Will the Madden Curse Cost Favre and the Jets?

Jet's fans be wary: Madden 2009 (ERTS) is out, and that's could be cursed news for Brett Favre and his new team.

What’s the Madden video game curse? Earlier releases of the football game featured the Hall of Fame Coach, John Madden's, mug, until 1999 when 49ers' running back Garrison Hearst became the first player featured on the game's cover. Hearst broke his ankle that season and did not return until 2001.

The trend continued: 2004's cover boy Michael Vick broke his fibula days after the game's release and missed 12 weeks; 2005's featured star Ray Lewis broke his arm after the game came out and also missed playing time.

So now former Packers quarterback, Favre, is this year’s cover boy, which means he’s now doomed to injury or obscurity (the former would bring the resale value of Jets tickets back to earth). We’re thinking severe arthritis-- just kidding Jets fans.

Curses aren’t limited to video games. One of the most popular sports curses is the Sports Illustrated cover jinx (TWX). Athletes from all over the sports world dread appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, believing it’s a kiss of death. But according to a 2002 “investigation,” Sports Illustrated found that of its 2,456 covers, only 913 were jinxed – “Golfers were ‘jinxed’ almost 70% of the time and tennis players after more than 50% of their appearances, while boxers suffered barely 16% of the time.”

Whether or not you believe in curses or jinxes, here’s a look at seven unlucky sports curses, and what they cost.

CURSE of the BILLY GOAT
Billy Sianis, a Greek immigrant, and his goat were booted out of Wrigley Field at the Cubs’ (TRB) owner’s request. Sianis then allegedly cursed the team to never win a pennant or World Series at home. The Cubs haven’t won a World Series in 100 years.
Cost of Curse: Sianis bought two $7.20 box seat tickets to Game 4 of the 1945 World Series. Since then, the Cubs' lack of World Series wins is costing them big: The 2005 World Series Winners, The Chicago White Sox, reportedly collected $56.6 in post-season bonus for their title. A year later, players on the champion St. Louis Cardinals each took home $324,532.72 in bonus payouts.

CURSE of the BAMBINO
The Boston Red Sox went 86 years without a World Series title, and they can thank the off-season trade of The Bambino, Babe Ruth. In 2004, the Sox defeated the Cardinals to win the World Series, breaking the curse.
Cost of the Curse: In 1919 Red Sox's owner traded The Babe for $125,000 in cash for the Red Sox and a $300,000 loan. (That's about $1.7 million and $4 million, respectively, in today's dollars.) The money was used to open the failed Broadway show, “No, No, Nanette.”

CAMPBELL'S CHUNKY SOUP CURSE
Football players who’ve appeared on the soup-maker’s (CPB) label will, according to the fan website Chunkysoupcurse.com: “suffer a rash of career- or even life-threatening injuries, failure on the field, humiliation and ultimately defeat.”
Cost of Curse: Kurt Warner and Donovan McNabb suffered a hand injury and a bad case of Super Bowl nausea, respectively, after endorsing the soup. However, the company reports it is profiting, curse or no curse: Campbell’s decade-long campaign has reportedly seen “double digit growth” in soup sales because of the NFL faces.

THE CURSE of the HEISMAN TROPHY
College football players looking for success in the NFL might want to rethink receiving a Heisman Trophy nomination. Remember Danny Wuerffel or Eric Crouch?
Cost of Curse: One of the most high-profile winners in recent years, running back, Ricky Williams, has had a tumultuous NFL career -- drafted by the Saints, traded to the Dolphins, retired and came back. In between he faced fines and suspensions for drug use. Upon his return to the Dolphins in 2007, Williams was ordered to pay $8.6 million for breaching his contract and docked pay for four games.

THE CRUCIBLE CURSE
This curse is named after Crucible Stadium in Sheffield, England – site of the World Professional Snooker Championship since 1977. After the venue became the sport’s fixed venues, first-time champions have never been able to successfully defend their title the following year. Cost of Curse: Over the last 31 years, the prize money for the World Professional Snooker Championship has steadily increased. This year's $478,952 – went to Ronnie O’Sullivan, a two-time champion.

CURSE of the RAINBOW JERSEY
Who would’ve thought cycling had its own curse? No, we’re not talking about having to wear spandex shorts, but rather donning the champion’s rainbow-stripped jersey. World champions must wear the rainbow jersey, making it easier for spectators to spot the title holder. But it seems like many champions who’ve donned the rainbow colors, tend to have bad luck the following year. Even Lance Armstrong faced the curse early in his career.
Cost of Curse: If the jersey isn’t worn, the rider is fined between 2,500 and 5,000 Swiss francs, or $2,300 to $4,624 U.S.

THE CURSE of IKE
It’s a not-so-well known curse, but the New York Yankees have not won a World Series with a Republican Commander-in-Chief since 1958.
Cost of Curse: When George W. Bush took office in 2000 the Yanks World Series winning ways stopped. Eight years later, the Bronx Bombers have yet to win a championship. Their payroll did however, increase by over $92 million and now leads the league at $207,108,489.