The 49ers’ Injury Curse Isn’t the Substation

Is Kyle Shanahan Breaking the 49ers?

On social media, it’s sometimes difficult to tease out what everybody believes versus a theory people embrace purely out of its comedic value. You non-NFL fans might not be aware, but there’s a powerful meme that a neighboring electrical substation causes annual 49ers injury problems. Some literally think the substation’s electromagnetic fields result in this abundance of 49er soft-tissue calamities at Levi’s Stadium. Most who discuss this topic just think it’s a funny idea, though, especially now that the substation is in clear looming view of the practice field, following the removal of obstructing trees. “The Substation” is now an anthropomorphized character, malevolently punishing this football team. It’s a person, a ghost, and a god all at once, guaranteeing misery for a storied franchise.

The 49ers just started training camp and they’re, of course, injured again. Talented wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is out for the season with a re-aggravation of his PCL problem, in the aftermath of no incident in particular. Injuries are piling up among other players and preseason hasn’t even started. I’m not a doctor, or an expert on EMFs, but it’s pretty obvious to me what the issue is.