Giants' Saquon Barkley breaks 'ManningCast' curse: A look at other players and teams jinxed by broadcast
Mon, Sep 19, 2022
NFL News (AP)
When it comes to sports, a lot of players, coaches and fans are superstitious. They believe that if they wear a certain shirt, or do something specific before a game, it will bring their team good luck.
Along the same idea, there are also many "curses" in the world of sports. Some epic curses in sports are the "Curse of the Bambino," when the Red Sox went 86 years without winning a World Series after trading Babe Ruth, the Buffalo Bills Super Bowl curse, losing four in a row and the Cleveland Browns general curse of never winning.
'-- the "ManningCast" curse, and based on the evidence, it is very, very real.
For those who are not familiar with the "ManningCast," it is an alternate "Monday Night Football" broadcast with Eli and Peyton Manning as the hosts, along with new guests each week.
Since starting in 2021, the "ManningCast" has seen some star-studded special guests, from Charles Barkley, to Ray Lewis, Brett Favre, Sue Bird and Snoop Dogg, just to name a few. Of the 11 episodes aired, some current NFL players have graced the stream and it did not usually end well for them.
Sure, it's a fun thing to do, you get to talk football with two Super Bowl champions and crack jokes while you do it, but the game that followed has been cursed for any active player who appeared on the "ManningCast."'
Then enters: Saquon Barkley.
Not only is he a star running back on the New York Giants, but he also has the capacity to break the curse. How did he do it? A spell? Some crystals? We may never know, though it was likely a solid game plan, playing a beatable team in the Carolina Panthers and a little help from kicker Graham Gano'who went 4-for-4, including the game-winning, 56-yard boot that helped break this Manning brothers voodoo.'
Now you might be thinking, how serious was this curse before Saquon stepped in to save it? Oh it was serious. Last year, seven active players went on the show and all seven saw a check in the loss column the next week.
Here is a look at other players who appeared on the "ManningCast" and then either got hurt in the game after or lost the next game, or both:
Players who appeared on 'ManningCast' | Fate after going on 'ManningCast' |
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, Week 1' | Chiefs lose to Ravens in Week 2 |
Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, Week 1 | Seahawks lose to Titans in Week 2, Wilson gets hurt |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE Rob Gronkowski, Week 2 | Buccaneers lose to Rams in Week 3, Gronk gets hurt |
Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Week 3 | Rams lose to Cardinals in Week 4 |
Buccaneers QB Tom Brady, Week 7 | Buccaneers lose to Saints in Week 8 |
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, Week 8 | Bills lose to Jaguars in Week 9, Allen throws 0 TDs, 2 INTs |
Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, Week 17 | Packers lose to Lions in Week 18 |
Giants RB Saquon Barkley, 2022 Week 1 | Giants defeat Panthers in 2022 Week 2 |
Active players took a break from going on the broadcast and for good reason. Thanks to Barkley, it now just might be safe again to appear on the 'ManningCast.'
