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On October 6, 1945 , William “Billy Goat” Sianis, a Greek immigrant who owned a nearby tavern, came to Wrigley Field with two box seat tickets for the fourth game of the 1945 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers. One ticket was for himself and the other was for his pet goat Murphy. A squad of ushers at the stadium failed to keep Billy Goat Sianis and his pet billy goat out of the ball park. Once inside the stadium, Billy Goat Sianis took the goat onto the playing field, causing an uproar from the crowd before ushers intervened to end the stunt.

After a heated argument, Billy Goat Sianis and the animal were allowed to occupy the box seat for which he had tickets. Billy Goat Sianis and his goat were ejected from the stadium, however, prior to the end of the game at the command of Cubs’ owner Philip Knight Wrigley, reportedly because of the animal’s objectionable odor. Sianis was outraged by the ejection, and in response, he placed a curse upon the Chicago Cubs that they would never another pennant of play in a World Series. The Chicago Cubs eventually lost the 1945 World Series when they were soundly beaten in game seven. After the loss, Billy Goat Sianis sent a telegram to Wrigley that read, “Who Smells Now?”

With the passage of time and repetitive losing seasons, the Curse of the Billy Goat gradually became an urban legend in Chicago . The late-season collapse of the 1969 Chicago Cubs, and the postseason collapses of the 1984, 1989, and 2003 Chicago Cubs continue to torment fans. Each time the Chicago Cubs fail to reach the World Series, the hex is blamed. No other team in baseball history has gone longer without winning a championship or pennant.