Sports-related curses

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A sports-related curse is the effective action of some power or evil, that is used to explain the failures or misfortunes of specific sports teams, players, or even cities. Teams, players, and cities often cite a "curse" for many negative things, such as their inability to win a sports championship, or unexpected injuries.

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[edit] #

[edit] Curse of 1940

Main article: Curse of 1940

The Curse of 1940 was placed on the New York Rangers for 54 years. The curse was broken in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals, with a 4 games to 3 victory against the Vancouver Canucks.

[edit] Curse of 1969

The Chicago Cubs led the National League East for the first five months of the 1969 baseball season. They ended it in second place behind the New York Mets, who went on to win the World Series that year.

In 1984, the Cubs got even with the Mets by overtaking them to win the division title. They entered the National League Championship Series, but lost to the San Diego Padres.

The Padres' Steve Garvey was named the Most Valuable Player of the series. Garvey, the Padres and the Championship Series all entered Major League Baseball in 1969. Had there not been an NLCS to play, the Cubs (who won four more games than the Padres in 1984) would have been in the World Series.

[edit] 1993 Runner-Up Curse

In all the major American team sports, the runner-up from the 1993 season has not even played for the championship since then. These teams included the Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia Phillies, Buffalo Bills (playoffs in January 1994), University of Michigan basketball, and University of Notre Dame football. In the ensuing years, Notre Dame has not won a single postseason game, and Buffalo has not won any playoff game beyond a lone wildcard contest in 1995.[1] The Phillies did not make the playoffs until 2007 when they were swept by the Colorado Rockies.

[edit] A

[edit] Andretti Curse

Main article: Andretti Curse

Since winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1969, auto racing legend Mario Andretti was plagued with unexplainable bad luck in his efforts to win the great race for a second time until his retirement in 1994. The misfortune at Indianapolis has notably extended to his sons Michael and Jeff, nephew John, as well as grandson Marco.

Twice, when Michael Andretti's team won the Indianapolis 500, the driver subsequently defected to rival Chip Ganassi Racing the following year.

[edit] B

[edit] Curse of the Balboni

This alleged curse was first brought up by ESPN.com columnist Rany Jazayerli[2]. Named after New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals slugger Steve Balboni, the curse pertains that any team that employs a player hitting 36 or more home runs for the season, will not win the World Series. In 1985, Balboni hit 36 home runs for the Kansas City Royals while winning their first and to date, only World Championship. The "Curse of the Balboni" was broken in 2001, when the Arizona Diamondbacks won the World Series despite employing 57 home run hitter Luis Gonzalez.

[edit] Curse of the Bambino

Main article: Curse of the Bambino

There was a curse alleged on the Boston Red Sox major league baseball team, who failed to win a World Series after 1918, apparently due to the trading of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Before the trade, the Red Sox won 4 titles in 7 years (1912-1918). After the trade, the Yankees have gone on to win 26 World Series Championships. The curse seems to have been lifted when the Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 0 in the 2004 World Series (in which before the World Series, the Sox came back from behind to defeat the Yankees at Yankee Stadium). In 2007, the Red Sox came back once again in a 3-1 deficit to the Cleveland Indians to beat them 4-3 and then went on to sweep the Colorado Rockies to once again win the World Series.

[edit] Curse of Barry Bonds

The Pittsburgh Pirates won the National League Eastern Division title three straight seasons from 1990 to 1992, coming within one out of a trip to the World Series in the latter year. During those three years, Barry Bonds won two National League MVP and three Silver Slugger Awards. After the 1992 season, Bonds left for free agency and signed with the San Francisco Giants. After the move, Bonds would win five more MVP awards and become the first player since Babe Ruth to hold both the single-season and career home run records. Meanwhile, since Bonds left Pittsburgh, the Pirates have had 15 consecutive losing seasons through 2007, one shy of the major-league record.

[edit] Curse of Len Bias

There is an alleged curse that has kept the Boston Celtics from winning the NBA championship since 1986. In the 1985-1986 NBA season, the Celtics won the NBA title with one of the best regular season home records in NBA history, and star-player Larry Bird was putting-up career numbers in several categories. In the off-season, due to a trade with the Seattle SuperSonics two years earlier, Boston held the #2 overall pick in the NBA Draft and selected Maryland Terrapins star Len Bias. But less than 48 hours after selection, Bias died of an apparent heart attack, from a cocaine overdose. Since Bias' death, Boston has advanced to the NBA Finals only once, the ensuing season, where the Los Angeles Lakers would win the series, 4 games to 2, especially memorable for Magic Johnson's "baby sky hook" to win Game 4 in Boston).

Several infamous moments include Magic's skyhook, Reggie Lewis' heart attack and death in 1993, the demolition of Boston Garden in 1995, the 15-67 record in 1997, losing the #1 pick in the 1997 NBA Draft to the San Antonio Spurs (San Antonio's pick would be Tim Duncan), losing the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals to the New Jersey Nets, a franchise-record 18 game losing streak in the 2006-2007 NBA season, and although having the 2nd worst record in the NBA during the 2006-2007 NBA Season, the Celts unexpectedly received the 5th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, and trading it away for three players. However, their 2007 offseason was a big one for the Celtics, as they acquired Ray Allen with that draft pick trade with Seattle and eventually got Kevin Garnett from the Timberwolves. The Celtics will enter the 2008 playoffs as the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, possessing the best record in the NBA for the 2007-8 season.

