Curses
The talk of curses is an interesting topic in sports. Take the Eagles' 2005 season for example. They have been plagued by the Super Bowl Loser Curse, the Madden Video Game Curse, and the Advertising Curse.
Let's start with the Super Bowl Loser Curse. For the past five seasons, the team that lost the Super Bowl has had a losing season the following year. Isn't that strange? I don't know what causes it. Is the heartbreak of losing the Super Bowl so far-reaching that the players simply can't play as well the following year? Do other teams circle the date on the schedule when they play the teams from the previous year's Super Bowl and expend more effort against those teams? (And if that's the case, why don't the Super Bowl winners experience the same drop-off?) Do the Super Bowl losers sell their collective team souls for a one-year shot at the big time? It's quite the interesting phenomenon.
Now for the Madden Video Game Curse. Every player who has been on the cover of Madden for the past few years has had a subpar season, usually cut short by injuries. This year Donovan McNabb, the Eagles quarterback, is on the cover of Madden and he is lost for the season due to injuries. In fact, in the games he did play, he was hampered by injuries. His overall play for the year was subpar due to these injuries. What is it about being the spokes-player for Madden that invokes a curse? Do other players single out that individual for "selling out" and making a ton of money for the endorsement, and, therefore, attempt to hurt that player? Is it just karma? Do people like to see an idol fail? This curse seems more voodoo like than the others.
Finally, there is the Advertising Curse. Many of the Eagles players are in advertisements this year because they have been a winning program for the past five years and the brand has excellent recognition, thus lending itself to advertising quite nicely. Jevon Kearse, Terrell Owens, Donovan McNabb, Hank Fraley, Brian Westbrook, Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown, and others have been in various commercials this year. Most of these players are either hurt and lost for the year, suspended for the year, or ineffectual on the playing field. Last night I saw a Campbell's Soup commercial featuring McNabb, Fraley and Westbrook. It was actually a pretty funny commercial, for those who follow football. Anyway, I couldn't help but notice that all three players are hurt and out for the year (Westbrook may still come back, yet to be determined). I can't help but believe that the Advertising Curse is just random. I mean, Tom Brady has those Visa commercials and he hasn't been hurt this year.
Curses are a strange thing. I wonder who has it in for the Eagles this year? Jerry Jones, I'm looking in your direction. Hey, he appeared in a commercial for Verizon. Maybe he'll be the next to fall under the Advertising Curse...
Let's start with the Super Bowl Loser Curse. For the past five seasons, the team that lost the Super Bowl has had a losing season the following year. Isn't that strange? I don't know what causes it. Is the heartbreak of losing the Super Bowl so far-reaching that the players simply can't play as well the following year? Do other teams circle the date on the schedule when they play the teams from the previous year's Super Bowl and expend more effort against those teams? (And if that's the case, why don't the Super Bowl winners experience the same drop-off?) Do the Super Bowl losers sell their collective team souls for a one-year shot at the big time? It's quite the interesting phenomenon.
Now for the Madden Video Game Curse. Every player who has been on the cover of Madden for the past few years has had a subpar season, usually cut short by injuries. This year Donovan McNabb, the Eagles quarterback, is on the cover of Madden and he is lost for the season due to injuries. In fact, in the games he did play, he was hampered by injuries. His overall play for the year was subpar due to these injuries. What is it about being the spokes-player for Madden that invokes a curse? Do other players single out that individual for "selling out" and making a ton of money for the endorsement, and, therefore, attempt to hurt that player? Is it just karma? Do people like to see an idol fail? This curse seems more voodoo like than the others.
Finally, there is the Advertising Curse. Many of the Eagles players are in advertisements this year because they have been a winning program for the past five years and the brand has excellent recognition, thus lending itself to advertising quite nicely. Jevon Kearse, Terrell Owens, Donovan McNabb, Hank Fraley, Brian Westbrook, Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown, and others have been in various commercials this year. Most of these players are either hurt and lost for the year, suspended for the year, or ineffectual on the playing field. Last night I saw a Campbell's Soup commercial featuring McNabb, Fraley and Westbrook. It was actually a pretty funny commercial, for those who follow football. Anyway, I couldn't help but notice that all three players are hurt and out for the year (Westbrook may still come back, yet to be determined). I can't help but believe that the Advertising Curse is just random. I mean, Tom Brady has those Visa commercials and he hasn't been hurt this year.
Curses are a strange thing. I wonder who has it in for the Eagles this year? Jerry Jones, I'm looking in your direction. Hey, he appeared in a commercial for Verizon. Maybe he'll be the next to fall under the Advertising Curse...