Athletes and sports fans are often times very superstitious.
Trends like “The Madden Curse,” and jinxing are often prevalent concerns. But are “championship hangovers” real and if so, how concerned should we be for our teams?
A championship hangover isn’t the typical sort of hangover someone would get after a night of drinking. This particular kind of hangover is when a team wins a championship only to disappoint fans and fall off the map next season. Does this superstition have truth to it? And if so, what causes it?
The answer is rather nuanced. A common trait among the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL is that they all implement salary caps. A salary cap is the maximum amount a team can pay to all of their players on the roster. This prevents teams from simply buying all of the best players in the game, establishing more competition and parity within the respective league. Sports is a business, after-all, and professional athletes are looking to get paid.
Basically, in order to win championships, you have to have good players. Good players cost a lot of money. More often than not, championship teams are dangerously close to the salary cap. The salary cap makes maintaining a championship roster for long stretches of time a difficult feat. Good teams simply can’t afford to have a championship roster for too long, which is a good thing.
So in reality, the salary cap is the most to blame for championship teams not repeating their success year after year. But this isn’t to say that championship hangovers don’t exist at all.
With the recent exception of the NBA, teams winning consecutive championships is a rare sight. Along with the salary cap, players’ mindsets are another crucial factor in why teams usually don’t win championships back-to-back.
It could be that after winning a championship, players grow complacent. After all, if you’ve already won the top prize in the game, what else do you have to play for other than money? The idea of winning more championship rings and a bigger paycheck is enticing, but the year following a championship likely gives athletes a sense of complacency that takes time to shake off.
Another mental aspect to discuss is pressure. There is always pressure to win a championship on every athlete. But winning consecutive championships is likely even more stressful since the fans, media and team management already have high expectations. Pressure brings out the best in some athletes and the worst in others.
Maybe it’s for the best that athletes, coaches and fans can get superstitious. But more than always wearing your socks inside out, only eating Wheaties during basketball season and crossing your fingers at all times, it’s important to remember that athletes are human too. Everyone is trying to be the best at their job as they possibly can be.