[edit] Curse of the Black Sox

Main article: Curse of the Black Sox

There was an alleged curse on the Chicago White Sox, who failed to win a World Series after 1917, apparently due to the Black Sox scandal. The curse apparently ended in 2005, when the White Sox swept the Houston Astros in the 2005 World Series

[edit] Curse of Bobby Layne

The Detroit Lions have won 3 league championships in 1953, 1954, and 1957, all led by quarterback Bobby Layne. In 1958, he was traded by the Lions to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rumor has it that when Layne was asked to comment on the trade he said that the Lions won't win again for 50 years. Since then, the Lions have won only one playoff game (1991), and have never come close to playing in a Super Bowl.

[edit] Buffalo Sports Curse

Main article: Buffalo Sports Curse

The Buffalo Curse is a mythical explanation for Buffalo’s inability to win a Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, or any other major league sports championship in the United States, if not the entire world[3]. Those who believe in the Buffalo Curse [2] cite as examples the four consecutive Super Bowl losses by the Buffalo Bills from 1990-1993, and their failure to even reach the conference playoffs in subsequent years as well as the failure of the Buffalo Sabres to ever win the Stanley Cup (This despite the President's Trophy for most points in 2006-07).

[edit] Buffalo Bills' Comeback Curse

The Buffalo Bills rebounded from a 32-point deficit to defeat the Houston Oilers in a National Football League playoff game on January 3, 1993. Since then, teams based in New York State have lost all championship finals in which they've faced teams from Texas. These include:

[edit] C

[edit] Cardinals Football Curse

Main article: 1925 NFL Championship controversy

The Cardinals NFL franchise is allegedly suffering a curse [4] by the citizens of Pottsville, Pennsylvania for undeservedly claiming the 1925 NFL championship from the Pottsville Maroons who were stripped of their title by the NFL in one of the greatest controversies in sports history. The curse will supposedly only be lifted when the championship is returned to Pottsville and to the correct shade of red team. The Cardinals team currently holds the NFL record for the longest championship drought and along with the Houston Texans (founded in 2002) are the only team not to appear in a conference championship game.

[edit] Chicago baseball curse

Main articles: Curse of the Billy Goat and Curse of the Black Sox

There has been a superstition of a curse that strikes Chicago’s baseball teams, the Cubs and the White Sox from winning a championship[5].

  • The Curse of the Billy Goat is used to explain the failures of the Chicago Cubs baseball team, who have not won a World Series championship since 1908, and a National League pennant since 1945.
  • The Curse of the Black Sox was a superstition or scapegoat cited as a reason for the failure of the Chicago White Sox to win the World Series from 1917 until 2005. It was finally broken when the White Sox won the World Series in 2005.

[edit] Cleveland Sports Curse

Main article: Curse of Rocky Colavito

There is an alleged curse on the city of Cleveland, Ohio that prevents them from winning a major sports championship. To this date, it has been arguably the biggest sports championship drought in any U.S. city. The last Cleveland title came in 1964 when the Browns won the NFL Championship. The Cleveland Indians last won the World Series in 1948 and the Cleveland Cavaliers have never won the NBA Finals, losing in their first appearance in 2007 to the San Antonio Spurs. Some of their most infamous failures have been dubbed a title, often with a single word preceded by an ominous "The." Amongst locals and even sports fans in general, The Catch, Red Right 88, The Drive, The Fumble, and The Shot all evoke images of Cleveland sports futility. Less famous outside of Cleveland, Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, is commonly referred to as The Error (briefly known as The Mesa).

Red Right 88 does not share the nomenclature, but the heartache is the same.

The Cavaliers' recent loss to the San Antonio Spurs was not due to a single play or misplay but simply a superior opponent, yet the sting of the loss still resonates in a city searching for its first major championship since 1964.

Only time will tell if the 2007 American League Championship Series will be reduced to either "The Collapse"[6] (for the series loss to the Boston Red Sox, despite being up three games to one) or "The Stop Sign" (due to Kenny Lofton being held up by third base coach Joel Skinner, as he likely would have scored the tying run in the late innings of Game 7) in Cleveland folklore.

Cleveland has also had two franchises cease operations. In 1978, the Cleveland Barons of the National Hockey League vanished after two unsuccessful seasons by merging with the Minnesota North Stars. The Cleveland Rockers of the WNBA shut down in 2003 after seven seasons of existence.

Cleveland's misery is so detailed, that in 2004, ESPN named Cleveland the most tortured sports city.[7]

The cause for Cleveland's misery is not 100% agreed upon, although some trace it to either Rocky Colavito's departure to the Detroit Tigers in 1960, or Jim Brown's stunning retirement from the NFL in 1965 to produce the World War II film The Dirty Dozen.

[edit] Curse of the Coin Flip

Main article: Curse of the Coin Flip

There is a supposed curse on the Phoenix Suns, who have never won an NBA Championship despite their tremendous regular season success.[citation needed] They are the all-time fourth-winningest NBA team by winning percentage, and are the winningest team to have never won an NBA title.

After the Suns' first season, they lost a coin flip with the Milwaukee Bucks. The winner got the #1 pick in the 1969 NBA Draft and the right to draft Lew Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Bucks won the 1971 NBA Championship and the Suns have yet to win one. The Suns, until their acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal, have consistently struggled to acquire or keep a big, dominant center.

The Suns had a promising young center -- 7'1" Nick Vanos -- who died in the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 on August 16, 1987.

