Madden '13: AJ Green Out Of The Running For Cover

No Madden curse for the Cincinnati Bengals this year. The Bengals representative in the ESPN SportsNation cover contest, A.J. Green, lost his first round match-up to running back Ray Rice of the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens by a 65%-to-35% vote. The top four seeds remaining are Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers, Victor Cruz, and Rob Gronkowski.

What does this mean for the Bengals?

It means that A.J. Green won't get hit by a car or have a career ending knee injury in mini-camp, that's what it means!

(cut to Bengal fans furiously knocking on wood)

The notorious Madden curse is well documented, including by Cincy Jungle's own Jason Garrison, and Bengal fans will agree it was thoroughly enjoyable when the dangerous jinx toyed with the seasons of Ray Lewis (fractured wrist), Troy Polamalu (knee injury), and Peyton Hillis (injuries; no longer good at football). But that fate is reserved for the likes of Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland--not Cincinnati. Still, it would have been pretty awesome to see this every time you played some Madden '13 football.