There are times when there seems to be something amiss in the world of sports. People often try to explain the failures or misfortunes of specific teams or players that were once at the top of their game. The series of events related to these cases are sure to convert the greatest skeptics into believers of sports curses. Let’s take a look at some of the greatest sports curses. These are sure to raise your eyebrows.

1. The Curse of William Penn

The Curse of William Penn sought to explain the failure of major professional sports teams in Philadelphia. Every building company in Philadelphia abided by the “gentleman’s pact” that no structure should be higher than William Penn’s statue on top of City Hall. Philadelphia’s sports teams had an outstanding track record and won several championships and World Series. Their success ended when it was decided to build Liberty Place taller than the statue. In 2008, a skyscraper, taller than Liberty Place was built and a miniature statue of William Penn was placed on the top. The curse was reversed as the teams began to shine again.   

2. The Andretti Curse

The Andretti Curse is based on several incidents of bad luck that befell the Andretti family in their attempt to win the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mario Andretti won in 1969. It is believed that in 1970, Mario Andretti, Andy Granatelli and Clint Brawner had a disagreement over their team. Brawner’s wife is said to have cast a curse on Andretti so that he would never win the Indianapolis 500 again. This came to pass and in 1994, Andretti retired.

3. Curse of the Billy Goat

The Curse of the Billy Goat was placed on Chicago Cub Major League Baseball in 1945 by William Sianis, the owner of Billy Goat Tavern. At one of the games during the World Series in 1945, Sianis’s pet goat was bothering some of the fans and Sianis and his goat were ordered to leave the stadium. Sianis did not take too kindly to this. It is said that he declared that the Cubs would never win another game. Well, for the next seventy-one years, the team didn’t win a World Series championship. In 2016, the curse was broken when the Cubs won.

4. Sports Illustrated Cover Curse

All sports fanatics look forward to picking up an issue of Sports Illustrated, a famous sports magazine. While many may see being featured on the cover of such a prestigious magazine as a great honor, it may be more of a curse. Eddie Matthews of the Milwaukee Braves was the first star to have his photo on the cover. Soon after, the team lost and Matthews sustained a broken hand. There have been several players who have suffered the same fate where they appeared on the cover and later faced some tragedy which disrupted their rising career.

5. The Curse of the Bambino

The curse of Bambino was named after George Herman Babe Ruth, known as the Bambino. This curse speaks to the eighty-six year baseball championship drought of the Boston Red Sox. In 1914, the Red Sox signed Ruth and they were the team to beat in 1915, 1916 and 1918. Babe Ruth, their most impressive player, was sold to the New York Yankees. The Yankees soon rose to the top with Ruth at their side and were victorious at four World Series titles. This team won twenty-two more championships. The Red Sox finally broke the curse in 2004 when they won the championships.