Offer refused: LT approached, turned down Madden 08 cover?

According to CNBC’s “multiple industry sources,” San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson was approached by Electronic Arts with the Madden NFL ’08 cover offer, but he turned it down. And, according to those same sources, it wasn’t because of the curse.

It’s all about the Benjamins.

That’s something that you wouldn’t hear out of EA – Marketing Director Chris Erb told the San Diego Union Tribune that “Vince (Young) was the guy all along,” CNBC notes. But, according to those “multiple industry sources,” LT was asked of his interest in becoming the cover boy for the coming Madden NFL installment, and frankly, they made an offer he could refuse.

The deal usually pays the cover athlete $100,000 to $200,000 and requires multiple appearances to pump up the game. Since the Madden game sort of sells itself, the athlete on the cover doesn’t really matter that much, but expect more NFL stars to turn down the cover in the future, not because of the curse, but because the price is just too low.

As CNBC wryly notes, the Madden NFL franchise has become this generation’s Wheaties cereal box. For EA, they believe that athletes would be honored to grace the cover of a video game. For the athletes, on the other hand, well, it is an endorsement contract, after all. Welcome to the negotiating table.

Wonder how much EA will be willing to offer the guy for ’09?

According to CNBC’s “multiple industry sources,” San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson was approached by Electronic Arts with the Madden NFL ’08 cover offer, but he turned it down. And, according to those same sources, it wasn’t because of the curse.

It’s all about the Benjamins.

That’s something that you wouldn’t hear out of EA – Marketing Director Chris Erb told the San Diego Union Tribune that “Vince (Young) was the guy all along,” CNBC notes. But, according to those “multiple industry sources,” LT was asked of his interest in becoming the cover boy for the coming Madden NFL installment, and frankly, they made an offer he could refuse.

The deal usually pays the cover athlete $100,000 to $200,000 and requires multiple appearances to pump up the game. Since the Madden game sort of sells itself, the athlete on the cover doesn’t really matter that much, but expect more NFL stars to turn down the cover in the future, not because of the curse, but because the price is just too low.

As CNBC wryly notes, the Madden NFL franchise has become this generation’s Wheaties cereal box. For EA, they believe that athletes would be honored to grace the cover of a video game. For the athletes, on the other hand, well, it is an endorsement contract, after all. Welcome to the negotiating table.

Wonder how much EA will be willing to offer the guy for ’09?