Just two weeks after announcing cover model Tim Tebow for "NCAA Football 11," EA Sports has officially bestowed the same honor for "Madden 11" on New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Brees beat out Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne in fan voting to nab the accolade. Lucky for him, too, because he already has a a Super Bowl ring and Super Bowl MVP distinction behind him, so there's very little chance that the much-feared curse associated with Madden covers can do to him.
"The Madden NFL franchise holds a special place in popular culture and the cover is a coveted position for players all over the league," Brees said in a press release. "I'm honored to be the first cover athlete chosen by Madden NFL fans and it's a great way to cap off an amazing year for the Saints and the city of New Orleans."
The latest release in the perennial series will also include a few new features, according to EA, who listed a simpler, all-new play-calling system called GameFlow in the release, along with quicker play selection and improved animations and control options.
New Orleans was a pretty hard team to hate in the Super Bowl this year, and Brees had about as great of a performance as Super Bowl quarterbacks have, so this seems to have been one case where online fan voting came to the right decision, though Vikes fans should feel free to disagree on that point.
Did you vote for Drew Brees to be on the cover of "Madden 11"? Who do you think deserved to be there? Share your opinions in the comment section below.