Redskins Rule: A Superstition that Connects Sports and Politics  

The Redskins Rule is one of the longest-existing superstitions in the NFL. It is a curious phenomenon that has been observed in the American sports and political world since 1940. It is a coincidence that has correctly predicted the winner of the presidential election with remarkable accuracy with respect to a team’s NFL games.

The rule showcases a spurious relationship in which the outcome of the Washington Commanders’ last home game in the NFL correlates strongly with the results of the subsequent US presidential election. A win for the team in their last home game suggests the incumbent party wins, and otherwise if the team loses.

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History of the Redskins Rule

The Redskins franchise relocated to Washington DC from Boston in 1937. The team, now known as the Washington Commanders since 2022, had the name "Redskins" from 1933 to 2020. The quirky political phenomenon started coming into play after the team's relocation to the United States capital.

The Redskins Rule was first noticed by the Vice President of the Elias Sports Bureau, Steve Hirdt, prior to the 2000 election. Hirdt discovered that the rule had accurately predicted the results of 17 presidential elections in the United States from 1940. The rule would also go on to accurately predict the emergence of George W. Bush in the 2000 election.

The rule witnessed its first breakage in the 2004 presidential election. John Kerry was contesting against the incumbent George W. Bush. Washington lost their last home game, but Bush would go on to win instead of losing as the rule suggests. The rule became inverted then, and only the 2008 election that presented Obama followed the original rule.

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Perception and Future of the Rule

Public reliance on the superstitious rule has dropped considerably since it was broken in 2004. The accuracy of the rule has been questioned, and a section of the public considers the previous accurate predictions to be coincidental. However, some still argue about the validity of the rule, citing the wrong occasions as outliers.

The future of the rule now seems to be quite uncertain. Due to socio-political unrest in the United States in 2020, the team was pressured to drop the name "Redskins". The name was considered an offensive racial slur to Native Americans. It is unclear whether the rule will remain effective now that the team is known as the Washington Commanders.