The Auspicious Redskins

We often look to the heavens or to something supernatural to prognasticate future events. Sometimes we just need to watch a football game. Tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Redskins may not have fans putting their cheers behind each team for conventional reasons. Instead, fans may fall along political lines with Democrats rooting for the Steelers and Republicans supporting the Redskins. Americans will head to the polls tomorrow to elect a new president but we may have the results to the election before the booths even open. If you’re into superstition or freak coincidences then you’ll love this one.

There’s this crazy pattern in the NFL which holds that the results of the last home game played by the Washington Redskins can predict presidential election results. The pattern extends back before the Redskins were even a team! The way it works is if the Redskins win, then the incumbent party maintains control of the Executive. If the Redskins lose, then the out-of-power party takes back the White House. Let’s look at the history.

On October 30, 2000, the Redskins were defeated by the Tennessee Titans in a MNF battle. The close, back and forth game foreshadowed a close and controversial presidential campaign which ultimately saw George W. Bush regain control of the presidency for the GOP.

Back in 1996, Washington trounced the Colts at home, 31-16. This dominating performance augured the incumbent Clinton’s trouncing of the Senator of Viagra’s Bob Dole.

On the 1st of November, 1992, the Skins lost to the New York Giants, presaging Bush 41’s defeat to Bill Clinton. Washington lost a home game, and so did the Republicans.

On November 6, 1988, the Redskins narrowly defeated the New Orleans Saints by only three points. The outcome once again predicted the election of the incumbent party. This time it was Bush 41 who benefited from this crazy trend.

I could go on and on and bore you to death. Or I could just say that this trend continues back with the 1984, 1980, 1976, 1972, 1968, 1964, 1960, 1956, 1952, 1948, 1944, 1940 elections. If you look at the 1936 season, the Redskins weren’t even in Washington. Back then, the future Skins were the Boston Redskins but they too won their last home game before the election and low and behold, FDR won his second term over GOP nominee Alf Landon of Kansas. Unfortunately I must concede that this absolutely insane trend ended in 2004 when the Redskins lost but Bush 43 remained president. But still, the pattern is 17 for 18 which puts it at a 94.4% success rate. I personally don’t give this any serious weight. It can obviously be chalked up to a random correlation of factors. What are the chances though? Nevertheless, it gives election-obsessed voters just one more thing to fret about before tomorrow. Go vote!