The Chili Curse

1989.

If you aren't from Chicago, the thing you likely remember most about this year, would be the #1 selling sophomore album 'Don't be Cruel' which put future crack-head Bobby Brown's voice pumping through your Clairtone boom-box.

Or you might remember going to the movie theater and seeing the film that is regarded as John Travolta's finest work. I am of course referring to, "Look Who's Talking."

However, if you aren't from the area, I'm about to fill you in on a little Chicago secret, the 2nd Chicago sports curse. The Chicago Bears Chili Curse.

The four seasons previous to '89, the Chicago Bears dominated the league. The team won a world championship, four straight NFC Central division titles, made two NFC Championship game appearances, and won 52 games out of 63.

So what happened in the season that would follow, that caused the team to finish 6-10?

My theory, chili happened.

Since what seemed to be the beginning of time, the Pepto-Bismol Taste of Chicago Chili Championship (PBTCCC) was dominated by hometown heroes. Local Chicago restaurants would work for months on the recipes on what is the most coveted trophy in the Chicago Chili Enthusiast Scene (CCES). The competition was often so fierce that the chefs would end up fist fighting, which was not only acceptable, but often encouraged to help the judges award the winner in the case of a tie.

This of course changed after the ruling by the PBTCCC Committee, due to the death of the legendary chef Bill "Chili-Man" Childers in 1983. The autopsy reported cause of death as "Chili and Chili Related Injuries". To date, this is only confirmed case where chili killed someone, but most people believe that spontaneous human combustion is also caused by chili.

In 1989, a new-comer entered the PBTCCC. The Silo Pizzaria, owned by admitted San Francisco 49's fans, brought a chili that would shake the landscape of the competition, and go down in Chicago Folklore. This now famous chili won nearly every vote in the PBTCCC's People's Choice Catagory (which of course is done blind).

The 1989 San Francisco 49's, under the heed of QB Joe Montana (who's autographed photo was just inches away from the trophy case pictured below), went on to a 14-2 season, and a Superbowl win. Over the next 10 seasons, the 9'ers would go on to win over 75% of the regular season games going 109-35 and picking up another Super Bowl win in the process.

To this day it's unknown if that '89 PBTCCC People's Choice winner had some kind of curse on it, but to this blogger, the facts speak for themselves.