The Suns failed to beat the Los Angeles Lakers -- Abdul-Jabbar's team from 1975-1989 -- in the playoffs until after Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989.

The Suns have lost a few playoff series after some strange occurrences of bad luck. In 1981, they won 57 games and their first Pacific Division title, but lost in the playoffs to the Kansas City Kings, who finished the regular season with a losing record. They have lost the NBA Finals in six games both times they appeared in them -- 1976 and 1993. In 1995, they were on pace to win 65 games before the February injury to Danny Manning. He blew out his ACL after colliding in practice with Joe Kleine, ending his season. The Suns lost in the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals to the eventual NBA Champion Houston Rockets after blowing a 3-1 series lead. In 2005, they won a league-best 62 games in the regular season, but lost in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs. Joe Johnson's injury during the semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks did not help the Suns' fortunes, nor did the Suns' lack of a big man capable of guarding Spurs center Tim Duncan. In 2006, they played all but three games without All-Star power forward Amare Stoudemire after his knee injuries and subsequent microfracture surgery, and they had to play two Western Conference Finals games - which the Suns both lost by close margins - without injured Raja Bell. In 2007, they won 61 games, but lost to the Spurs in 6 games in the controversial Western Conference Semifinals.

[edit] D

[edit] Curse of Detroit

The Curse of Detroit is a more recent Stanley Cup-related curse, penned by Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean. In every NHL season (until 2006-07) since the Detroit Red Wings won the 2002 Stanley Cup championship, each team that has defeated Detroit in the playoffs has gone on to the Stanley Cup Finals, and on each occasion, has lost to the Eastern Conference team in seven games. In the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks seemed to create the curse when they won the Western Conference Quarterfinals series against Detroit 4-0 and eventually ended up in the Stanley Cup Finals, losing the series to the New Jersey Devils 4-3. In the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Calgary Flames won the Western Conference Semifinals series against Detroit 4-2 and eventually ended up in the Stanley Cup Finals, losing the series to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3. Following the 2004-05 NHL lockout, in the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers won the Western Conference Quarterfinals series against Detroit 4-2 and eventually ended up in the Stanley Cup Finals, losing the series to the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. However, during the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Detroit, the top seeded team in the Western Conference, lost in the Western Conference Final to the Anaheim Ducks 4-2, but Anaheim went on to defeat the Ottawa Senators to win the Stanley Cup. It appears as if Anaheim broke the curse they created in three seasons. In the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup themselves, rendering the curse moot.

"Hey man, Nice shot" by Filter, when played by Detroit radio stations (often mixed with Red Wings audio clips) has been said to curse the team in the playoffs. Many fans believe if they hear the song at all it's bad luck. Groups of fans have petitioned to radio stations not to play the song at all.

[edit] E

[edit] Ewing Theory

One of ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons' most used Internet memes has been the Ewing Theory,[8] the brainchild of reader Dave Cirilli and named after Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks. Ewing's Knicks seemed to play better when he was hurt or in foul trouble. In 1998-99, the Knicks made the NBA Finals after Ewing sustained an Achilles' tendon injury. The Ewing Theory claims that when a longtime superstar who has never won a championship leaves the team via injury, trade or free agency, and the media writes the team off, the team will play better. It should be noted that Ewing's Georgetown Hoyas won an NCAA Championship in 1984, largely due to Ewing's contributions. Other examples noted by Simmons include:

Given the time since the name Ewing Theory was coined and the Giants' Super Bowl XLII victory, a number of readers have suggested the name be updated to the Tiki Theory.[citation needed]

He claims that a recently made Tee Martin Principle is the Ewing Theory, saying that "they're the exact same thing!"[9]

[edit] H

[edit] Curse of Keith Hernandez

From 1983-2005, this curse (first brought to light by Dan O'Neill of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) pertained that the St. Louis Cardinals were incapable of winning the World Series. Until 2006, the last time that the Cardinals won the World Series was in 1982, when Keith Hernandez was their starting first baseman. Hernandez, who was the National League MVP in 1979 (sharing the honours with the Pittsburgh Pirates' Willie Stargell) as well as batting champion in 1979, was traded to the New York Mets for Neil Allen (who after three seasons with St. Louis, and a 20-16 record, he was sold to the Yankees) and Rick Owenby on June 15, 1983. Shortly after arriving in New York, Hernandez would set a major league record for game-winning runs batted in (24) in 1985. The following season, Hernandez helped guide the Mets to a World Championship against the Boston Red Sox.

The Cardinals would go on to three more World Series appearances (1985, 1987 and 2004) before finally winning it in 2006 against the Detroit Tigers. In 1985, the Cardinals lost their base-stealing catalyst, Vince Coleman to a freak injury, when he got his leg caught under the mechanized tarp at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. As a result, Coleman was unable to participate in the World Series against the Kansas City Royals. In Game 6 of the 1985 World Series, the Cardinals were holding a 1-0 led going into the bottom of the 9th. They needed just three more outs in order to win the World Championship. With closer Todd Worrell on the mound for St. Louis, he faced Royals leadoff man, Jorge Orta. Orta hit a slow roller to first baseman Jack Clark, who tossed to Worrell covering first base. First-base umpire Don Denkinger called Orta safe, but instant replays and photographs clearly showed that he was out by half a step. In the next at-bat, Jack Clark misplayed an easy foul pop-up by batter Steve Balboni. Instead of popping out, Balboni singled on the next pitch, and Onix Concepcion came in to pinch-run. With runners on first and second, Jim Sundberg then bunted into a force play at third. Catcher Darrell Porter then allowed a passed ball, allowing the runners to advance to second and third. Pinch-hitter Hal McRae was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Dane Iorg knocked a bloop single to right that scored Concepcion and Sundberg, who avoided Porter's tag at the plate to score the winning run. In Game 7, the frustrated Cardinals (who had to cope with Don Denkinger now working at home plate) got blown out by the Royals 11-0.

