Thankfully, the Curse of the Billy Goat has fallen somewhat out of our common parlance, what with the Chicago Cubs having won the World Series in 2016 and exorcised any horned and hoofed demons.
Not that I believe in curses …
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the start of the eponymous curse, with Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis asked to leave Wrigley Field during the 1945 World Series because his goat, Murphy, was bothering other fans in the park. As he departed, Sianis was reported to have said, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” He supposedly later sent a telegram to team owner Phillip K. Wrigley, declaring, “You are going to lose this World Series and you are never going to win another World Series again. You are never going to win a World Series again because you insulted my goat.”
Then, when the Cubs didn’t return to the World Series for years and years, that kinda got retconned into being a curse that Sianis placed on the Cubs in defense of his goat. It was a funny story for everyone except for Cubs fans.