Sports Legends: The Goat, the Babe, and the Maroons is a fun look at four legends some call curses. As for their part on the sports fields, these legends manifest themselves to keep teams from winning the ultimate victory, Super Bowl, or World Series.
In each case, the fantasies told come alive from beginning to end. Although some curses have been lifted today, little is known about how they ended. In reading Sports Legends: The Goat, the Babe, and the Maroons, learn what took place beyond the playing field in lifting each hex.
The first tale involves the "Billy Goat Curse," which was believed to have kept the Chicago Cubs from winning a World Series for 70 years. As the story goes, it is said the curse was spoken into existence when a well-known Chicago tavern owner named Billy Sianis and his guest were thrown out of Wrigley Field during the fourth game of the 1945 World Series.
He had brought his best friend Murphy, a goat, to watch the game with him. Angered over being tossed out, Billy was thought to have said, "Them Cubs aren't gonna to win no more!" Thus, the curse was born. The problem with that story is that Billy never said those words; Murphy did. Being an onery animal, Murphy, armed with the power of speech, was disgruntled and gave life to the curse.
The second tale is titled "Kiss the Curse Goodbye." Of all the stories presented, this one does not start at the beginning of the curse, where it's said, it all came about with the trading of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Instead, it picks up right before the third game of the 2004 ALCS - between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.
With the Red Sox down two games to none in the best-of-seven series, John, a loyal Red Sox fan, tells his friends not to give up hope of their beloved team going to that year's Fall Classic. When the Sox lose game three badly to the Yanks, John takes to the street to vent his frustrations. Beneath a failing street light, he soon begins speaking to the heavens. All he wants are for the Sox to win just one championship game that year. When the street light begins to burn brighter than a light bulb should, he hears a heavenly voice that tells him the Sox will win the next game.
But this is not enough for John; he wants more. He continues to badger the heavenly voice until he hears that the Red Sox will win the next three games. That's when the light goes out, and he is left with the flickering street light. The conversation with the heavenly voice is over. Now, he's faced with the Red Sox facing another seventh game. Believing what he heard would come true, John tells his friends what he knows as truth. From there on, friends and the clergy quickly become concerned over his losing touch with reality.
Today, we know the Red Sox won game seven. This tale reveals the amusing antics that took place leading up to the eventual Red Sox seventh-game victory.
The third tale is "The Pottsville Maroons Return." The rightful champions of the 1925 NFL season return from the dead to claim their 1925 NFL championship that was unfairly stripped from them and given to the Chicago Cardinals. Until the title is returned to them, or shared, don't expect the Phoenix Cardinal ever to win a Super Bowl. This curse is still going strong.
The final story, "And, that's our fault?" is about a guy named Jimmy. Being a White Sox fan for his entire life, he believes the 1919 World Series scandal keeps the White Sox from winning another World Series Title. The day before the 2005 World Series begins, Jimmy is in a terrible accident. In hopes of lifting the curse, he is taken back to the day the curse was spoken into existence.
The stories of this novel are a fun look at sports legends. Various ages will undoubtedly enjoy each light-hearted and amusing tale.