages, "curses" are only false pattern recognition. There is no curse, only those who cannot handle increased fame and exposure. Sherman lives off it, feeds off it. Being on the cover would probably on serve to make him stronger.
Indeed. This is the 21st century, where man has accumulated enough knowledge to think they know everything, and they doubt the mere existence of things because it falls outside the walls of their scientific norms.
17-1 (really, 18-0). That pattern is very real. Do you want to be on the wrong side of it?
The pattern is not indicative of Curses. Curses exist but in the mind. It's indicative of the natural odds of a performance drop-off or injury following a full season of excellence. It should stand to reason that an end-to-end burner of a year is one in which the player experienced a lack of serious physical setback. The odds are in favor of a NFL player experiencing a injury at some point in his career that causes him to miss games or perform at a lesser pace. That's not a Curse - it's a predictive reality in a physically brutal sport.
The opposite of "scientific norms" are not Curses. They are scientific abnormalities, but even then, they're based on tangible evidence whether we can see it or not. So it's not Curse vs. Non-Curse - it's one noteworthy season seen in the light of odds of digression vs. the odds of repetition/excellence.
Add into that equation other key elements, like Shaun Alexander having the best Left Side O-Line in two decades blocking for him for several consecutive years or a Broncos receiver having Peyton Manning instead of Tim Tebow as his QB. Or key coaches/supporting players/personnel leaving a team after a successful season. Because the NFL is a team sport, it complicates these variables.
The Madden Cover is even one step removed from the criteria of league MVPs putting out premier performances - it's now based on popular opinion (and/or vote-rigging). Peyton Hillis, a career sub-average player, was not the best player on the field when he received the Cover. People liked his story, and he had a good year. It's more of an abnormality that he got the Cover than the fact that he quickly dropped off and reverted to the mean immediately thereafter.
It's complicated stuff that we can only attempt to quantify, but it's not a Curse.
Also, to wrap everything in a package of "people think they know everything, but they really don't, because I actually do" is not helpful to either side.
