Hall of fame coach and beloved sports broadcaster John Madden suddenly passed on December 28, 2022; as such, Madden NFL fans have launched a petition, hoping it will convince EA to honor the football legend as Madden NFL 23's cover star. Initially released under the name John Madden Football in 1988, the iconic Electronic Arts-published sports sim adopted the Madden NFL moniker in the 1990s with the release of Madden NFL '94.
As longtime fans of the EA Sports franchise may recall, Madden himself appeared on the cover in every release between the years 1988 and 1999. It wasn't until the turn of the century, then, that EA began adorning Madden NFL box art exclusively with cover athletes. Eddie George of Tennesse Titans fame counted as the first of such cover athletes, appearing front and center on the Madden NFL 2001 box. In light of recent events, however, many agree it's time for John Madden to once more take center stage.
On Change.org, Madden NFL fan Nathan Rivers began a petition that asks Electronic Arts and developer EA Tiburon to feature John Madden on the cover of the football sim's next major release. Rivers and others agree that such an honor should be bestowed upon the legendary sports broadcaster, given his unparalleled "contributions to football, broadcasting, and millions of video gamers." Should the petition reach 200 signatures, it will likely earn a "recommendations" spot, according to the listing. At the time of writing, the petition is closing in on 160 signatures.
Given that Madden NFL 23 has yet to receive a formal announcement, EA and Co. have yet to so much as tease plans for the title's cover art. Like NBA 2K21's Mamba Forever Edition honoring Kobe Bryant, here's to hoping John Madden receives similar tribute of his own, especially since the football brand bears his namesake.
The publisher typically announces its annual American football installment in late spring or early summer, with the period of E3 often serving as the time at which fans get a first look at gameplay footage. Reason suggests such a tradition will continue this year, though some things could change given ongoing COVID-related concerns, which have already forced the ESA to announce E3 2022 as a digital-only event.
EA's most recent football title, Madden NFL 22, is out now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Source: Change.org