thepittman wrote:He won an Olympic Gold Medal last time
Qualifier: That issue was
after the Gold Medal game. Doesn't count as a jinx. It's if you're on an issue
before a big game that trouble lies in waiting. It started in '56. The Oklahoma Sooners had just won their 47th consecutive game and Notre Dame was up next. They (OU) were on the cover the week of the game and the cover read "Why Oklahoma Can't Be Beat". The Irish won the game that weekend 7-0 and thus began the Sports Ilustrated cover jinx.
BTW, the jinx isn't always a given. Teams/persons have been on the cover and still won or didn't suffer an horrendous injury. But it has been scary how many times bad stuff happens to those who grace the cover. So much so that SI very often does regional covers (before a Super Bowl for instance) so as not to put any jinx into effect.
BEPF