▁and ▁its ▁hands ▁were ▁cut ▁off ▁supposed ly ▁in ▁im itation ▁of ▁Sh aria ▁law . ▁▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁Central ▁League ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁Tig ers ▁had ▁an ▁unexpected ly ▁strong ▁season . ▁Their ▁chief ▁riv als , ▁the ▁Y omi uri ▁Gi ants , ▁lost ▁their ▁star ▁player ▁H ide ki ▁M ats ui ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Yan ke es , ▁while ▁the ▁Tig ers ▁saw ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁pitch er ▁H ide ki ▁Ira bu ▁back ▁to ▁N P B ▁after ▁playing ▁with ▁the ▁Texas ▁R angers . ▁The ▁Tig ers ▁won ▁the ▁Central ▁League ▁to ▁qual ify ▁for ▁the ▁Japan ▁Series , ▁and ▁many ▁newsp apers ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁the ▁Cur se ▁of ▁the ▁Colonel ▁had ▁finally ▁been ▁broken . ▁The ▁Tig ers ▁lost ▁the ▁Japan ▁Series , ▁this ▁time ▁to ▁the ▁Fu ku oka ▁Da iei ▁Haw ks , ▁so ▁the ▁cur se ▁is ▁pres umably ▁int act . ▁ ▁F ans ▁were ▁enthus i astic ▁about ▁winning ▁the ▁Central ▁League , ▁and ▁repeated ▁the ▁celebr atory ▁le ap ▁into ▁D ō ton bor i ▁Canal . ▁However , ▁instead ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁le apers ▁representing ▁the ▁players , ▁over ▁ 5 , 3 0 0 ▁fans ▁pl ung ed ▁into ▁the ▁canal . ▁ ▁Many ▁K FC ▁out lets ▁in ▁K obe ▁and ▁Os aka ▁moved ▁their ▁Colonel ▁Sand ers ▁stat ues ▁inside ▁until ▁the ▁series ▁was ▁over ▁to ▁protect ▁them ▁from ▁ra bid ▁Tig ers ▁fans . ▁The ▁newly