I don’t whether to be happy for Detroit Lions fans or if I should start sending them sympathy. The reason for this confusion has to do with perhaps the most popular player on the “we no longer suck” football team and his appearance on the cover of Madden 13, something that has been a blessing and a curse.

The blessing is fans get to see popular players, and it also comes with the realization that anyone who plays with the Lions knows Calvin Johnson is going to be buffed out a little bit, and no, this is not in relation to Johnson’s physique. No, the “buff” refers to the video game lingo where characters receive status boosts that make them a little bit better than the others. While this is beneficial to Lions fans looking to house other players with Calvin Johnson, it also brings up the issue of the Madden curse.

Does this mean that Johnson is going to get hurt when the 2012-13 season kicks off? While that remains to be seen, it’s a safe bet every Lions fan out there will cringe every time Johnson goes up for the ball.

The cover in question, courtesy of Shutdown Corner:

Who knows? Maybe Terrell Suggs’ appearance on the Eastbay circular, combined with his subsequent hamstring tear, caused the injury curse to jump ship, moving to another property and releasing EA from its sentence. I know there are some Lions fans who are actively hoping that’s the case.

Of course, if fans are eager to avoid such a potential reoccurrence, perhaps they shouldn’t vote for their favorite player. Keep in mind that, starting with last year’s edition, fan voting determines who the cover athlete will be. If Lions fans don’t want their superstud receiver getting hurt, perhaps they shouldn’t have voted for him. Just ask Green Bay Packers fans.