The 49ers haven't been on the cover of Sports Illustrated too many times over the last decade. But QB Alex Smith is featured on this week's addition, which begs the question: Do you believe in the SI cover jinx?
For what it's worth, Sports Illustrated investigated the "phenomenon" in 2002 and writer Alexander Wolff came up with the following data:
In investigating virtually all of SI's 2,456 covers, we found 913 "jinxes" -- a demonstrable misfortune or decline in performance following a cover appearance roughly 37.2 percent of the time.
Some examples from history:1969 -- Golfer Lee Trevino under the headline: "The U.S. Open Texas Style -- Lee Trevino defends his title"
Result: Trevino e failed to make the cut.
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1974 -- Daredevil Evel Knievel under the headline: "Up, Up And ... Evel Knievel in his canyon"
Result: Six days after appearing on the cover, he failed miserably in his jump, parachuting 600 feet to the bottom of the Snake River canyon.
1988 -- Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans under the headline: "Sock, Sock, Sox! -- It's a runaway for Dwight Evans and the BoSox"
Result: In the following two weeks, Evans fell into a 4-for-30 slump at the plate.
1993 -- Notre Dame under the headline "We Did It -- Jim Flanigan and Notre Dame outmuscle Florida State."
Result: Following the upset over the No. 1 Seminoles, the Irish were upset by Boston College.
2001 -- Nomar Garciaparra appeared shirtless and confident on the March 5 issue, with the headline: "A Cut Above -- How Boston's Nomar Garciaparra made himself the toughest out in baseball."
Result: Days later, the team announced that Nomar had a split tendon in his wrist. He appeared in only 21 games that season.