The Madden curse is as real as that growth around Ron Mexico’s genitals, and players for years have proven it. Nevertheless, for a dying rust belt city in Ohio, the offseason is usually their Super Bowl.

Running back Peyton Hillis came out of nowhere last season for the Cleveland Browns, perpetually one of the worst teams in the NFL, to rush for 1,177 yards and 11 rushing TDs for 2010. Throw in the fact that he also caught 61 balls for 477 yards and 2 more TDs and the dude is legit. Finally, he wrestles wild boars, and drags pick up trucks around for fun. Is Peyton Hillis an X-Man? Yes, probably.

Do Magneto’s bidding, Cleveland Plain Dealer:

The Browns have not won a championship in 47 years, so this is a minor victory for the luckless team. However, Hillis now must contend with the legendary “Madden Cover Curse.” Players who appear on the cover of the video game have typically suffered a decline in production the following season, often because of injury.
Hillis, however, laughed at the suggestion of a curse, while EA Sports senior product manager Anthony Stevenson contends the game’s previous bad luck and the troubles experienced by the Browns franchise will cancel each other out.

“If you put the two together, the Browns make the playoffs,” Stevenson said. “I’m going to go ahead and go with that.”

As a native Clevelander I can tell you that will absolutely NOT happen. It’s more likely that I will show up for Maury Povich to take my paternity test sober and willing to peacefully accept the results then Hillis dominating again.

What is happening here?  This photo was taken by NY Jets tight end Dustin Keller, apparently on the team plane back from Cleveland where the Jets just beat the Browns 26-20.  Keller stuck it up on his Plixi account for us all to see and I am now forever grateful.

What is Sanchez doing here though?  Is he doing his impersonation of De Niro or Brando?  Is this just how Sanchez actually talks?  It would really warm my heart a lil bit he did talk like this all the time and I have no idea why.  Also, side note, why does he look so much like Adam Morrison here?

The most astounding thing about this picture, to me, is surprisingly not so much the raccoon hat that Sanchez is wearing, no, it is that the star quarterback of the New York Jets does not get to sit in first class.  That is full on coach seating there. Sure he gets a whole row to himself, but c’mon Rex, hook the kid up.

I’d love to see the picture of first class with Rex Ryan and the whole coaching staff sipping on champagne and smoking Cuban cigars while lounging around in NY Jets logo’ed plush robes and slippers. That must be happening up there.  It must.

Mark Sanchez, raccoon hat wearing, coach class sitting, man of the people.

Is this pic dying for photoshops or what?