The Curse of the Bambino Took Almost a Century to Break

Athletes and sports fans are notoriously superstitious. While never based on logic or human reasoning, many believe that the reason their team loses is because of curses, and not poor management or mediocre performances. The sports world has a long history of people using curses as a coping mechanism. Here are 20 times sports teams beat a curse.

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1. Boston Red Sox

Many believed that the Red Sox were cursed after trading Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1919, and their superstition was validated by an 86-year World Series drought. The curse was lifted in 2004 when the Red Sox swept the Cardinals after coming back against the Yankees in the ALCS.

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2. Chicago Cubs

The Curse of the Billy Goat stems from an incident when a goat was ejected from Wrigley Field, and the goat's owner was not too happy about it. It took 108 years, but the Cubs eventually won the World Series again in 2016. 

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3. San Francisco Giants

The Curse of Coogan's Bluff came following the team's move from New York to San Francisco in 1958, and it took a long time for the organization to win another World Series. They finally did it in 2010. 

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4. St. Louis Blues

The Blues were a franchise that went without a Stanley Cup for 51 years. While this curse didn't have a name or specific event, fans still believed that something was standing in their way. The Blues won their first Stanley Cup in 2019 when they defeated the Bruins in Game 7 of the Finals. 

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5. Philadelphia Phillies

Known as the Curse of the Billy Penn, this superstition holds that a Philadelphia pro team couldn't win a championship after the statue of William Penn was dwarfed by a skyscraper. This was broken when the Phillies won the World Series in 2008. 

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6. Detroit Red Wings

The Curse of 1940 described the long Stanley Cup drought that the Red Wings endured. The Red Wings eventually won their fair share of Stanley Cups in the 1990s and early 2000s, but fans were convinced that their misfortunes on the ice were outside of their control.

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7. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have a historic Super Bowl losing streak, including four losses in the 1970s. These are often referred to as "cursed games". While they have yet to win a Super Bowl, their playoff narrative has changed. Yet, the curse lives on in the eyes of many fans.

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8. Kansas City Chiefs

Various narratives used to exist that claim the Chiefs had a final game jinx. This all changed thanks to their recent success, and after they won the Super Bowl in 2023. 

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9. Cleveland Guardians

This curse was born after the team traded popular player Rocky Colavito in 1960. It was blamed for the decades of struggles that followed. The Guardians haven't won a World Series, so maybe fans are right. 

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10. Boston Bruins

The Bruins suffered many big-game losses, and it haunted the franchise for decades. Another name without a curse, but this one was broken in 2011 when the Bruins hoisted the Stanley Cup after 39 years.

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11. Chicago Blackhawks

Fans were quick to blame a curse for the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup famine, which lasted 49 years. The team finally won the cup in 2010 and even started a modern dynasty that made them the envy of the NHL. 

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12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Here's another recent alleged curse. After winning the Super Bowl in 2003, the Bucs suffered through long stretches without any significant playoff success. Their win in the 2021 Super Bowl let fans breathe a sigh of relief, and there's been no talk of the curse since.

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13. Arizona Cardinals

Without a Super Bowl appearance for decades, Cardinals fans had no choice but to believe that a curse had been placed on the team. They made the Super Bowl in 2009, which shifted perspectives that maybe there wasn't actually a curse.

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14. Los Angeles Rams

This curse was caused when the Rams moved cities, which was followed by long droughts and playoff jinxes. They finally returned to the Super Bowl in 2022, ending any talk revolving around a superstition. 

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15. Houston Astros

After changing from the Colt .45s to the Astros, they experienced a long playoff drought that was attributed to a curse. This curse was broken when the team reached and won the World Series in 2017 and then again in 2022. This one was probably more about frustration than a curse.

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16. Toronto Blue Jays

Most Jays fans believe that their team is cursed. There were painfully long playoff droughts after winning back-to-back World Series and some unique playoff moments, which led to losses. Despite their ALDS win in 2015 and their World Series appearance in 2025, fans are still left wondering what is behind their team's lack of championship banners.

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17. Miami Dolphins

After their perfect season in 1972 and some Super Bowl appearances, the franchise went decades without reaching the big game again. Fans believed in a curse until their playoff win in 2023. 

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18. Washington Capitals

This long-suffering NHL team had a myriad of failures even during the Ovechkin era. They finally ended all talk of a curse by winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. 

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19. Golden State Warriors

Fans didn't want to consider that their team was just an underachiever during some lean years. Instead, they turned to the curse narrative until the Warriors won the NBA title in 2015. 

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20. Manchester City

For decades, Manchester fans believed in the European Curse that caused them to repeatedly fall short in the UEFA Champions League. Some fans even saw it as karmic payback for some controversial exits.

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