When Hernandez and his Mets participated in the Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, the Boston Red Sox were on the verge of a World Series title in the 10th inning with two outs, nobody on. However, the Mets would eventually raly for a 6-5 victory (ending with Mookie Wilson's routine groundball eluding first basemen Bill Buckner). They later rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Red Sox 8-5 in Game 7. While being interviewed by NBC's Bob Costas following Game 7, it was discovered that during Game 6, Hernandez he already had retreated to the Mets' clubhouse to drink a beer (a Budweiser, which had been manufactured by long time Cardinals owner, Gussie Busch and his family) when the improbable uprising occurred.

The Cardinals would return to the World Series in 1987 against the Minnesota Twins. The Cardinals had to deal with the absence injured first baseman (and their main source of power) Jack Clark. Also, the Cards had to cope with the fact that four out of the seven games were at Minnesota's loud and boisterous Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which naturally, gave the Twins a psychological advantage. Still, the Cards managed to win three in a row at home and came back to Minnesota with a 3 games to 2 series led. However, the Twins won Game 6 behind a grand slam by Kent Hrbek, who just happened to be a first baseman with the initials "K.H." The Cardinals ultimately lost Game 7 with the save going to Keith Hernandez' ex-Mets teammate, Jeff Reardon. It should be noted that the 1987 Minnesota Twins and their 85-77 regular season record up until 2006, had worst winning percentage (since the introduction of the 162 game schedule) for an eventual World Series victor. That record stood still until 2006, when the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series despite having won just 83 games in the regular season.

In 1996, the Cardinals blew a 3 games to 1 led against the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series. Game 7 involved the Cards getting destroyed by Atlanta by the score of 15-0. 1996, by the way was the beginning of Tony La Russa's tenure as manager of the Cardinals. In practically all of the Cards' subsequent postseason appearances, the would lose a key player to injury (i.e. Mark McGwire, Mike Matheny, Scott Rolen, and Chris Carpenter. For instance, in 2002, the team lost Scott Rolen during a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks (who defeated the Cardinals in the Division Series the year before) in the division series before losing in the NLCS in five games to the San Francisco Giants. Keith Hernandez incidentally, was born in San Francisco (although the Cardinals did beat the Giants in the 1987 NLCS in seven games).

In 2004, the Cardinals lost the World Series in four games against the Boston Red Sox (who would win their first World Championship since 1918). During the first two games of the World Series, the Cards walked 14 Red Sox batsmen and hit three others. Meanwhile, the Red Sox plated 17 base runners, while stranding 21 base runners. The closest the Cardinals ever came to possessing the lead in the Series was on two different occasions in Game 1. The Cardinals tied the game at 7 in the top of the 6th inning. The Red Sox regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the 7th. The Cardinals responded with two in the top of the 8th to tie the game at 9, but the Red Sox replied with two in the bottom of the same inning. In Game 3, Cardinals threatened in the top of the 3rd inning, as starting pitcher Jeff Suppan beat out an infield single to third base and Edgar Rentería delivered a double to right-center field. But Larry Walker grounded to first, and Suppan hesitated in his attempt to score. David Ortiz, making a rare appearance at first base (as there is no designated hitter in the National League), took the throw from second baseman Mark Bellhorn, retired Walker, and threw to third, where Bill Mueller tagged Suppan for a double play. What's significant about Jeff Suppan's base running blunder was that he wore number 37, the same number that Keith Hernandez wore during his time as a St. Louis Cardinal.

[edit] Houston Sports Curse

Main article: Curse of the AstroTurf

There is an alleged curse on the city of Houston, Texas[10], which has a dismal history when it comes to world championships. The origin of the curse may be from the city's approval for the first ever use of AstroTurf in pro sports history. The city's baseball team, the Houston Astros, has appeared in only one World Series where they were swept by the Chicago White Sox in 2005. Although the Houston Oilers won back-to-back AFL titles in 1960 and 1961, neither the Oilers or the city's expansion Houston Texans have won a conference title, much less a Super Bowl. The Oilers were also defeated by the Buffalo Bills in the greatest comeback ever in NFL history during the wild-card round of the 1993 NFL Playoffs. In the late 1970s, while having the league's leading rusher and MVP in Earl Campbell, the Oilers were again beaten in back-to-back seasons by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the conference championship. Pittsburgh also shocked the more talented Oilers a decade later by taking the team in an overtime loss in the playoffs.

The curse of Houston was broken when the Houston Rockets won two NBA titles in the 1994 NBA Finals and 1995 NBA Finals. In its first two seasons in town, the Houston Dynamo of MLS also won consecutive championships in MLS Cup 2006 and MLS Cup 2007. Other teams such as the Houston Comets of the WNBA team won the first four league championships from 1997-2000. The Houston Aeros have won in 1999 and 2003.

[edit] J

[edit] The Jets' Merger Curse

At the conclusion of the 1968 football season (January of 1969), the New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. This was the first time that a team from the American Football League (AFL) beat a team from the National Football League (NFL) for a championship. This result stepped on the pride of the NFL.

