In Philadelphia, Brazil Fans Heed Warning on 'Rocky Curse'

Brazilian fans that went the distance up the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps to pose with the Rocky statue left the fictional fighter just as they found him. Every Brazilian fan— in Philadelphia to watch their national team play Haiti on Friday at the World Cup—that stopped for a snapshot or a selfie with the 9-foot-11, 1,300-pound beast left the statue dressed in only his bronze trunks and boots, the AP reports. No taking chances of getting hit by the Rocky curse.

• Visiting American sports fans have long learned the hard way that dressing the statue with colorful jerseys, scarfs, hats, anything found in your local Rally House, has only meant that team would suffer a knockout blow at the home of the local Philly team.

• The bad fortune stretched to soccer when fans of Ecuador's national team took over the Rocky steps and sang and danced and waved flags and ... dressed Rocky in a team jersey and tied the country's flag around the fictional fighter's neck. It didn't go well. Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute to lift Ivory Coast to a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in its first World Cup appearance in a dozen years.
• Brazil fans noticed the outcome and one of their fan groups, the Green and Yellow Movement, urged visitors to keep their clothing to themselves. The translated text read: "It's totally forbidden to put a Brazil shirt on the Rocky statue in Philly!!!!!"
• Even Visit PA cheekily got in on the fun and tried to warn foreigners that—just like Ivan Drago learned the hard way—Rocky was not to be messed with. "Countless football teams (as in American Football, not Fútbol — same curse, different sport) have all dressed the Rocky Statue in their colors and gone on to lose," the Instagram post said. "Ecuador dressed Rocky last weekend. Coincidence? Sadly, history says no."

• Brazilian fans paid heed to the warning through Thursday afternoon, and scores of fans simply took the spot in front of the statue and raised their arms in triumph just as Rocky did after so many fights, and many, many movies. "This is a moment in Brazil," said Lorival Guerreiro, who traveled from Limeira, Brazil, for the World Cup. "They promote this place to celebrate before the game. The Brazilians come here to celebrate our team."
• Roberto De Freitas, a native of Porto Alegre who now lives in Florida and is attending his third World Cup, climbed the steps for a photoshoot with perhaps Philadelphia's most famous landmark. He was dressed in Brazil's colors—down to the green sneakers—and was set to attend Friday's game. He hoped five-time World Cup champion Brazil would take a page from Rocky's corner and win some more. De Freitas had not yet heard of the Rocky curse but had no plans to tempt fate once he learned of the potential consequences. "That's what they said?" he asked with a laugh. "I'm for sure not going to do it."
• Facing pressure to win its first World Cup title since 2002, Brazil was outplayed early and needed Vinícius Júnior's 32nd-minute goal to get a 1-1 draw with Morocco on Saturday. Brazil now needs to beware Haiti—a noted heavy underdog, just like Rocky.
• "Brazil has the pressure. Haiti has the freedom," Haitian singer Wyclef Jean wrote on social media. "And sometimes freedom is the most dangerous thing on the pitch. I can't wait!!!!"