The not-so-secret history of sports curses and superstitions
By Emma Djukic, October 18 2024—
When something goes horribly wrong, the natural human reaction is to find something to blame — the weather, the trauma your former partner gave you, the unfair professor who never posts his slides. This reaction is no less common in the world of sports, and throughout the years, the list of curses and superstitions across the world has gotten longer and stranger by the decade. Here is our list of some of the most interesting and spooky curses throughout sports history!
Hockey: don’t shave your beard in the playoffs
Starting with something a bit more tame, hockey players in the NHL will often refuse to shave their beards during the playoffs. This superstition stems from the belief that a beard brings good luck and signifies team unity. In the 1980s, the New York Islanders won four straight Stanley Cups by maintaining a shaggy facade, and the tradition stuck. The longer the beard, the deeper the playoff run — so players often embrace the scruffy look as a badge of honor. This ritual has become so ingrained in hockey culture that it has even inspired the “Playoff Beard” phenomenon, with fans joining in on the tradition.
Philadelphia teams and the Curse of Billy Penn
When something odd happens twice, dismissing it as a coincidence is easy. But what about when it keeps happening again and again for over 20 years?
The Curse of Billy Penn began in 1987 when construction was completed on the One Liberty Place skyscraper, making it taller than the statue of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. According to legend, the city had long adhered to an unspoken rule: no building in Philadelphia could surpass the height of the statue atop City Hall. Breaking this rule, it was believed, would bring bad luck. And when the skyscraper defied this tradition, the consequences were felt by all the city’s teams. Not a single Philadelphia sports team won a championship for 20 years. But wait, it gets spookier.
It wasn’t until 2007, when a small statue of Billy Penn was affixed to the final beam of the Comcast Center, that the curse was believed to be lifted. The following year, the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series, for the first time since 1980.
Boston Red Sox and Curse of the Bambino
Nicknamed “The Bambino” by the Red Sox Team owner Harry Frazee, Babe Ruth was one of the best baseball players of the era. He helped Boston win three World Series titles in his first six seasons with the team, and it was clear to everyone that he was going to win more. In 1919, Frazee decided to sell Ruth to the Yankees to finance his Broadway Musical “No, No, Nannette”. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, the loss of Babe Ruth would start an 86-year drought for their trophy case. To make matters worse, the Yankees would go on to win 26 World Series titles in the eight decades, compared to the pitiful zero for the Red Sox. The change in fortune was so stark, that fans began to call it the “Curse of the Bambino”.
However, this tale is not over! The curse was broken in 2004, when a kid attended a Red Sox game, and got hit in the face by a wayward baseball, leading to the loss of his front teeth. It was later learned that the boy lived in Babe Ruth’s old house. That year, the Red Sox finally won the World Championship Series. Many believe that the curse was broken by shedding the blood of an innocent who had a connection to the Bambino himself.
Serena Williams and her Socks
This one may sound strange, but who are you to judge a champion?
Tennis player Serena Williams has a peculiar superstition that seems to have worked for her quite well. She wears the same pair of socks throughout an entire tournament. Does she wash them between games? Who knows! But from the first game through to the last, Williams does not change them to a different pair. She is also known for a few other superstitions, including bringing her shower shoes to the court, and tying her shoes a specific way.
Maybe I should wear the same socks throughout the finals season and see if that helps my GPA.
The Detroit Lions and the Curse of Bobby Layne
Following their third Superbowl in 1958, the Detroit Lions traded their star quarterback, Bobby Layne, for some untested players in a move that baffled everyone. Betrayed and angry, Layne had only one thing to say as he boarded the bus for Pittsburg; “This team will not win for another 50 years”.
Being two games into the season and defending champions, the Lions weren’t too worried about the ominous pronouncement, but they should have been as they spent the next 50 years stumbling through playoff disappointments and subpar performances. 2008 marked the curse’s 50th and final year, and it culminated with a bang. The Lions lost every single regular season game to finish 0–16, making them the first team in NFL history to ever fail so spectacularly. Yikes.
The Honey Bears Curse
In the 1970s, NFL cheerleaders were all the rage, and the Chicago Bears hopped on the bandwagon, introducing the Honey Bears in 1977. Founded by George “Papa Bear” Halas, they became a fixture on the sidelines — until 1983 when Halas passed away. His daughter, Virginia Halas McCaskey, found the idea of cheerleaders embarrassing and couldn’t wait to get rid of them. But with a contract through the 1985 season, the Honey Bears stuck around just long enough to witness the Bears’ best season ever.
In 1985, the Bears went 15–1 and won Super Bowl XX in a blowout. After that win, McCaskey finally disbanded the squad. Since then, the Bears haven’t won another Super Bowl and have only been back once in 2006, when they lost to the Colts. Many fans believe the team has been cursed ever since, blaming their woes on the loss of the Honey Bears and the cheerleaders’ supposed magical powers of luck.
The Madden Curse
The Madden Curse has haunted NFL players for years. Legend has it that, any player who appears on the cover of EA Sports’ Madden NFL video game is doomed to suffer a major injury or a sharp decline in performance.
It all began in 1999 when Garrison Hearst graced the cover and soon suffered a broken ankle that sidelined him for two seasons. Since then, the bad luck has continued: Michael Vick broke his leg, Shaun Alexander fractured his foot, and Rob Gronkowski had back surgery—all after appearing on the cover. Despite this, players continue to sign up for the honor, brushing off the so-called curse. I guess video games not only rot your brain, but can also break your legs!
Parting Thoughts
So, what did we learn from our little foray into the wild world of sports curses? First off, never trade your star quarterback, disband your cheerleaders or sell off your best player to fund a Broadway show. Second, if you’re a pro athlete, maybe think twice before signing up for a video game cover. Finally, if things get really bad, you can always try the good old-fashioned method of breaking a curse: a little blood sacrifice.
Maybe the Dinos should give it a try next year at the kickoff game.