Because it's March Madness, and because every entity in the country is contractually obligated to turn a company trademark into an NCAA-style bracket, Madden 2012 will decide its cover athlete with a tournament of sorts. Each of the 32 teams will have one representative, and they'll be put in a 32-person bracket, with fans the ones voting on who will be the cover person on Madden 2012.
Who is representing the Redskins, you say? As it turns out, it's Brian Orakpo. The Redskins' linebacker earned a No. 12 seed in the tournament, and the first "game" is against No. 5 seed Hakeem Nicks of the Giants. If Orakpo wins (which he will, because we hate the Giants), he will face the "winner" of Danny Woodhead (Patriots) and Steve Johnson (Bills). Here's how to vote.
Orakpo is clearly the right choice for the Redskins, though you could argue for the inclusion of Albert Haynesworth (because he'll be on the team next year, book it), Mike Shanahan (because his EGO demands it, y'know?), Donovan McNabb (he's worth two draft picks!), Dan Snyder (he'll sue otherwise) or the fans (hey, Seattle did it, and we've been through much worse than the Seahawks). More information below the jump.
The cover will be chosen on ESPN on April 26. Here are the voting dates:
- Opening Round: March 21-27
- Second Round: March 28-April 3
- Third Round: April 4-10
- Semifinals: April 11-17
- Finals: April 18-25