Moving to a new location
AJC blogs are moving to a new technical platform. So check out Terence Moore’s new blog home and bookmark it.
Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > August > 13 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USDon’t believe in curses, jinxes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just last week, Georgia’s football team became the cover darling of Sports Illustrated. Then, to begin this week, the Bulldogs suffered a huge loss (literally and figuratively) when offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant departed for the rest of the season with his damaged knee and his nearly 300 pounds worth of Matthew Stafford protection.
Hmmmm.
And maybe you heard: Brett Favre is working for the New York Jets these days instead of the Green Bay Packers. Is that Vince Lombardi flipping over in his grave to scream, “What the (bleep) is going on out there?” Consider, too, that, Favre is the featured player on the front of this year’s John Madden Football video game that recently was released.
Hmmmm.
Given all of that, combined with the supposedly hexed Chicago Cubs in town to face the Braves, let’s talk curses.
Do you believe in such things regarding sports? More specifically, given the Sturdivant injury, is Georgia’s No. 1 ranking in danger courtesy of the so-called Sports Illustrated jinx?
I say no. That’s because there isn’t a Sports Illustrated jinx. If you’re a national magazine, and if you put enough athletes or teams on your cover each week over the course of decades, you’re going to have a lot of them flip, flop or choke. That is, if they don’t have several guys suffer something like a season-ending knee injury during a routine pile-up.
There isn’t a Madden curse, either. Stuff happens, especially when it comes to NFL players. Eddie George. Daunte Culpepper. Marshall Faulk. Michael Vick. Ray Lewis. Donovan McNabb. Shaun Alexander. Vince Young. They’ve all joined Favre since 2000 in having various issues after they appeared as Madden cover folks.
Not impressed. The same goes for the Cubs failing to win it all since 1908 and not even reaching a World Series since 1945. They’ve just had more than a few shaky players, horrendous managers and dysfunctional teams. They’ve also had bad luck, (‘69, Leon Durham, Steve Bartman), but bad luck doesn’t translate into a billygoat curse.
The bottom line is, if Georgia doesn’t win the national championship this season, it will be because of Georgia and its monster schedule. Sports Illustrated, John Madden, billygoats, the bogeyman or their supposedly spooky equivalents won’t have anything to do with it.
Agree or disagree? Oh, and if you disagree, when is the last time you saw Big Foot in your living room?
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: UGA/SEC
Comments
By D.Ellis
August 13, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this
Terrance-I agree. but it is a little strange, that Madden cover though.
You have to admit that…at the very least.
Once is an accident, twice is coencedence, third time is a pattern.
In terms with the Madden cover we’re working on like 8 straight years with that player being injured.
Also a quick question. I know you wrote the Falcons should have drafted Glen Dorsey and then used that second pick on either Brohm/Henne or one of the other QB’s instead of Ryan.
I know it has only been one game but I wanted your thoughs now after watchign Ryan play, and then watching Brohm play like a true freshman on Monday night.
Ryan by far is head and shoulders above those other QB’s we could have drafted.
By Bob Sacamano
August 13, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this
Okay, you’re correct about the SI jinx not being true. There have been far too many athletes on far too many covers that bad stuff happening to them is just the odds.
But the Madden Cover Jinx is absolutely and positively true. Every year an athlete has appeared on the Madden Cover, either that year or the next year, something happened to them to either send their career in a swoon, or they got hurt and never were the same, or they just had a crappy year, or their team was supposed to be a mortal playoff lock and they missed the postseason.
Every. Year.
That’s not playing the odds… that’s a full-blown, honest-to-God jinx.
And the thing is, we all thought Brett Favre was going to end the cover jinx (unless he fell off of his lawn tractor and amputated a pinky toe or something in retirement) but no, the jinx lives on with his ill-advised, ill-concieved, ill-timed, and just all-around ill comeback from retirement and trade to the New York Jets.
Brett Favre proves the Madden Jinx.
