Back in March, Japan finally dug out Colonel Sanders from the Dotonburi river, a relic from when Osaka's Hanshin Tigers won the National Championship for the first time back in 1985. Ever since then, the team has been cursed and has not seen another victory since. But now things are all good, as they've performed a Shinto exorcision on the recovered statue of the Colonel.

The priest, a die-hard Hanshin Tigers fan, says that this is sure to be a savior for the Tigers ailing career. Despite drudging up the Colonel, the Tigers are currently second-to-last in their six-team division. That's none too promising. From what the CEO of KFC and the Hanshin Tigers people are saying, I'd guess they'll have a heavy promotional campaign next year to get a big rally behind the team.

Oh, and there's one little line that they snuck in the news report:

The rite was held during the fast food chain's annual service to give thanks to the chickens it has served up.

That's right. They give thanks to the chickens they served. This is a practice they need to pick up on at the KFC stores here in the U.S. Perhaps the people will respect the food more. Or it'll magically taste better.