posted October 28, 2004 09:42 AM            

Redskins May Predict Presidential Winner

Wed Oct 27, 4:17 PM ET

By JOSEPH WHITE, AP Sports Writer

ASHBURN, Va. - This election season, Washington Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot has a predicament: For Kerry to win, the Redskins have to lose on Sunday — at least according to a bizarre statistical correlation that's been accurate for seven decades.

"We've got to win this game no doubt, but I'm hoping John Kerry (news - web sites) can kind of reverse the curse," Smoot said. "I'm wishing him luck, man. This is the millennium for all trends to be broken."

Since the Redskins became the Redskins in 1933, the result of the team's final home game before the presidential election has correctly predicted the White House winner. If the Redskins win, the incumbent party wins. If they lose, the incumbent party is ousted.

"It's kind of amazing," coach Joe Gibbs said. "You wouldn't think something like that would line up that many times."

Gibbs said the statistic doesn't really mean anything, but he can at least pretend that it does — because he's solidly in the Bush camp.

"Hopefully we'll have a lot of people pulling for us," said Gibbs, who voted when he traveled to his North Carolina home over the weekend. It was the Redskins bye week.

Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards (news - web sites) has been quoted as saying he's rooting for the Green Bay Packers, the Redskins' opponent on Sunday. While no doubt thankful for the endorsement, Green Bay coach Mike Sherman is concerned about more rudimentary matters, such as the health of quarterback Brett Favre.

"It's going to take a lot more than Packers fans to determine the outcome of an election," Sherman said.

The locker room, particularly in Washington, isn't immune to political discussions in this politically charged year. Tackle Jon Jansen recently showed up for a game wearing a Bush pin on his shirt.

Most players, however, are reluctant to go public with the views. Quarterback Mark Brunell made his preference for Bush known earlier this week, but he backed off when asked about it again Wednesday.

"I don't know if it was very smart," Brunell said, "so I'm going to keep it quiet right now."

One reason for the reluctance could be the financial question. Ray Brown, a 19-year veteran, has seen many teammates conflicted over whether to switch allegiances based on their tax bracket.

"It's a dilemma," said Brown, who has an absentee ballot for California. "I think you'll see guys vote across the lines."

Although his political leanings are known, Gibbs can't take sides as the leader of the team. He said he followed politics closely during his 12-year absence from the NFL, but that he never considered running for office himself.

"I've invited enough nightmares into my life," the coach said with a laugh.

Until recently, the Redskins had been the subject of another political quirk. For 52 years — from 1946 to 1998 — they failed to make the playoffs under a Democratic administration. That one went by the wayside when the team won the NFC East in 1999, when Bill Clinton (news - web sites) was president.

Some players are puzzled by all the talk of the election — and how the team's success seems coincidentally tied to it.

"I'm not much into politics," linebacker Marcus Washington said. "All I know is this is going to be a tough week for us. Brett Favre's going to be tough. Ahman Green's tough. Those are two tough candidates right there."

But the passions are spirited among other players, begging the question: If the Redskins were a state, who would get its electoral votes?

"We have a couple of Bush guys. We have a couple of Kerry guys," linebacker Lemar Marshall said. "This is one of those swing teams."

posted October 28, 2004 07:22 PM              

(and I'm a Bears fan!)

posted October 28, 2004 09:48 PM            

Washington Redskins 31
Greenbay Packers 17

posted October 29, 2004 11:44 AM            

Well, buck up proxieme, this looks like Washington's week because of this:

GREEN BAY, Wis. (Oct. 28) -- The Packers' top three offensive performers missed practice again Thursday as quarterback Brett Favre, running back Ahman Green and lineman Marco Rivera were on the sideline.

Favre's right hand is swollen and black and blue after he sprained it Sunday against Dallas. Rivera has a sprained ankle, and Green a sore Achilles' tendon.

"Well, the whole top here is swollen and black and blue. The tendons or the bones or whatever are damaged on top of the hand," Rossley said. "When he bends it back and takes the snap, that's what he's worried about."

And this:

posted October 29, 2004 01:42 PM              

jwhop - I didn't know that about the Pack.
I don't really, truly follow football - just a bit for my home team.
re: the Defense: Yeah, I hear it's been good this year (haven't seen any games; Jase's a baseball fan, thinks football is barbaric - gotta love an Aqua w/ a Pisces Mars - and I'll only watch it if someone has it on...though I've got to say that last year's play-offs were crazy).

*got a leeettle bit of subject*

posted October 29, 2004 02:59 PM              

GO NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS!

-StarLover

posted November 01, 2004 03:06 AM              

REDSKINS(how demeaning to call a team such a thing! )...get ready to send bush packing....

Yea!

posted November 01, 2004 03:14 AM              

I don't really believe in sports superstitions but just in case there is anything to this, I'm very happy that Green Bay won. Even if they are division rivals for the Detroit Lions.