The Jets won a second straight AFL Eastern Division title in the 1969 season, but failed to reach the Super Bowl. In 1970, the leagues merged, bringing the Jets and the other AFL teams into the NFL. They became known as the American Football Conference (AFC).

In the 1970 season, the Jets won only four games and lost ten. Also, they were the last of the 26 teams that existed in '70 to win its first division title (finally doing so in 1998) under the AFC-NFC format. To this day, the Jets have lost more games than any other AFC team since '70 and have not returned to the Super Bowl.

[edit] K

[edit] The "Krukow Kurse"

Main article: Mike Krukow

The "Krukow Kurse" is a hex upon the San Francisco Giants used to explain their more than fifty year failure to win the World Series. The alleged source of the curse is Mike Krukow (a former pitcher and current broadcaster for the Giants). Prior to the beginning of each season, Krukow states in one of his preseason radio appearances his usual optimistic opinion that the Giants have a chance to win the World Series. Once Krukow stops making such predictions, says the legend, the Giants will actually win the World Series. Part of the lore of the Krukow Kurse arises from the fact that Krukow was originally drafted by and played for the Chicago Cubs (a team that is itself hexed by the Curse of the Billy Goat). The Curse of the Billy Goat indicates that former Cubs players who move on to other teams will inevitably curse the new team (the Ex-Cubs Factor).

The Krukow Kurse allegedly pertains not only to the Giants' World Series prospects, but to individual players' performance in specific games. For example, in a June 8, 2007 inter-league game between the Giants and the Oakland A's, Krukow remarked that the performance of Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum (who had not yet allowed a hit in the game) was one that could result in a no-hitter. Almost immediately after the comment, an A's batter "broke up" the no-hit bid by hitting a single.

[edit] L

[edit] Lombardi Trophy Limitation

Main article: Vince Lombardi Trophy

As postulated by noted NFL luminary, Mr. Aslam Rawoof, it states: "No team nor head coach shall ever hold aloft the Vince Lombardi trophy as NFL world champions more than 2 consecutive seasons." In other words, no NFL team may ever win more than 2 Super Bowls IN A ROW, and neither may an individual head coach, though Ken Norton, Jr. remains the only player in NFL history to win three in a row (albeit with two different teams). Also, a head coach cannot escape the curse merely by moving to another team after winning a Super Bowl.

This curse is 37 years in progress, beginning after Lombardi's death in 1970 and the NFL's immediate decision to rename the Super Bowl trophy after him in commemoration.

[edit] M

[edit] Madden Curse

Main article: Madden Curse

Players who appear alone on the covers of the Madden NFL video games have tended to suffer setbacks or injuries immediately after appearing on the cover.

[edit] Curse of Don Mattingly

In the six seasons from 1976 to 1981, the New York Yankees won five division titles, four American League pennants and two World Series championships. In 1982, future Yankee team captain Don Mattingly began his 14-year career. During those 14 years, the Yankees failed to win the division every single year, and played in the postseason only once as the American League's first wild-card team in 1995.

In the first eight seasons following Mattingly's retirement after the 1995 season, the Yankees won the division seven times, the AL pennant six times, and the World Series four times.

Later, he joined the Yankees as their bench coach in 2004 and since have not been to the World Series despite making the playoffs each season since 1995. They also were famous in 2004 because of their 3-0 American League Championship Series lead that was blown to their arch-nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, who would eventually win the World Series that year by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0, and end another Yankees-related curse, the Curse of the Bambino (see below). Since the blown ALCS, they have not gotten past the American League Divisional round, being knocked out by, in order, the Los Angeles Angels, Detroit Tigers, and Cleveland Indians.

[edit] Curse of Marty McSorley

There is an alleged curse that has prevented all NHL teams in Canada from winning in the Stanley Cup Finals, since 1993. In the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, the Los Angeles Kings, already up 1 game to 0 against the Montreal Canadiens, were leading 2-1 in the third period of Game 2, with 1:38 remaining. Montreal head coach Jacques Demers felt suspicious of Kings defenseman Marty McSorley's stick.

Referees inspected the stick, and called it "too curved." McSorley was penalized for two minutes, and later, Montreal's Eric Desjardins scored on the ensuing powerplay, sending the game into overtime, in which the Canadiens won. Eventually, Montreal won the cup in 5 games, the last time a team from Canada would do so. Since 1993, the Vancouver Canucks lost to the New York Rangers in 1994, the Calgary Flames lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, the Edmonton Oilers fell victim to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, and the Ottawa Senators lost to the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.

[edit] Curse of Fred Merkle

Since 1908, Fred Merkle has had a unique role in the Chicago Cubs' failure to win a World Championship. In a game on September 23 that year, the New York Giants' rookie ran from first base on Al Bridwell's game-winning single in the 9th inning. However, he did not touch second base. The Cubs' Johnny Evers managed to come up with a baseball amid a wild scene. Evers stepped on second base and Merkle (one day later) was ruled out. The game was declared a tie.

The season ended with the Cubs and Giants tied for first place in the National League. The game had to be replayed to decide the pennant. The Cubs won, taking the championship by one game over New York.

The Cubs went on to win the World Series over the Detroit Tigers. They have yet to win another World Series since this one - which they reached after taking advantage of young Merkle's blunder.

