Has the Maccabiah Games developed an SI jinx? (Or is it us?)

You’ve heard of the Sports Illustrated jinx?

Well, we think there might be a Maccabiah Games curse…

First big-time college hoops coach Bruce Pearl coaches the 2009 U.S. men’s basketball team to a gold at the so-called Jewish Olympics in Israel. Less than two years later the sometimes shirtless dynamo found himself plagued by scandal and eventually sent packing by the University of Tennessee.

Now, just weeks after being tapped to coach the 2013 team, Seth Greenberg is given the boot by Virginia Tech. 

The curse’s gestation period is quickening at an alarming pace!

That said, there is another theory: Could it be a JTA curse? After all, we wrote about Pearl and Greenberg. And Ryan Braun didn’t have any troubles until we put him on the Friday Five. Twice. Then again, Braun beat the rap in the end.

So it could be us, but might not be us.

So just in case … if you’re a college basketball coach and you see "Maccabiah Games" on the caller ID — don’t pick up the phone!