Right as Ryan: In hands of fate
In what was one of the most exciting postseasons in recent years, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 of the World Series, ending the title drought of the Billy Goat Curse over the last 108 years.
In honor of the end of the most infamous curse in sports history, here are some curses that continue to stand today.
The Curse of Rocky Colavito
While the World Series ended the Cubs’ Billy Goat Curse, another one still lives on. The Curse of Rocky Colavito, placed on the Indians, survives with Cleveland’s World Series defeat. The curse dates back to 1960 when the Cleveland Indians traded away fan favorite Rocky Colavito. The trade happened as a result of general manager Frank Lane’s greed in not paying Colavito the money he deserved. That would be the worst decision in the Indians history as the team would go on a 33-year stretch of missing the playoffs and placing in the top half of its division only once. In the last 20 years, the team reached the World Series three times and did not win any of them. But if the Cubs can end a drought that lasted 108 years, then the Indians can surely overcome the Curse of Rocky Colavito.
The Madden Curse
In the last 20 years, the Madden Curse has been the most dangerous threat to NFL players. The curse comes from the belief that the player featured on the cover of that year’s “Madden NFL,” one of the most popular video game franchises, will face some sort of decline in their career. The curse has affected superstars like Marshall Faulk, who had his five-year streak of 1000 plus rushing yards ended after being featured in 2002, to Shaun Alexander, who suffered an injury-plagued year after being selected in 2007. This year’s cover athlete, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, looks like he may defeat the curse with the assistance of quarterback Tom Brady. However, the season is young and Gronk has a history of injuries, the curse can live on
Based God Curse
The Cleveland Cavaliers had the most famous curse until LeBron James brought them their first title this past summer. So, I picked the next big curse plaguing the NBA: the Based God Curse. Created by rapper Lil B aka the Basedgod in 2011, the curse hurts a player’s career until Lil B lifts it. Don’t believe me? Well, the first victim was Kevin Durant, who dissed Lil B’s music. For such disrespect, Lil B placed the curse, saying KD would never win a championship. Over the next five years, KD’s teams would lose in the NBA Finals, Western Conference Finals and blow a 3-1 lead in the playoffs this past summer. Still don’t believe me? In 2015, James Harden was cursed and soon, his team fell from a top contender in the West to a team that dropped to the eighth seed in 2016 and lost its former superstar center Dwight Howard to free agency. So for basketball players and teams alike, do not anger the Based God at all times.
Maybe these are all just superstitions to you but when you have droughts that last over 60 years or video games that have damaged a player’s career for 20 years, curses are the only answer.
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