Proof of a Merkle Curse: In 1998, the Cubs, in quest of the National League Wild Card, had a game against the Milwaukee Brewers. In the bottom of the 9th inning, Chicago was one out away from victory when outfielder Brant Brown dropped a fly ball with the bases loaded. Three runs scored on the error, giving Milwaukee the win. This game was played on September 23, the 90th anniversary of the Merkle Boner.

The Cubs still got the 1998 Wild Card, but only after winning a one-game playoff against the San Francisco Giants (relocated form New York 40 years earlier.) This was a similar scene to 1908.

[edit] N

[edit] Curse of NHL Expansion

Main article: 1967 NHL Expansion

Some believe that several teams have been cursed since the NHL expanded from only 6 teams to 12 in 1967. The Toronto Maple Leafs have not won a Stanley Cup championship since 1967. For the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings, 1967 was the season that they joined the NHL, implying that both the Blues and Kings have never won the Stanley Cup. The Leafs case however is more infamous. Similarly, some believe that the NHL's Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks are cursed as well. Each team has not won a Stanley Cup championship since 1970, three years after the NHL's initial expansion. For both, 1970 was the season that each team joined the NHL, implying that each team has never won the Stanley Cup and both have gone 0-2 in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Ironically, the expansion of the early 1990s has not been as cursed as the other expansion situations. The four NHL franchises added between the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons all have made a Stanley Cup Final: the Florida Panthers in 1996, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2003, the Tampa Bay Lightning who went on to win the championship in 2004, and the Ottawa Senators in 2007 who went on to lose to the re-named Anaheim Ducks in 2007. However, some could say that this may have attributed to a curse in that not on Canadian hockey team has won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.

[edit] P

[edit] Curse of Billy Penn

Main article: Curse of Billy Penn

There is an alleged curse on the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[11], which has prevented the city's sports teams from winning any titles since the Philadelphia 76ers swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1983 NBA Finals. Some fans believe that the city's breaking a gentlemen's agreement in 1987 that no skyscraper could be higher than the statue of William Penn on the top of the spire of City Hall is the reason for all their misery. Although Philadelphia has since added several super-tall skyscrapers, the "insult" to the city's founder is what many fans believe to be the source of the curse.

However, this can be disputed, with some saying the curse only applies to the four major sports leagues (MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA) and has no effect on any other teams based in Philadelphia. This is because the Philadelphia Wings have won six National Lacrosse League titles since the 1987 inception of the 'Curse'. Some also report that the alleged curse was broken in 2005, when the Philadelphia Phantoms won the Calder Cup in the American Hockey League; because of the NHL lockout, it was regarded as the highest level of professional hockey in North America that season.

[edit] Curse of Denis Potvin

Denis Potvin was the team captain of the New York Islanders in the 1980s. This was a very successful period of time for the team, highlighted by four consecutive Stanley Cup championships from 1980 to 1983.

Potvin retired as a player in 1988. That year, the Islanders won the Patrick Division championship. It was the sixth division title in team history, all with Denis's presence.

The Islanders have not won a division championship since the one in 1988. They've also had only seven National Hockey League playoff appearances (six of which they were eliminated in the first playoff round) and many changes in team ownership since Potvin's retirement.

[edit] R

[edit] Curse of Nolan Ryan

In 1972, the New York Mets traded Nolan Ryan and three other players to the California Angels for third baseman Jim Fregosi. Fregosi would last less than two full seasons in New York, while Ryan would go on to a Hall of Fame career, setting the major league record for no-hitters with seven, the last one coming in 1991 at age 44. The alleged curse is similar to the Curse of the Bambino: because the team traded away baseball's all-time no-hit king while no Mets pitcher has ever thrown a no-hitter. However, several players who played for the Mets at some point in their career have thrown no-hitters. Notable players, in addition to Ryan, who have done so include Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, and David Cone.

[edit] S

[edit] San Diego Sports Curse

Main article: San Diego Sports Curse

There is an alleged curse on the city of San Diego, California[12], who has the dubious distinction of being the largest United States city to have not won a Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals or any other Major League sports championship in the United States or possibly the world. The city’s two teams, the San Diego Padres and the San Diego Chargers have never won a World Series or a Super Bowl. San Diego, also, has had two NBA teams (The Rockets and The Clippers), neither of which ever won a championship. Both NBA teams have moved to different cities, some might say this is part of the curse. Some fans believe that the trading of wide-out Lance Alworth has been the cause of all misery in America’s Finest City.[13]

[edit] Marty Schottenheimer Curse

Main article: Marty Ball

The Marty Schottenheimer Curse is a sports hex that prevents teams that have Marty Schottenheimer as their head coach from winning in the playoffs, as well as preventing the team from winning or even going to the Super Bowl. Perhaps the best two examples of this alleged curse are The Drive and The Fumble.

[edit] Seattle Sports Curse

There is an alleged curse on the city of Seattle[14] , who has not won a major sports championship since 1979 (although their women’s basketball team has won a championship in 2004). The Seattle Metropolitans won the Stanley cup in 1917 (the first American team to do so), the Seattle Super Sonics (NBA) won a title in 1979, and the Seattle Storm (WNBA) won in 2004. Neither the Seahawks nor the Mariners have ever won a championship. Seattle nearly won a championship when the Seahawks represented the city in Super Bowl XL in 2006, though they fell by a score of 21-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Citizens of Seattle believe the curse does in fact exist, due to the impending relocation of the Sonics and the Sonics' drafting of Kevin Durant in the 2007 NBA Draft.

