If you are a Lions fan, you know these seven words very well: it’s going to be a long season. Calvin Johnson will be featured on the cover of Madden 2013, bringing the Madden Curse back to Detroit for the second time.
If Benjamin Franklin were alive today, there would be an addition to his list of life’s certainties. I can imagine him fraternizing with a Patriots fan in some Bostonian sports bar - sipping on a bottle of Samuel Adams.
"There is nothing certain in life but death, taxes, and the curse of the Madden cover.” – Benjamin Franklin (2012)
For the 15th year, the 'Madden Curse' will set out to ruin the season (and maybe even the career) of another NFL superstar. The curse is like a super cell tornado ripping through a small town in Kansas, destroying almost everything in its path way; miraculously, there have been some survivors, but the majority of those who have dared to challenge its wrath have suffered devastating consequences.
It is no secret that the Detroit Lions are one of the most cursed teams in the history of sports (Bobby Layne). In fact, it is common knowledge that the Lion's organization is somewhat of a 'curse magnet'. So, on the day that I heard that Calvin Johnson had received enough fan votes to grace the cover of Madden 2013, there was a nauseating feeling in my stomach.
If you are not familiar with the history of the Madden Curse, here is a little bit of background:
1999 – Garrison Hearst: Broken fibula in the post season - never fully recovered.
Victim #1
2000 – Barry Sanders: originally chosen for the cover, and then made a shocking retirement announcement shortly before training camp (did he know?).
Survivor #1
2000 – Dorsey Levens: replaced Sanders on the cover; suffered from loose fragments under his right kneecap - never fully recovered.
Victim #2
2001 – Eddie George: frayed a tendon in his toe - never fully recovered; his fumble against the Ravens in the playoffs cost the #1 seeded Titans the game.
Victim #3
2002 – Daunte Culpepper: sprained knee; missed the last five games of the season (Vikings finished 5-11).
Victim #4
2003 – Marshall Faulk: recurring ankle injury; never fully recovered.
Victim #5
2004 – Michael Vick: broken fibula in preseason game - missed half the season; 'dogged' by off the field issues later on in his career.
Victim #6
2005 – Ray Lewis: broken wrist; ended the season on injured reserve.
Victim #7
2006 – Donovan McNabb: public feud with Terrell Owens; season ending groin tear- never was the same.
Victim #8
2007 – Shaun Alexander: broke his foot in week three - missed 6 games; never fully recovered.
Victim #9
2008 – Vince Young: no serious injuries - but, strained quadriceps forced him to miss the final playoff game; his career went downhill from there.
Victim #10
2009 – Brett Favre: Starting to get the point?
Victim #11
2010 – Troy Polamalu: sprained MCL during the first game of the season.
2010 – Larry Fitzgerald: survivor #2; (but, only because the Polamalu injury satisfied the 'Football Gods').
Victim #12-Survivor #2
2011 – Drew Brees: no serious injuries; but, lost to the lowest seed in the playoffs.
Victim #13-Survivor#3
2012 – Peyton Hillis: missed five games due to continuous injuries; off the field issues hurt contract renegotiation.
Victim #14
2013 – Calvin Johnson: ____________________________________
????????????
I must admit, Johnson's failure to decline the Madden cover is admirable. How could you not have respect for someone that isn't afraid to set his shoes on fire and run across a lake filled with nitroglycerine? If he makes it to the 'other side' (of the season) he will be regarded as fearless and courageous; but, if he doesn't make it, his impetuous decision will blow up in his face.
This year, watching 'Megatron' will be a lot like watching the movie Final Destination – you know something terrible is about to happen, you just don’t know ‘the how’ and ‘the when’. Will he hurt himself tripping over one of those imaginary yellow first-down markers that you can only see from the television? If he does, take it as a sign of more bad luck to come; an indication that it is time to go into your underwear drawer and pull out that brown paper bag you wore over your face in 2008.
Pessimism is the most effective combatant of disappointment.
For nearly 50 years the Lions have been associated with curses. So, who is better equipped to handle the Madden Curse than the fans of the Detroit Lions? If the NFL was like the HBO show – Game of Thrones – Lion fans would be like the Wildlings – the people that live north of the Wall; the people that are much better suited to survive a 20 year winter.
And I am afraid to say it, but - winter is coming.
Some people like to think positive… they think 'happy thoughts', vehemently denying the impending doom. While others might adopt some form of Eastern philosophy, acknowledging our lack of power to control the things that happen in the 'universe'. You might hear them say things like, “Why worry about the past and the future? They don’t exist –we have no power over things that don’t exist.”
This is a tough sell to a Detroit Lions fan; we have a low threshold for optimism.
Call it a defense mechanism if you want – but at the end of the day, we have to protect our fragile emotions. Disappointment is lurking around the corner – it is best to accept it, internalize it, and embrace it as reality. This way, when everything starts tumbling down, you have your emotional parachute ready to help soften the impact.
If my pessimism is proven false – Drinks on me!
Peter W. Ross
Back to the Detroit Lions Newsfeed