Everyone loves a good curse, aside from people who try to get Harry Potter books banned from school libraries. Here is a look at some of my favorite sports curses. The Lombardi Trophy CurseWho was Affected?
Every NFL team since 1970.What Happened?
In 1970 Vince Lombardi died, and the NFL renamed the championship trophy in his honor. According to Aslam Rawoof, no team nor head coach shall ever hold aloft the Vince Lombardi trophy as NFL world champions more than two consecutive seasons.
In 47 years, no team has done it although some have won two in a row, and one player has one three in a row (Ken Norton JR) although on two different teams.Severity of the Curse
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Seeing as how to get this curse you have to win two previous Super Bowls, this is the weakest curse I have ever heard. It probably feels the same way you feel when you stub your toe.
The 1993 Runner Up CurseWho was Affected?
Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia Phillies, Buffalo Bills, University of Michigan (Basketball), University of Notre Dame (Football).What Happened?
The Philadelphia Phillies lost the world series in six games to the Toronto Blue Jays. Not only did they lose the world series, they are the only team to lose the world series outside of America. The shame of losing in Canada, to Canada in Baseball was too much for the Phillies it seems, seeing as how they never even made it back to the playoffs until the 2007 National League Division series, in which they were quickly swept by the Colorado Rockies.
The Notre Dame Football team had all but locked up their national title birth. In a battle of unbeaten teams, Notre Dame beat Florida State to become the top ranked team in the nation, yet Florida State remained in second place. All Notre Dame had to do was beat Boston College and they would be on their way to the national championship. Notre Dame lost, where denied a chance at the title, and have not been anywhere near one since.
The Buffalo Bills were known for losing the Super Bowl by the time the 1993-1994 NFL season got underway, having lost the last 3 Super Bowls in a row. That did not stop them from trying to do it again though. After losing handily to the Cowboys in the Super Bowl the year before (52-17), they got their chance for revenge when they met again the next year. The Cowboys again pounded them (30-13) and the Bills have not been back since.
The Phoenix Suns entered the NBA Finals with 62 wins and regular season MVP Charles Barkley. The Chicago Bulls entered having won the previous two NBA Finals and with legendary badass Michael Jordan. The series was odd, with the home team losing every game besides game four. The Bulls won in six games for the three-peat.
The Los Angeles Kings first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals was also their last trip. Playing against the Montreal Canadians featuring Wayne Gretzky in his last Finals appearance, the Los Angeles Kings where embarrassed. They lost four games to one.
Michigan Mens Basketball team played North Carolina in the NCAA Championship. With 11 seconds left in the game and only down by two points, Chris Webber of Michigan got double teamed and called a time out. This, it turns out, was a bad idea because Michigan had no time-outs left. The gaffe resulted in a technical foul, which sealed the win for North Carolina.Severity of the Curse
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While it is impressive that it has happened to every team in major American sports that was the runner up that year, the curse is only 15 years old. As far as sports curses go, this one would be the equivalent of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The Curse of Barry BondsWho was Affected?
The Pittsburgh PiratesWhat Happened?
The Pittsburgh Pirates where the home of one of the most prolific home run hitters of all time from 1986-1992. Before his steroid allegations arose, and back when he looked like this:
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And not this:
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He was beloved by the fans. For the Pirates, Bonds won two National League MVP awards, golden gloves, and silver slugger awards. The Pirates won the National League Eastern Division title three times in a row and came within one out of going to the World Series. After the 1992 season, Bonds left as a free agent and signed with the San Francisco Giants for a then record $43.75 million.
With the Giants, Bonds won five more MVP awards and broke the single season and career home run records. The Pirates have had 15 consecutive losing seasons since Bonds left, one shy of the Major League record held by the Philadelphia Phillies.Severity of the Curse
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As of the time of this writing, the Pirates are 44-54 with 64 games remaining. More than enough time to break .500, if they werent forever cursed that is. Another relatively new curse, yet caused by the loss of a loved one, puts this at non fatal STD level.
The Cleveland Curse
Every major sports team in Cleveland.What Happened?
There does not seem to be any apparent cause to this curse according to my research, so I am just going to say that it was a crazy Gypsy. According to the legend I am now creating, at the 1964 NFL Championship game, a crazy Gypsy bet it all on Don Shula and the Colts (led by Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas) to beat the Cleveland Browns. The Browns won 27 to 0, and the Gypsy let out a loud yell, LOOOOSER.
Since then, no major Cleveland sports team has won a Championship. The Indians last won a world series in 1948 and the Cavaliers have never won an NBA Championship. Not only have they not won titles, they have been the victim of some of the greatest sports stories of all time.
Remember The Catch? How about The Drive, The Shot, or The Fumble? All of these things happened against a Cleveland sports team.
Severity of the Curse
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To have one team cursed for over 40 years is bad enough, to have all the main teams in your city cursed that long is maddening. Add that to the total smack in the face of all the amazing plays that went against them, and you have the makings of some severe depression or alcoholism, or both. This curse is as bad as when a cop gets shot one day before retirement.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers CurseWho was Affected?
Anyone who has lost to the Buccaneers in the NFL regular season.What Happened?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are considered to be one of the worse teams in NFL history. Prior to 2003 they had never won a Super Bowl, returned a kickoff for a touchdown, or won a road playoff game. Since then they have done all of those things, but where founded in 1976. That iss over 25 years of torment and ass hattery, including being the only NFL team to lose every game in a season since the merger. That is, except for the dubious honor of never allowing anyone they beat in the regular season to win the super bowl. If they can not be there, and you are bad enough to lose to them, then you probably do not deserve to be there either.Severity of the Curse
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Not going to the Super Bowl in itself is hard, knowing that you lost to the Buccaneers as well must be even harder. This curse is the equivalent of getting kicked when you're down.
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