[edit] Curse of Norm Smith

Main article: Curse of Norm Smith

A curse on the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League, used to explain why Melbourne has failed to win a premiership since it sacked Norm Smith in the middle of the 1965 season. Smith had coached fourteen years and won six premierships (including during the previous season), but his relationship with the club grew strained. He attacked the club in the media following his dismissal, and claimed they would not recover, which has remained true thus far.

[edit] Socceroos Witch Doctor Curse

In a story told in Johnny Warren's 2002 autobiography, Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters[3]; During a trip to play against Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in the 1970 Mexico World Cup qualifiers in Mozambique, members of the Socceroos including Warren consulted a witch doctor preceding their game. The witch doctor buried bones near the goal-posts and cursed the opposition, and Australia went on to beat Rhodesia 3-1 in the decider. However the move backfired when the players could not come up with the £1000 demanded by the witch doctor as payment and he subsequently cursed the team in return, the Socceroos then failed to beat Israel and did not qualify.

Whilst the curse is used as an explanation for failing to qualify for the World Cup for 32 years, including in the last match in the 1994, 1998 and 2002 qualifications, the curse is used in particular reference to the failure to qualify for the 1998 World Cup by drawing on aggregate against Iran, despite leading 2-0 in the second half of the final match of qualification.

The curse was supposedly lifted by John Safran during his 2004 TV series John Safran vs God. After reading the story in Warren's book, Safran travelled to Mozambique and hired a new witch doctor to channel the original to reverse the curse. The following year, the Socceroos not only qualified for the 2006 World Cup, but were quite successful, reaching the second round before finally falling to Italy in Kaiserslautern.

It is worth noting that their appearance in the 1974 FIFA World Cup came after the supposed curse had been placed. However, they failed to score a goal in any of their three opening round matches, and were eliminated. [4]

[edit] Sports Illustrated Cover Curse

Main article: Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx

Players who appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated magazine have tended to, coincidentally, suffer setbacks or injuries, immediately after appearing on the cover, or the team they play for will lose a very important game or series.

[edit] Curse of Shula and the 1972 Dolphins

There is an alleged curse that states that no team will ever have a perfect record in the NFL, something that only the 1972 Dolphins did by going 14-0 and winning the Super Bowl. This curse was "proven" when the New York Giants defeated the previously unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. This curse is also backed up by players from the 1972 Dolphins celebrating every year when the last unbeaten team is beaten by having a champagne party. Some people also believe that Coach Shula of the 1972 Dolphins team personally ordered the curse so no team could ever replicate his team's success.

[edit] T

[edit] Tampa Bay Curse

The Tampa Bay Curse is a sports hex that affects NFL teams that lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No team that has lost to Tampa Bay in the regular season has gone on to win the Super Bowl that same season. This may be related to the historical bad luck and poor performance of the franchise. Tampa Bay won Super Bowl XXXVII but there is no sign that the victory has relieved the effects of the curse.

The Buccaneer team lived through several perceived curses itself. For the better part of its existence, the team had not won a championship, had never won a road playoff game, never won a game under 40°F (4°C), and had never returned a kickoff for a touchdown. As of 2007, all four of those distinctions had been lifted.

In a related issue, some local residents believe that Tampa Bay franchises are cursed to endure years of futility, as has been the case for the area's three major sports teams[15]. The Buccaneers are the only NFL team since World War II to complete their schedule without a victory (0-14 in 1976), eventually setting a league record for consecutive losses by dropping their first 26 contests over two seasons. The Bucs also hold the league record for consecutive seasons with double-digit losses: 12 years in a row, from 1983-1994.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are the only team in NHL history to lose 50 or more games in four consecutive seasons (1997-2001), though this was eliminated on a technicality resulting in a scoring change that added overtime losses to record scorekeeping being made retroactive to the prior year. They then won the Stanley Cup in 2003-4. And the Tampa Bay Rays finished the season in last place in their division nine out of the first ten years of their existence, owning the worst record in all of major league baseball four times. [16]

[edit] Curse of Ben Tillman

The Curse of Ben Tillman (sometimes the "Chicken Curse" by Clemson fans) is said to have been caused by South Carolina's white supremacist Governor Ben Tillman, who put the curse on the University of South Carolina at Columbia and also The Citadel. He put the curse on the schools because some members of the State congress disagreed with the need for more state schools. A farmer, wanted to turn the state into an agricultural haven, and helped establish Clemson University, an agricultural school, and Winthrop College, a women's teacher college (since coeducational).

The Curse is more related to the Gamecocks, who have won just one NCAA championship (women's track and field 2002), while the Tigers have won multiple NCAA titles.

Notable Curse of Ben Tillman moments:

