Before the FAU Owls' and Miami Hurricanes' games, it was reported that the mega-famous Canadian rapper, who is reputed to doom just about every sports team on which he wagers, had just placed a $250,000 parlay bet predicting it was "God's Plan" for both South Florida teams to move on and face each other in a historic NCAA title game.
The bet would have netted a smooth $1.33 million payday for Drake, but alas, both FAU and Miami saw their seasons end with a Final Four loss.
The curse strikes again — Thanks, Drake!
We should’ve known SDSU and UConn were gonna win when this got posted. Drake curse by proxy for FAU and Miami. https://t.co/6nFUoYrcQB
— Tom Green (@Tomas_Verde) April 2, 2023
The History of the "Drake Curse"
The "Drake Curse" has become an internet meme phenomenon dating back to the rapper's interactions with players and teams both in-person and on betting slips. From the UFC and boxing to NBA and top soccer leagues, everyone but Lionel Messi and Argentina seems to have been caught in its web. While some entertained hopes that the curse was lifted when the rapper called the Kansas City Chiefs' win in Super Bowl LVII, the bad mojo resurfaced not long after.The Drake-jinxing most recently added YouTuber and amateur boxer, Jake Paul, to the list after the rapper purportedly dropped $400,000 on Paul beating Tommy Fury.
Paul lost and was none-too-happy to hear post-fight that the "Drake Curse" was to blame for his sluggish performance.
The moral of the story — a Drake endorsement, locker room visit, or worst of all, bet on your squad is a veritable death sentence. The "Drake Curse" spares no victims.
A tough day for Florida teams in the men's NCAA Tournament.
— The Athletic CBB (@TheAthleticCBB) April 2, 2023
Florida Atlantic and Miami both lose in the Final Four. pic.twitter.com/vfINB7Jg43
FAU and Miami Fall Short
The dream of an FAU-Miami NCAA championship game imploded on Saturday night, as both teams dropped their first ever Final Four games and hopped on a plane home. The night was especially painful for the Owls, who lost 72-71 on a buzzer-beater after holding a 14-point lead over San Diego State.Incredibly, FAU had not trailed before the buzzer-beater since early in the game when the score was 24-23.
For Miami, the loss to UConn cut considerably less deep as the Canes quickly appeared outmatched and trailed by double-digits for most of the game. Miami languished and fell to the Huskies 72-59.
It was a fun ride, but Drake had to spoil it all. Sad, really.
