Has The Curse Ended?

The dictionary defines a curse as a solemn utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something. In the world of sports there have been several reports of curses that may have had an effect on a team’s performance for many years.

Babe Ruth was also known as the bambino. Babe’s baseball career began with the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox sold The Babe to the New York Yankees at the end of the 1919 season. Most people know the Babe had a great career which included hitting 714 home runs and leading the Yankees to seven visits to the World Series during his playing days with the New York team. The Boston team would not win a World Series for eighty-four years after making that trade. It is believed that a bad omen was placed on the Boston team for selling the Babe and that is why it took so long for them to win a World Series. It became known as “The Curse of the Bambino”. 

In 1945 the Detroit TIgers played the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. The Cubs were up two games to one going into game four. A gentleman named Woilliam Sianis owned a tavern in Chicago called the BIlly Goat Tavern. He also had a pet goat. Mr. Sianis bought two tickets for game four. One for himself and one for his pet goat. They would not let him bring his goat into the stadium. He asked why and was told because your goat “stinks”. It is said he responded, “your team stinks and will never win a World Series.” The Cubs lost the series to the Tigers. The Chicago Cubs would not win a World Series for 71 years.

Rocky Colavito, a very popular baseball player in Cleveland, led the American league in home runs hitting 42 homers in 1959. The next year Cleveland traded Colavito to the Detroit TIgers for Harvey Kuenn who had won the American League hitting title in 1959. The next year Cleveland traded Colavito to the Detroit Tigers for Harvey Cohen who had won the American League hitting title in 1959 with a .353 batting average. Cleveland fans were very upset and were said to have put a curse on the team. Cleveland would not win another championship for 35 years.

Bobby Lane played professional football for 15 years. He became a Detroit Lion in 1950 and played quarterback for the Lions for eight years. He led the Detroit team to three NFL championships in the 1950s. He led Detroit to their last championship in 1957 - sixty-seven years ago. He was the team leader on-and-off the field. It was reported Bobby loved to party. Most people in Detroit new number 22 of the Detroit Lions. Bobby broke his ankle just before the championship game in 1957 and could not play. The Lions won the championship with their backup quarterback,Tobin Rote. The Detroit Lions traded Bobby to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the beginning of the 1958 season. Bobby along with everyone in Detroit was very upset. When Bobby left the Lions clubhouse for the last time he shouted, according to people who were there, "THIS TEAM WILL NOT WIN ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP FOR FIFTY YEARS!”. 

This became known as the curse of Bobby Lane. This must have been a very powerful curse because the Lions are now in the 67th year of the fifty-year curse. They have never played in a Super Bowl game. Things may be changing. The last couple years have been much better for the team. They came very close last year but still no cigar. Last Sunday night, September 7th 2024, the Lions played their season opener against the Los Angeles Rams from Ford Field in Detroit on National Television. The Lions played a very good game that went into overtime in front of the whole country on television and a packed stadium the Detroit Lions won the game in overtime. 

I was sitting in front of my TV late Sunday night watching this victory. I came to a decision. I will take the responsibility to declare that the curse of the “great” Bobby Lane has ended. In addition I am predicting that the Detroit Lions will play in the next Super Bowl.

The Lions went on to win 15 games and lose two during the regular season making this their best record in the history of the team. The fans in Detroit were very excited. Everyone is talking super bowl. The playoffs begin and things look good. 

Saturday night, January 18th 2025, the Detroit Lions played the Washington Commanders in front of a sold out and very excited crowd at Ford Field in Detroit. The Lions are favored to win. The fans were pumped up! A win will get them very close to playing in the Super bowl.

Close but once again no cigar. 

The favored Detroit Lions lost to the underdog Commanders by a score of 45 to 31. Super Bowl hopes were gone for another year. Again, I find myself sitting in front of my television when the game ended thinking to myself I was wrong! (it takes a big person to admit he is wrong.) The Detroit Lions will not go to the Super Bowl for the 58th straight year. 

The curse of Bobby Lane has not ended!