John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Forget what you’ve heard. The Madden Curse is real. That is why it’s a really good thing that Sebastian Janikowski’s bid to grace the cover of football’s best video game ended as soon as it started. Seabass was eliminated in the first round of voting for the cover, losing out to Maurice Jones-Drew in a none-too-close vote.

MJD got 64% of the vote so Jacksonville’s odds of returning to Los Angeles increased with the potential to lose their best player remaining very much alive.

Over the years, men such as Eddie George, Barry Sanders, Daunte Culpepper, Marshall Faulk and Vince Young have all fallen victim to the curse in some form. Last season Peyton Hillis became the latest entry on video gaming’s most infamous list.

Hopefully becoming a perennial Pro Bowler will be a more welcome reward for Jano than becoming the first kicker to grace the Madden Cover.  It’s a curse both he and the Raiders don’t need.

Among those elected were Deion Sanders, Richard Dent, Marshall Faulk and former Bronco Shannon Sharpe. Joining Brown on the quest to make the cut in 2012 are a couple other all-time great receivers – Cris Carter and Andre Reed – who also received inadequate vote tallies this time around.

Congrats to the entire class of 2011!

For Brown and seemingly all receivers, it is an uphill battle. The names Carter and Brown can be found among the elite in almost all receiving categories in NFL history. Reed might not have the same stats but he’s got a Hall of Fame pedigree to be sure.

Jerry McDonald goes as far as to say that it could be a wait beyond 2012 for Brown to get the call from the Hall. While it would stand to reason that Brown will eventually get in, the real crime continues to be the snubbing of Ray Guy. But that’s another story in itself.

For now, the only thing I can say for Brown is to stay positive. His day will come. The disappointment this time is missing out on receiving the honor in his hometown of Dallas. Still, when the time comes it won’t matter where he is so long as there’s a bust of his likeness to sit forever in Canton.

Before we praise Tim, let us first have another moment of silence for Ray Guy. By far the most disrespected player in the history of American sports, Guy again failed to make the final cut. This is a topic that will never die amongst Raider Nation. Nobody is arguing that the Hall should start opening its doors to all punters, just the one that is the consensus greatest ever.

Back to the topic at hand…

For Brown, the resume alone merits the right to don a yellow blazer and get a bust of his likeness in Canton. Brown is the hands down greatest receiver in Raiders history and his numbers still place him among the all-time greats to ever play the game.

Currently, Brown ranks 4^th in receptions, 4^th in receiving yards and is tied with Steve Largent for 6^th all-time in receiving TDs. There are two other receivers on the ballot with Brown, Andre Reed and Cris Carter. Of the two, Carter outranks Brown in receptions and TDs. Though it should be noted Carter hauled in a mere seven more balls than Brown. Now TDs on the other hand…let’s just say Carter has that one in a walk-off. But that’s all Carter did so it’s expected.

In addition to the aforementioned names, there are a few other finalists that jump out at you. Among them are Deion Sanders, Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk and Shannon Sharpe.

There is no telling how the vote will go but in years past receivers haven’t fared well in HOF votes. You feel like Brown will eventually get in even if it takes a third time around.

Best of luck to Tim! We’re all hoping he gets that well deserved call.