The Buffalo Curse is a mythical explanation for Buffalo’s inability to win a Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, or, during the residency of the Buffalo Braves, an NBA Championship.. The earliest reference to the curse traces to 1921, when the city's first NFL team, the Buffalo All-Americans, lost the NFL championship that year to what is now the Chicago Bears on a tiebreaker.
It could also be argued that the curse extends to the Buffalo Bulls, the athletic teams representing the University at Buffalo in intercollegiate athletics. Their football teams have never won a bowl game, but out of two opportunities to participate in a bowl game, the Bulls have only played in one. In 1958, the Bulls boycotted their invite to the Tangerine Bowl in support of their two African-American players who were forbidden from participating due to southern segregation laws. Their first bowl game appearance came in 2009, when they participated in the 2009 International Bowl only to lose to the Connecticut Huskies. Their men's basketball teams have never qualified for the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, but as a college in a mid-major conference, the team is at a significant disadvantage in these regards. It should be noted that other colleges in the Western New York region (Niagara Purple Eagles and Canisius Golden Griffins) have qualified for the NCAA basketball tournament, but neither of those teams have ever gone on to win the tournament.
In spite of the championship ineptitude listed above, the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League have been immune from the curse, winning four championships, three of them (1992, 1993, & 1996) when the league was known as the Major Indoor Lacrosse League, and a Champion's Cup in 2008. Their first championship was achieved during their inaugural season.
Sports-related curses. (2009, January 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:35, January 17, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sports-related_curses&oldid=264598455
