The Colonel
Summary
Host Laura Norton explores the "Curse of Colonel Sanders," a sports superstition involving the Hanshin Tigers baseball team in Osaka, Japan. In 1985, fans dressed a KFC statue in a player's jersey and threw it into the river, after which the team suffered a decades-long losing streak. The curse was supposedly broken in 2009 when divers recovered the damaged statue, yet the Tigers continue to struggle, highlighting the enduring power of fan belief and ritual.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Dakota Spotlight Podcast
Show intro and sports fandom
Overview of famous sports curses
American athletes in international sports
Randy Bass's MLB career
Introduction to Japanese baseball
Hanshin Tigers and fan traditions
Randy Bass's success with the Tigers
The 1985 Nippon Series victory
Clarifying the timeline of the event
Sponsor: Quince clothing
Sponsor: Dakota Spotlight Podcast
The river jumping ritual
Dressing the Colonel Sanders statue
The beginning of the losing streak
Team injuries and draft misfortunes
The curse becomes legend
Failed attempts to recover the statue
Discovery of the statue in 2009
Condition of the recovered statue
Reactions from team and officials
Placement of the statue
The curse persists after recovery
Conclusion on superstition and fans
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