The first round of the 32-man Madden NFL 13 cover vote has been reduced in half as we get closer to finding out who has to watch out for the Madden curse. The first round provided relatively few surprises, but I guess that’s a good thing. Arguably the biggest surprise was Jets QB Tim Tebow losing a close battle with Texans RB Arian Foster, though I do think football fans nationwide made the correct call. This round’s toughest matchup seems to be “The Battle of New York” as Giants star WR Victor Cruz looks to cap an incredible season following the Giants victory in the Super Bowl, though in order to do so he has to get past the best all-around CB in football with the Jets’ Darrelle Revis.
A close second is RB LeSean McCoy, the heart of the Eagles offense in 2011, going up against Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald, who has been a star since he came into the NFL in 2004 and has already appeared on a Madden NFL cover alongside Steelers SS Troy Polamalu.
Voting for the Sweet Sixteen will end on April 4th, and you can pick your favorite (or least favorite) stars via SportsNation at ESPN.com by clicking here. I have currently predicted fifteen of the first sixteen match-ups, and I still stand my ground that Panthers QB Cam Newton will eventually win the entire tournament.Who do you think is going to advance to the Elite Eight in the Madden NFL 13 Cover Tournament? Leave a comment below or let us know in our forums!