The History of Sports Curses and Their Impact on Teams
TLDR Sports curses, although difficult to prove, have had a significant impact on teams and their fans. From the curse of the Bambino on the Boston Red Sox to the curse of the Billy Goat on the Chicago Cubs, these curses have resulted in championship droughts and a belief in bad luck among fans.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Sports curses, such as the curse of the goat, Babe Ruth, a witch doctor, the city of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and a Japanese statue of Colonel Sanders, have plagued sports teams for years, even though they are difficult to prove, but they are very real to the fans who believe in them.
02:11
The curse of the Bambino, which was placed on the Boston Red Sox after they sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, resulted in an 86-year championship drought for the Red Sox and a string of World Series victories for the Yankees.
04:14
The curse of the Billy Goat on the Chicago Cubs was finally broken in 2016 after 108 years, while the Hanschen Tigers in Japan have been cursed since fans threw a statue of Colonel Sanders into a river in 1985.
06:05
The Liverpool Football Club went through a championship drought until their goalkeeper urinated on all four goal posts, and the Australian national soccer team was cursed by a witch doctor until another witch doctor removed the curse.
08:00
The Potsville Maroons were denied the 1925 NFL Championship and the curse states that the Cardinals will never win another championship until the Maroons are declared champions, while the Detroit Lions have had a terrible record since trading away their quarterback Bobby Lane in 1958, and the city of Philadelphia experienced a championship drought in all four major professional sports for over 20 years.
09:57
The curse on Philadelphia sports teams was broken when the Comcast Center and Comcast Technology Center became the tallest buildings in the city and a small statue of William Pitt was placed on top.
11:50
Curses in sports, such as the curse of Cleveland and the curse of the Chicago Bears, are often attributed to bad luck rather than supernatural forces.