The dust has settled, the votes have been counted, and we finally have a winner. After surviving a daunting 64-player tournament-style fan-vote bracket, Calvin Johnson has been named the Madden NFL 13 cover athlete. The festivities in celebration of Johnson's honor just ended about an hour ago, where the unofficial cover was revealed in Times Square.

By a margin of 52% of the vote to 48%, the man known as Megatron was able to beat defending Rookie of the Year and Heisman Trophy holder Cam Newton for the title. Both had to make their way through some pretty stiff competition, but Johnson's road to the cover was arguably much more difficult.

As a number 6 seed, Johnson had to beat out QBs, running backs, and TEs that were considered to be better candidates for the cove, but somehow he beat each one handily. Even Aaron Rodgers, who has been so close to the cover two years in a row, couldn't stop Johnson on his road to Madden NFL 13.

Cam Newton was a clear favorite for the dubious honor of being on Madden Curse watch, but somehow, in the final round, the tables turned in favor of Calvin Johnson. Some might argue that Newton is the more viable Fantasy Football prospect, and thus much more scary on the cover, but Johnson's 16 TD catches last year are hard to overlook as well.

Last year's cover athlete, Peyton Hillis, was unfazed by the prospect of the Madden Curse — a curse so real they're looking into making a movie about it — but when his 2011 season crashed and burned, Hillis acknowledged there was something to the rumors.

Even though the Madden cover carries with it the Madden Curse, it's a huge honor for an NFL player to get on the Madden cover. It's not only a sign that they have arrived, but it immortalizes them even after their career ending Madden cover-related injury.

Did you vote for Calvin Johnson or Cam Newton? Will you now avoid Johnson in your Fantasy Football draft?

Madden NFL 13 is coming Fall 2012 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.