Blog Entry — January 22, 2009
Go see “Slumdog Millionaire.”
It’s like a cross of “Usual Suspects” and “City of God.”
If you haven’t seen either of those, fake a sickness and go watch them. And send a few friends an apology for being uncultured.
Also, when Slumdog ends, sprint for the door before the credits start. Trust me.
But here’s the last half of the jersey curse blog entry.
If you need a Part I recap, click HERE.
2004 – Kenechi Udeze
By now, I was well-aware of the misfortune my jersey purchases brought. But, in May 2004, nfl.com offered 20-dollar customized Vikings’ jerseys and I opted to push my luck again.
I bought two jerseys on the site, hoping a throwback would be safe and, when coupled with a sure-fire first-round pick, would protect the current player: Fran Tarkenton‘s No. 10 jersey and USC star Kenechi Udeze‘s No. 95.
Throwbacks — read the first blog — had always been exempt from the curse. Fran the Man was safe. As for Udeze? His first year looked great. He started 15 games on Minnesota’s young, uber-talented defensive line, garnering five sacks.
Second season: Torn cartilage in his left knee in the third game and done for the year.
I felt miserable, but things got worse for Udeze.
After two successful seasons upon return, including a 2007 year which was even better than his rookie campaign, I felt confident that the curse was broken and Udeze could have a normal, non-jinxed career.
On February 11, 2008, he was diagnosed with Leukemia.
It was almost four years after I bought his jersey, but I vowed never to wear it again.
2004 – Pedro, Who’s Your Daddy?
This is where things went up a whole ‘nother level. I expected a red, squiggly line under ‘nother. Right-click is saying it’s slang, so I guess that’s okay.
If it bothers you, send me an email. I’ll delete it.
Fall of 2004, my cousins and I got tickets to go see Notre Dame take on Navy at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on October 16, my parents’ anniversary. That’s not relevant, I just didn’t want them thinking I forgot.
My dad and I drove up to Jersey that Friday night, for an early-morning tailgate in the Giants Stadium parking lot for the game on Saturday. So hold that thought.
October 16 was in the heart of the Major League Baseball playoffs, notably the ALCS between the Yankees and Red Sox. New York had jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the series the previous night. Before that series, a team had taken a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven series 61 times. Those teams won all 61 series.
New York was uncharacteristically confident, as it should have been. It had only trailed in one inning through 27 innings and demolished Boston, 19-8, in Game Three. Given the success of the teams before it, a World Series berth was a foregone conclusion for the Yankees.
Back to the parking lot scene and the tailgate. Among the venders walking around, selling commemorative shirts for the game, was a Yankees fan selling T-shirts, bashing the BoSox. They were navy blue, with large, white font that read, “Hey Red Sox … Who’s Your Daddy?” At the bottom was a pacifier with the Boston “B” on it.
The line referenced a post-game quote from Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez after a 6-4 loss to the Yankees on September 24.
My roommate is a huge, annoying Yankees fan, so I got him the 10-dollar, homemade shirt.
New York went on to lose the next four games in succession — two in extra innings — to blow a 3-0 lead for the first time in baseball history, and only the second time in the history of major professional American sports.
Boston, meanwhile, swept St. Louis to win its first World Series since 1918.
2008 – Terrell Owens
For Thanksgiving this year, I visited my parents in Nebraska. On my flight home, I had a three-hour layover in Dallas, Texas. Those were two boring sentences.
Before I boarded my flight back to D.C., I saw the official Dallas Cowboys fan store. I didn’t capitalize the whole thing because I later found out there were four Cowboys stores in Dallas-Fort Worth airport alone, so I don’t buy this “official” nonsense.
Anyway, I walk in and they have sick deals, maybe because it was Thanksgiving Day, or Black Friday Eve, depending on how you look at it. So no to offend anyone, we’ll call it “The Holidays.”
My roommate, the same Yankees fan, is a huge Cowboys fan. He also roots for Iraq and cheers for the Soviets when ESPN Classic re-airs the Miracle on Ice.
But I hadn’t gotten him a Christmas present, so I went to the lady at the counter and told her about my jersey jinx. I asked her if she’d rather me hex Marion Barber, Terrell Owens or Jason Witten, all of whom had their jerseys on sale. I’m pretty sure those players planned the synchronized sales. Looking back, it was probably the topic of conversation during the heated sideline exchanges between Owens and Witten, especially because Tony Romo didn’t participant.
He probably doesn’t do Secret Santa either.
The lady at the counter, who since been joined by another lady — we’ll call her Lady No. 2, to protect her identity — agree that, if anyone, I should curse T.O..
I buy the jersey, board my flight and land at Reagan Airport to news that Dallas beat Seattle, 34-9, on Black Friday Eve to improve to 8-4. Owens had five catches for 98 yards and touchdown.
I don’t think they got word about my Christmas — sorry, Holiday — gift until after the game. The Cowboys lost three of their last four games and missed the playoffs. Owens had 17 catches over the last four weeks and only had more than 63 receiving in yards in one of those games.
It’s now rumored that he could be released during the off-season.
Jerseys I will never buy or accept as gifts:
Eddie Royal, Denver Broncos
David Wright, New York Mets
Johan Santana, New York Mets
Evan Royster, Penn State football
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova basketball
Folarin Campbell, Solsonica Reiti (Italy)
Paul Posluszny, Buffalo Bills
pmurphy@digitalsports.com
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