I was at a video game store today, and there was a pre-order display for Madden ‘09. Unless EA changes the cover art, there will be no Madden Jinx this year, unlike past seasons where whoever graced the cover met misfortune (Marshall Faulk and Michael Vick come to mind).

That won’t happen in 2009, because Brett Favre is featured on the cover.

But who knows, if Favre does return as so many rumors predict, he still might get injured, or finally show his age. Maybe this will be incentive to stay retired: to simply break the jinx.

For EA’s college football game, the USC Trojan mascot is featured. He better be careful.