Sports Illustrated cover jinx

The Sports Illustrated cover jinx is an urban legend that states that individuals or teams who appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated magazine will subsequently be jinxed (experience bad luck).

While the list of "examples" of the jinx may be extensive, an individual record of 50 cover appearances by Michael Jordan did not hinder his success. Similarly, Vince Young also overcame the Sports Illustrated jinx by appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice during Texas' National Championship season;Emmitt Smith appeared on the cover the same week the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowl XXVIII. In the America's Game documentary, Smith recalled that he adamantly wanted off the cover for fear of the jinx. Regardless, the Cowboys went on to win their second consecutive title of the 1990s, and fourth in team history. Tony Dorsett appeared on the cover under the title of "Heading for the Heisman" in 1976 and indeed won the Heisman Trophy that year. Andrew McCutchen was featured on a September 2013 cover, during a season in which he later won the National League MVP Award and led the Pittsburgh Pirates to their first playoff berth in twenty years. The 2013 Seattle Seahawks appeared on a September 2013 cover in which the magazine predicted a Super Bowl XLVIII win for the team; indeed, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl the following February. Stephen Curry was featured on two consecutive May 2015 covers and led the Golden State Warriors to their first NBA title in forty years. Kyrie Irving was featured on the June 6, 2016 cover and led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA title in franchise history. Usain Bolt was featured on the July 18, 2016 cover promoting his quest as the fastest human ever and won gold in the 100, 200, and 4x100 meter relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The Chicago Cubs appeared on the October 10, 2016 cover in which the magazine predicted a 2016 World Series win for the team; indeed, the Cubs won the World Series. Lamar Jackson appeared on the September 26, 2016 issue and later won the Heisman Trophy that year.

...
Wikipedia