RENTON -- Among sports superstitious the Curse of Bobby Layne doesn't command the same kind of headlines as those involving bambinos or billy goats, but it's got staying power.
After helping Detroit win three NFL championships in six years, Layne, the Lions quarterback, was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers two games into the 1958 season in order to give the starting job to Tobin Rote, with whom the "Blond Bomber" had been sharing time.
Displeased with the trade, Layne allegedly pronounced a curse on his former team, saying Detroit wouldn't win a championship for 50 years. The issuance of the curse has never been verified, but if the Hall of Famer actually did it, he was underestimating his powers of sorcery.