Calvin Johnson - Struck by the Madden Curse?

Is Calvin Johnson the next player to be brought down by the Madden curse?

Last year, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson received 96 passes for 1,681 yards and scored 16 touchdowns, this in the eyes of game developer EA, earned him a place on the cover of this years€™ version of Madden NFL. The Madden franchise has a bad history concerning the players they place on the cover of their game, a set of unfortunate mishaps dubbed €˜the Madden curse€™. The Madden curse is a superstition which many believe affects the career of those who go on the cover, either through injury or a shocking season performance. It started way back in 1999, when EA decided that in order to reach out to gamers in the PAL regions they would replace John Madden who lends his name to the brand, with a player. The player in this case was Garrison Hearst who had played a spectacular season prior to being on the cover, but during his next season he broke his ankle so severely during a divisional playoff against the Atlanta Falcons, he was out for two seasons. From then on the curse has been said to have affected many big name players who have been selected for the cover, such as Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Troy Polamalu, Drew Brees and most recently Peyton Hillis who when appearing on the cover have faced poor career performances or injuries. When speaking to ESPN.com about the Madden curse, Johnson stated " I€™ve never been superstitious or anything like that. People always ask me if I put my shoes on a certain foot the same way before every game and things like that, but I probably put on my left one day and my right another. It€™s not a big deal. I€™m not superstitious. I just know there are things I need to go out and do. I€™ve been in the league a few years now, so I know what I need to do. I€™ll be all right" This year Johnson, also known as Megatron, has 592 yards from 38 receptions but just one touchdown. In week seven€™s game against the Chicago Bears, Megatron only managed 34 yards from a poor three receptions. Although not his lowest game receiving yards in his career, it is definitely the lowest yardage he has made so early into a season. For a man that claims he doesn't believe in superstitions, he should definitely think about his recent performances and what is affecting them. Let's just hope that it is a poor run of games.
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English Literature student at Salford University. Sports writer with a passion for American Football and Manchester United fan. Sporting views will most likely differ with your own.