Sen. Ted Cruz showed up to support the Texas Longhorns in the College Football Playoffs semi-final match only to watch as the team’s season came to an end.
Fans are now calling for extreme measures to be taken, like banning Cruz (R-TX) from showing up. The Longhorns’ loss is not the first time Cruz has been accused of jinxing a Texas team. He has a long history of supporting the losing side.
Cruz was in the stands for the Houston Astros Major League Baseball playoff loss to the Texas Rangers in 2023. He was also in attendance for all five home losses in the playoffs this season.
Rolling Stone wrote an article claiming the “curse” of Ted Cruz following that loss, to which Cruz responded by calling the writers “lying hacks.” According to Cruz, he and his daughter Catherine have attended nearly every Astros home playoff game for the past seven years.
“If they’re going to blame me for our recent home losses, pls also credit us for TWO World Series Championships & SEVEN consecutive ALCS’s — we were there cheering Stros on!” Cruz posted on X.
In 2019, Cruz attended the 2019 NCAA Championship Game, which fans claim played a role in Texas Tech falling to the Virginia Cavaliers. With just 35 seconds remaining in regulation and the Red Raiders hanging to a one-point lead, Cruz snapped a selfie and posted it to social media. The Cavaliers would go on to tie the game in regulation and take a commanding lead to victory in overtime.
Cruz also attended the Houston Rockets’ playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2018. That game marked one of the earliest moments when fans began to accuse the senator of being a jinx.
Following the loss by the Longhorns, some fans took to social media to call on the state legislature to enact a law banning Cruz from attending games.
Even when the supposed “Cruz Curse” is not in effect, sports fans have been known to boo his presence. During the Houston Astros World Championship parade in 2022, Cruz was booed by fans, one of whom hurled a canned alcoholic beverage at him, The Dallas Express reported.