The Madden NFL game specializes in the ridiculous.
As lifelike as the creators work to make the game, there is always going to be that "wow" element of things that only happen on high-school fields when elite players match up with inferior talent.
In the NFL, both Cam Newton and Calvin Johnson bring that "wow" element to the field; they are two of only a handful that do it.
Newton plays the quarterback position like a running back with a cannon for an arm. He's one of the most popular rising stars in the league and has the advantage (or disadvantage) of having to carry his offense.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images He put up video game-like number in his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2011 and he's likely to continue doing so for the duration of his career.
Newton is a Madden player playing in the NFL.
Johnson isn't far off in terms of unique talent, and he's more deserving of winning the award than Newton based solely on body of work.
The former No. 2 overall pick helped the Lions make the postseason in 2011 for only the third time in the past 15 years and he's consistently performed despite inconsistent quarterback play.
Now he has a star quarterback—assuming Matt Stafford stays healthy—and he's putting up Madden-like numbers as well.
In terms of playing style, EA Sports cannot ask for much more in their final vote for the 2013 cover.
Off the field, they both have huge appeal, too. Newton has a national following dating back to his college days, while Johnson continues to give a city deprived of football glory reason to hope every time he takes the field.
That type of appeal, combined with on-field skill, make Newton and Johnson ideal choices for the cover. One of the two has to lose in the vote, but EA Sports loses nothing.
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