Curse of the Billy Goat

The Curse of the Billy Goat was a legendary sports superstition placed on the Chicago Cubs in 1945 by William Sianis, owner of the local Billy Goat Tavern. During Game 4 of the 1945 World Series at Wrigley Field, Sianis and his pet goat, Murphy, were ejected from the stadium after other fans complained about the animal being a nuisance. Outraged by the dismissal, Sianis allegedly declared, "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more," casting a hex that came to symbolize the franchise's ensuing decades of misfortune.

The Cubs subsequently lost the 1945 World Series to the Detroit Tigers and failed to secure another National League pennant for the next 71 years. The infamous curse was finally broken in 2016—exactly 108 years after their last championship in 1908. In a poetic twist of fate on the 46th anniversary of Sianis's death, the Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the NL pennant, and went on to overcome the Cleveland Indians in a thrilling 10-inning Game 7 to claim the World Series title.