The Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx. You know it is real because it has its own Wikipedia page. If you are unfamiliar with this specific jinx or curse, it is basically an urban legend that teams or people appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated will be the recipient of some back luck - that could be in the form of losing a big game, suffering an injury (some people even attributed deaths to the SI Curse), losing a job, or in some cases ruining a reputation.
Earlier this season the Dodgers were featured on the cover with the caption “Best.