Valley native and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks is a die-hard Arizona Cardinals fan, and a noted Arizona State Sun Devils fan, as well. She's also well known for her outstanding renditions of the national anthem before major sporting events.
For example, Sparks belted out an incredible version of the Star Spangled Banner before Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3, 2008 in Glendale, when the 18-0 New England Patriots were set to take on the New York Giants. Four hours later, the Giants completed arguably the biggest upset in Super Bowl history, ruining the Patriots' undefeated season and a chance to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history.
Fast-forward nearly a decade to Friday night's NBA Finals game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the visiting Golden State Warriors. Entering the game, the Warriors were 15-0 in the 2017 postseason, something no major pro team in North America had ever done. And they were one game away from becoming the first NBA team to finish the playoffs a perfect 16-0.
Enter Jordin Sparks, who sang the national anthem before Friday's game. Final score: Cavs 137, Warriors 116.
Of course, there's a slight chance Jordin Sparks had far less to do with the Warriors' loss than, say, LeBron James (stats) and Kyrie Irving (stats) on Friday night. But it's an interesting historical footnote nonetheless, and the kind of thing that those who believe in curses will play up until they're blue in the face.
The next time a major sports team has an undefeated record late in the season? You might wonder if their opponents might consider giving Ms. Sparks a call.