Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- National Football League players may get the chance to pay to become the latest victim of the ``Madden Curse.''

Peter Moore, president of video game-maker EA Sports, said discussions are taking place within his company that could have the front cover of its biggest-selling ``Madden NFL'' football game sold to the highest bidder, with all proceeds going to the United Way, the NFL's charity partner.

The cover, which has featured a top NFL player since 1999, has also become associated with bad luck. Many of those adorning the jacket cover of the most-popular video game in history suffered a drop in performance, injuries or worse. Last year, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, the 2004 cover player, was sentenced to 23 months in prison for conspiring to run a dog-fighting ring at a house he owned in Virginia.

``I guess when you look back there's a grain of truth to the Madden Curse,'' Moore said in an Oct. 24 interview in London. ``When you look back at the last five, six years, it's a little weird how weird things have happened to guys who are on the front cover.''

The player on the cover of the game is now chosen by the company from among top NFL stars. Terms of the deal aren't disclosed.

More than 51 million copies of the game have been sold in 17 years, generating about $1.7 billion for Redwood City, California-based Electronic Arts, the world's biggest maker of video games.

Moore said the game's popularity didn't hinge on the cover star.

``Our research tells us we don't see a huge up-tick or down-tick depending on who's on the cover -- they're buying Madden,'' he said.

`Convince' Marketers

Moore said he held a discussion about the auction with EA's marketing team and still had to ``convince'' it of the plan's appeal. A decision won't come ``anytime soon,'' he said.

``I bet you can find 50 players that would say, `I'd pay good money,''' Moore said. ``The league does a lot of work with them to make them realize how lucky they are and a lot of them have come out of poor circumstances and they give back.''

The list of players who have fallen victim to the curse includes Vick, quarterback Donovan McNabb and running back Marshall Faulk.

Vick broke his ankle days after ``Madden 2004'' went on release; McNabb, the 2006 cover choice, had his top wide receiver, Terrell Owens, hold out and sustained an injury himself; and in 2002, Faulk's rushing yards and touchdowns fell by about 50 percent.

Alexander's Fall

Running back Shaun Alexander has been the biggest victim, Moore said. The Seattle Seahawks released Alexander, the 2007 choice, after leading the team to the 2005 Super Bowl.

``Shaun Alexander is the worst,'' Moore said. ``He went from the MVP to not being picked up by any team two years later.''

Quarterback Brett Favre is the current cover boy for the game, which is named after former NFL coach-turned-television commentator John Madden. Favre was chosen just before he announced his retirement; he changed his mind and now plays for the New York Jets.

``Brett Favre this year is a soap opera. It's a different type of curse.'' Moore said. ``Most people, myself included, can't see Brett Favre in anything other than the green and gold of the Green Bay Packers.''

Favre wears a Packers uniform in the latest edition of the game.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tariq Panja in London at tpanja@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 27, 2008 15:25 EDT