I’d wager, that had he not been on the cover, he’d have stayed retired and not have sullied his legacy by coming off as an entitled, self-important, egomaniacal brat these last two months.
But such is the curse, that it’s even sullied the career of the one player in the NFL who we all thought was just a regular joe like all of us, the ultimate relatable athlete, something missing in today’s sporting world.
But no more. Brett Favre is no more relatable than Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. He’s lost his charm, and comes off more and more a jerk every time he opens his mouth. Relatable? He’s not a even likable anymore.
The Madden Cover Curse lives on!
By Terence Moore
August 13, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this
To D. Ellis, Bob S. and others:
I will admit that the Madden thing is a little creepy when you think about it. But sometimes those things become self-fulfilling prophecies.
Players (or shall we say people in general) start looking for bad things to happen, and then … they happen.
That’s the other side of it.
By Gene
August 13, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this
Terrence, when was the last time you saw a baseball player step on the foul line? As far as UGA goes, the jinx is self generated. There will be a payoff for the unsportsmanlike antics of last year. Criminal arrests are adding up and will certainly continue into the season. When Richt starts yanking scholarships and making players work their way back on the team at their own expense, conduct will improve. It is interesting that Sturdivant was arrested for assaulting a pregnant woman last month, and she mysteriously withdrew the charges. The University has been known to throw money at angry women. There are, without a doubt, powerful cosmic forces working against Georgia football. I would not be surprised to see one of the patsy teams take it to them like AP State did to Mich. last year.
By Bob Sacamano
August 13, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this
Gene,
You’re an idiot.
Trinton and the other player didn’t assault the woman.
They touched her belly. The woman was a friend of one of their neighbors (and possibly a friend) and they were being friendly with the woman.
Touching a pregant woman’s belly… I know, first degree assault, right?
Anyway, the woman finds out that these two guys who were touching her belly find out they’re football players, and she decides to try and get herself some cash by basically blackmailing the athletic department with these trumped-up charges.
The police in Athens had to take the charges seriously, but when they investigated, they found absolutely NO evidence to support this woman’s claims, including the video evidence she claimed she had.
The charges went away because they were baseless, idiot.
But, interestingly enough, the two players still had to pay in team punishment for not even doing anything wrong, except get put on the skyline and being falsely accused by this woman.
By ColoradoDawg
August 13, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this
Well if you consider that SI used 5 different regional covers on this issue (UF, Ohio State, Missou, and USC are the others I believe), I guess that means that all the preseason favorites are cursed.
And didn’t everyone think Texas was jinxed when Vince Young was on the cover before they played USC for the MNC? Turned out ok for the Horns.
By REGAN
August 13, 2008 11:45 AM | Link to this
UGA JINX is UGA. UGA VI died and we can’t find a bulldog with the guts to ware the G sweater for fear of ending up in the pound. VII is the next JINX.
By David Lee
August 13, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this
Terrence, you are damn arse fool. I am surprised you didn’t bring up the end zone celebration at last yr’s Fl game.
By David
August 13, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this
Those covers are regional so that means Florida, Missouri, Ohio St and USC are all jinxed too….
By Georgia Fan
August 13, 2008 12:27 PM | Link to this
I agree Terrence, especially since SI now does regional covers. This is a ridiculously moronic discussion. My god when will the actual football start? This is excruciating.
By LawDawg
August 13, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this
Gene,
you incredulous moron you! “Criminal arrests are piling up ans will certainly continue into the season”? Do you think before you speak? Baseless accusations (prego thing) and moronic statements (Gene writings) must make you feel like you are hurting the Dawgs and the Bulldog Nation. 99% of the people on this blog read your crap and say to themselves, “what a di@k!”. BTW there are NO patsy teams on the UGA schedule. Do your homework on the too! Now get back to processing my electric bill payment Nerd!
By KenDawg
August 13, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this
Injuries happen every year in college football. That’s why we have recruited more than five offensive linemen. Let’s just hope that we don’t have any more significant injuries before August 30 (or after, for that matter).