Why World Cup teams should stop putting jerseys on Rocky

In Philly, putting a jersey on the Rocky statue is like poking the "Eye of the Tiger."

Why it matters: To Brazil and Haiti we say, please do not FAFO.

The big picture: Sports curses are as old as the games themselves — a way for superstitious fans to seize back a sense of control over the action on the field, pitch or court and find an easy scapegoat when things go wrong.

• And in the sportiest city in the world, we love our hexes.
• Before the Rocky Statue Curse, there was the "Curse of Billy Penn" — a long-running legend that inspired a documentary about why the Phillies were doomed after developers broke a gentlemen's agreement by building One Liberty Place taller than the William Penn statue atop City Hall.
• The balance of the universe was finally restored in 2007, when a mini Penn statue was placed atop the Comcast Center. The Phillies went on to win the World Series the next year.

Driving the news: Visit PA has leaned into the latest superstition, warning teams playing in Philly's World Cup not to tempt fate by draping their teams jerseys over Mr. Balboa.

• "Philadelphia can't wait to host you! (but Rocky does not need your kit)," the agency wrote on Instagram.

Catch up quick: The warning came too late for Ecuador, which became the latest team to fall victim to the curse after losing to the Ivory Coast 1-0 in its opening match in Philly.

• During a massive rally the day before the match, their fans put a yellow jersey over the Rocky statue.
• Buoyed by a sea of yellow who showed up at Philadelphia Stadium,  Ecuador controlled most of the match, dinging several shots off the goalposts.
• But Ivory Coast delivered a dagger in the 90th minute, scoring the game's lone goal and silencing Ecuador's supporters.

And breathing new life into the Rocky Statue Curse.

Threat level: Brazil, which faces Haiti on Friday night in pool play at Philadelphia Stadium, is one of the greatest soccer nations in the world, where the sport borders on religion and is tied to the national identity.

• Those are the type of diehard fans most at risk to fall prey to superstitions because they take it as a challenge.

What they might be saying: We can already hear the mighty boasts of Brazilian fans, who might be tempted to caravan over the Art Museum steps ahead of Friday's match with Haiti:

• We're Brazil; we're bigger than any little curse. It's only a handful of teams. We'll show the world, we'll be the ones to break this.

Reality check: Sure, this might not be the "Curse of the Bambino," a jinx that took the Red Sox 86 years to exorcise.

Yes, but: You know what happens when you poke an underdog boxer in the eye?

The bottom line: Ask Clubber Lang, Ivan Drago, and now, Ecuador.