Eli: Cover Boy?

For its top selling Madden NFL franchise, Electronic Arts Tiburon typically selects an electrifying player who epitomizes the furious intensity of NFL action, while appealing to average young football fan.

One would think someone like, say, Adrian Peterson would be a natural pick. Well, I've got news for you, mister: There are some rumblings that EA Sports is looking toward Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning to grace the latest edition of the game.

If Manning is selected to the cover of the 2009 Madden game Eli would be another quarterback in a long line of past Madden covers including McNabb, Vick, and Culpepper.

Yikes! Some careers those guys turned out to have after that. Good thing Vince Young reversed the Madden Curse this past year with a statistically horrid season that somehow resulted in a playoff appearance.

I'm guessing the squash stick will be the flashy new innovation this year, then.