  • A 21-game losing streak in football in 1998-99.
  • From the first football game played in 1892, the team waited until January 2, 1995 to win its first postseason game (eight appearances); that record of futility (on games) has since been tied, and broken.
  • The inability to beat Clemson in consecutive football games since the Gamecocks' only Atlantic Coast Conference championship (1969). Clemson has won more ACC titles.
  • Three times in the 2000s the Gamecocks were within one win of making a postseason game (2002-03, 2007). The team failed to qualify for postseason in all three situations.
  • The men's basketball team yet to win an NCAA tournament game since 1973, and no wins in the "open" era of the late 1970s. Rival Clemson made their first appearance in 1980 (has never won an automatic bid) but has had more tournament wins. (It should be noted that the 1971 team won an ACC Tournament championship; the Tigers have made it twice to the championship game, but has never won.)
  • The 1996-97 men's basketball team won the Southeastern Conference regular season championship, and gain a #2 seed, only to fall in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Mellon Arena to Coppin State.
  • The Gamecocks had made it to the College World Series Championship, only to lose three times (1975, 1977, 2002).
  • The 2000 baseball team had been the #1 seed, only to fall in the Super Regionals to Louisiana-Lafayette. Rival Clemson qualified to Omaha (ironically, to fall to Louisiana-Lafayette; teams in Lafayette had beaten the state's teams in baseball and ECHL hockey that year -- having defeated teams in Charleston and Greenville.)
  • The 2005 and 2006 basketball teams won the National Invitational Tournament title, and could not make postseason the next two years.
  • The 2007 football team, 6-1 and #6 in the AP rankings, lost five games to miss postseason play; worse yet, the state High School League chose to move the state championship games to "Death Valley" starting in 2008.
  • Kevin Joyce, a member of the 1971-72 Gamecock basketball team led by Frank McGuire, was a member of the 1972 US Olympic basketball team that lost to the Soviet Union in the championship game.

[edit] U

[edit] Utah Sports runner-up Jinx

An alleged jinx on the city of Salt Lake City and the state of Utah, that their pro, college and minor league sports teams have a sports hex in being unable to win a major championship, and only reaching second place as its climax. This hex has been shown strongly with the NBA Utah Jazz since the early 1990s, where the Jazz lack success in the NBA playoffs, despite posting winning seasons. While others feel that the jinx started in 1997-98, with the Jazz finally making the NBA Finals, but losing back-to-back to the Chicago Bulls. With each series with some of Micheal Jordan's most known clutch plays, against the Jazz. With his buzzer beater in Game one and his Flu game in game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. And then his final shot as a Bull in Game 6 to win the Bulls sixth title in 1998. Where many Utah fans believe the so called, "Push-off theory" where it seemed Jordan pushed off Utah's Bryon Russell to get open for that emotional clutch shot, and having no foul called. Along with two controversial calls by NBA ref Dick Bavetta. Many also feel that the jinx has something to do with Karl Malone's failure to win an NBA championship or Coach Jerry Sloan, while others feel it was Dennis Rodman of the Bulls stating that, "Utah will never win a championship." That was the curse lore, since Rodman was known to dislike Utah. Although some argue that the origin of the curse started a lot earlier than Rodman's comments in 1998, and could also be related to a non-sports curse. The film series, called the Poltergeist, was filmed mostly in Utah; one of the scenes was shot in the parking lot of the Salt Palace, the home court of the Utah Jazz during the time of the filming. The film series itself is said to be heavily cursed. Whatever the cause of the curse may be, Utah sports teams haven't won championships.

Even mother nature might seem against Utah sports, On August 11, 1999, a rare tornado rips through the Delta Center (The Jazz home arena), taking out windows and even parts of the roof.

In college sports, the University of Utah lost the NCAA championship game in men's basketball also in 1998 to Kentucky, after which they ran out of gas in the final minutes, after leading by 12 points. There is also a hex with the Runnin' Utes against the University of Kentucky, falling to the Wildcats not only in the 1998 title game, but in the NCAA Tournament: 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2003 and again in 2005. Even if the College teams; such as BYU, Utah and other teams such as the Jazz, have dominated their respective conferences and divisions, yet struggle in the nationally in their biggest and most loved sports (Mostly Basketball). The last major pro championship for Utah was back in 1971 with the ABA Utah Stars. The last major college championship title was the 1984 BYU Football team (Although BYU's '84 title wasn't settled in a championship game, but after the top ranked team above them lost in their own bowl game).

Moments from the curse:

  • 1997: Utah Jazz losing 4-2 to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA finals
  • 1998: The University of Utah Men's Basketball losing the NCAA Championship game to Kentucky, 78-69. Blowing a second half lead of 12. This also goes along with Utah's unlucky losing streak with Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament since 1993.
  • 1998: Utah Jazz losing again 4-2 to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA finals
  • The Salt Lake Bees have lost the PCL championship series in 1994, 2000 and again in 2003.
  • 2005: Utah Snowbears ABA Basketball team having a great chance to win it all after a 27-1 season. However, the team folded right before entering the championship due to its financial problems. This happened right after beating Dennis Rodman's team in the ABA playoffs.
  • 2008: Snow College Football team and the SLCC Men's basketball teams getting beat in their own National championship games.
  • BYU and most Utah colleges struggles in Conference championship games and first rounds in the Basketball NCAA tournaments in March.
  • The Jazz lack of success in the NBA Playoffs, despite having great talent and successful seasons.
  • The University of Utah Women's Gymnastics team finishing second to the University of Georgia in the Super Six in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ 1993 Runner-Up Jinx
  2. ^ The Curse of the Balboni
  3. ^ The lake effect
  4. ^ NFL's forgotten legend
  5. ^ Windy City blues
  6. ^ The Chronicle-Telegram - Lorain county's leading news source
  7. ^ Mistakes by the lake
  8. ^ Simmons, Bill. "Ewing Theory 101", ESPN.com, ESPN Internet Ventures, 2001-05-09. Retrieved on 2008-02-11. 
  9. ^ Another large side order of links [1]
  10. ^ Houston's pain goes extra innings
  11. ^ So close, so painful
  12. ^ No four-leaf clover here
  13. ^ Something's missing
  14. ^ Twenty-five years and counting.
  15. ^ Tampa sports futility
  16. ^ MLB standings