Back when people read magazines there was a phenomenon known as the “Sports Illustrated jinx,” which assured that no team heading into playoffs wanted to find its picture on the SI cover.
That superstition has now been replaced by the “Swick jinx.” Lately, every team I root for loses. In the baseball playoffs, I threw my support behind the Tigers, the Cubs, and – of course – the Phillies. I am now pulling for the Brewers, who last night lost by one run to the Dodgers after loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth. Of course they did.
In college football, my favorite teams are Florida, Florida State and – the one I’ve been a fan of since childhood, when my uncle taught at the school – Penn State. (The Nittany Lions, for you non-sports fans, began the season with a single-digit ranking and last week fired their coach after three straight losses.) Likewise, I’ve been a lifelong fan of the Eagles, who I hope (hoped?) will/would meet the Bills in the Super Bowl. Both teams, after excellent starts, lost their last two games. The only team that seemed immune to my jinx was the Florida Panthers – until last night, when they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers.
