While the 
videogame industry courts its share of controversy, you might expect sports games to generally avoid ruffling feathers. Uh-uh.
Some of the industry’s biggest controversies have involved football videogames.
While they have fallen short of the furor that surrounded the hidden sex in the “Hot Coffee” minigame in “Grand Theft Auto,” football games have had their share of head-scratching moments for investors and fans over the years.
It’s too early to know whether the infamous Madden 
Curse will hit this year’s cover athlete, but if the wave of recent troubles related to the football franchise is any indication, the hex might be working its mojo on Electronic Arts itself.
Already concerned with how the seemingly unavoidable lockout of the real NFL season will affect sales of the upcoming Madden 12, the company has seen a number of key personnel depart Madden maker EA Tiburon in the past few days, which raises some questions about what fans can expect in 2013.
Chris Morris: Journalist 