While doing his research for a Monday Night Football game involving Washington in the week before the 2000 U.S. presidential election, Steve Hirdt of the Elias Sports Bureau developed a mind-boggling stat. The premise was simple:

If Washington wins its final home game before the presidential election, then the incumbent party retains the White House. If Washington loses, the incumbent party is voted out.

From 1940 -- the first presidential election after the franchise moved from Boston in 1937 -- to 2000, this "rule" was 100 percent accurate. 

Clearly this is all coincidence and unscientific, but based on Hirdt's original theory, Donald Trump should prevail this year. In its last home game before the election this season, Washington beat Dallas 25-3, which would indicate the incumbent party stays in power.

But Joe Biden has hope, based on how this correlation has lost steam in recent years. It has failed in three of the past four elections, including 2016 when Washington's win against the Eagles in mid-October should have signaled a victory for Hillary Clinton against Trump.

What might account for this fade? Consider that Washington owner Daniel Snyder, whose regime has been most notable for its dysfunction, bought the team in 1999.

Success rate of correlation before Snyder: 100 percent.

Success rate of correlation since Snyder: 40 percent.

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