Is Lindsey Vonn a victim of the Sports Illustrated cover jinx?

Now that Lindsey Vonn's quest for multiple gold medals is beginning to look doubtful, one thing is certain -- the Sports Illustrated cover jinx is still alive.

Don't act like it's some media-inspired phenomenon that only gets us through slow news days. Many athletes have been struck down by bad luck following their SI cover appearances; from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Ryan Leaf, the jinx knows no boundaries.

But Vonn's Vancouver tale is still up in the air. Even though she admitted Wednesday that there's a chance she might not compete, there's still a chance she can ski and even win gold.

But what do you think? Are Vonn's Olympic aspirations cursed?

-- Austin Knoblauch

Photo: Lindsey Vonn. Credit: Chicago Tribune via Sports Illustrated

Comments

[good ol' george]

If there is a jinx, maybe its because of the swimsuit issue.

[Joseph]

Anyone who actually believes there is a Sports Illustrated cover jinx is a moron. How many covers have there been over the decades? What percentage of all those people who appeared on the cover had something bad happen to them not long after? Less than 1%? Give me a break.

[Regina]

As soon as I saw Vonn on the SI cover, my first thought was, "Oh no, this is not a good omen. I hope nothing happens to her." Regardless how she performs at the Olympics, the fact that she got injured around the time of the SI cover is enough to convince me that there is something to this SI jinx.

That said, I think she will race in two or three events, but not all five, and she will earn a medal, maybe two. It just won't be the bonanza everyone was hoping for.

Btw, for jinx doubters, SI did a cover story about their jinx in 2002. The fact that they did a story about it tells me they think it has some credence.

They researched more than 2,000 cover issues to see how the athlete fared in terms of injuries or diminished performance. They found 913 "jinxes", or approx. 37.2 percent of the covers surveyed. That equates to 1 out of every 3 covers.

You can check out the story here.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/cover/2002/jinx/main/

[Josh McRoberts]

Have you considered that the people and teams on the Sports Illustrated cover are those experiencing highs in their careers? What goes up must come down.

[Joseph]

Regina, that's complete nonsense. If 63% of everyone who appears on the cover of SI are fine, then how can you say there's something to this whole jinx myth? I wouldn't bet money that anyone who appears on the cover will have a mishap based on those odds.