The fans have spoken and the two finalists have been set for the Madden NFL 12 cover.  Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis is going up against Michael Vick for the Eagles.  Even non-football fans are in a bit of an uproar over the possiblity the Vick may appear on the cover, given that he was convicted and served time for his actions as part of a dog-fighting ring.  The winner will be announced April 27th, and the game is set to release August 30th, whether there's an NFL lockout or not.

Our friend Jon Robinson at ESPN has a good analysis of the situation, and theorizes that this could by the dream matchup for Peyton Hillis.  Also, below the picture are the official voting stats provided by EA Sports.

The two finalists of the Madden NFL 12 Cover Vote campaign, hosted exclusively by ESPN.com and “SportsNation,” are Peyton Hillis (RB, Cleveland Browns) and Michael Vick (QB, Philadelphia Eagles). Over 11 million votes have been cast on ESPN.com’s “SportsNation” during the first four weeks of the Madden NFL 12 Cover Vote campaign (March 21 – April 18).

Results from Round 4 voting included:

·         No. 10 seed Peyton Hillis (RB, Browns) upsetting No. 1 seed Aaron Rodgers (QB, Packers), 61% vs. 39% 
·         No. 3 seed Michael Vick (QB, Eagles) advancing over No. 9 seed Adrian Peterson (RB, Vikings), 59% vs. 41%

An underdog entering the voting contest, Hillis has been a fan favorite and continually ousted higher seeded players such as No. 7 seed Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens), No. 2 seed Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons), No. 6 seed Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs), and No. 1 seed Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers). Through four rounds of voting, Vick has beaten his opponents by an average of 30 percent.

The final round of voting is now open and fans can make their selection exclusively at www.ESPN.com/MaddenVote to determine if Hillis or Vick will become the next Madden NFL cover athlete. The winner will be unveiled on Wednesday, April 27th at 4pm Eastern and fans can tune in to ESPN's "SportsNation" for the Madden NFL 12 cover athlete announcement.

Madden NFL 12, which launches on August 30, will provide an immersive and authentic experience that fans have come to expect from the award-winning franchise, including all 32 NFL teams and more than 1,700 NFL players.