*A 72-year-old connection between how the Washington Redskins and their predecessor fare in the game before a presidential election and the election’s outcome puts the Packers in Kerry’s corner. The Packers play the Redskins at FedEx Field on Oct. 31; the election is Nov. 2.
If the Redskins lose or tie the game before the presidential election, the party in the White House gets ousted. A Redskins win is a win for the incumbent party, too. At least, that’s how it has played out in the past 18 presidential elections. *
…
*The chance that the games and elections results matching up in the last 18 elections is 1 in 263.5 million, more than 2,600 times higher than the chance of being killed by a lightning strike in a lifetime, said Dave Dolan, an assistant professor of statistics at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
That sets it apart from other half-baked theories tying presidential elections and sports together. *
Another shocking statistical anomoly involves the Chicago Bears. Every time they lose, the next day is a Monday. Nobody knows what happens when they win.
As a Vikings fan and an avowed Packer hater, this would seem to pose a tough moral quandry. I cannot abide rooting for the Cheese but the alternative is unthinkable.
Fortunately, I have two things going for me. The first is that I don’t believe in any of this superstitious nonsense, it’s just a weird coincidence and nothing more. The Packers-Skins game will have absolutely nothing to do with determining the winner of the 2004 Presidential election. That’s just silly.
The other good thing is that the Red Sox have broken the curse as well as come back from a 3-0 ALCS deficit to win, so that means all the normal hexes and hoodoos are not in place this year. That can only be because the IPU wants Kerry to win.
The Redskins have managed to beat two teams. The 2 and 5 Bears. And the 2 and 5 Bucs.
The Packers have managed to beat three teams. The 1 and 5 Panthers. The 4 AND 2 Lions, and the 2 and 4 Cowboys.
Aside from both teams sucking, the Packers have a slight edge in those stats. In their wins over the Bears, the Packers bested the Skins. 21-10 as opposed to 10-13. But Green Bay had the benefit of having the Bears at home, whereas the Skins were on the road. The game is a home game for Washington, which eliminates the famous Lambaugh field advantage that the Packers enjoy. Washington is currently a 3 point underdog.
From all the statistics I’m going to venture to say that George Bush is a bumbling, lying idiot that will lose on November 2nd because of nothing the Redskins did.
Cynic: Your speculation that all sports curses are connected suggests that the most important play in the RedSox entire season was a 20 foot putt last April. The Sox need one more win to break the curse, BTW, and they’ve been 26 outs closer and blown it, so don’t be too hasty.
Lund: I remember that episode and it was brilliant.
Cats: One who dances with cats should not root for dogs, even if they are hogs.
Carmen: Good analysis, but the forces of history now come to play in the game and vice versa. Sports forecasters need to look at swing precints in the suburbs of Cleveland to really understand this tilt, and political wonks need to consider the porous Green Bay secondary in their own wonkery.
Sorry, Dio, gotta disagree. I’ve hated the Packers with the fire of 20,000 white hot suns for quite some time now (you try growing up a Vikings fan in rural western Wisconsin!), but this election, I’ll take anything I can get, even if it means being superstitious as hell.
Also, even if it IS in the Pit, I don’t want to hear about anyone’s nuts tingling. If you feel a tingle in your nuts, try putting some yeast cream on them. That might help, though IANAD.
Sorry about that, it’s an old Brooklyn expression, I’m sure Ike would back me up here. Nuts are my feet, and tingling is our term for dancing. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.
Yeah, I know what you meant. All I can do is smile when I hear anyone say this seriously, though. And while I know how you meant it, I think Moore actually beleives it.
