Are you superstitious when it comes to sports?

[Alidar Jarok]

Back when the Eagles were playing the Patriots (the game I didn't expect them to have won anyway) there was a point where Feeley had the ball and looked like he was driving to score. My roommate decided to put on an Eagles hat at this point. Next play, AJ threw an interception and he took the hat off. I was mad at him for even putting it on in the first place. Of course, there's no reason to be mad. It's not like his actions directly influenced the actions on the field, but, when it comes to sports, I think I'm very superstitious and only do things a certain way.

So, is anyone else superstititous when it comes to sports?

 

[Roger Wilco]

JingleBell Jarok said:
So, is anyone else superstititous when it comes to sports?

Very, not to say extremely, although in normal life I am completely non-religious and don't believe in any kind of supernatural stuff. Maybe the reason the helplessness I feel as a supporter in the stands, being unable to do anything but chanting.

Things I do/don't do because of superstition I can think of off the top of my head:
- never watch a game of my team on tv or follow live-tickers of any sort, except in one specific pub on the other side of town. I am conviced it's bad luck for me to watch a game unless I'm in the stadium myself
- every time I go to a match I wear a specific set of clothes adjusted to the opposing team
- I have repeatedly discarded certain scarves and other clothes because they were bad luck
- for important derby-matches I wear my lucky socks and underwear which I never ever wear at any other occasion
- I force myself not to think about the result of a game, and I never celebrate victory before the game is either over or victory is absolutely positively certain.
- I absolutely never talk, discuss or even read discussions about what opponents would be favourable in the next round of single-elimination tournament before my team is there
- I try to always be at the stadium at the exact same time for home matches
- never cheer about getting awared a penalty kick before the ball is in the goal
- I took a girlfriend to a game once, and my team suffered the biggest defeat in a decade or so - I refused to take her to games after that because she was bad luck. She broke up with me soon afterwards And a similar thing happened with another girlfriend a couple years later (she wasn't mad at me though). In general I only keep contact with people inside the stadium who I consider lucky
- I go to the bathroom during half-time break every single game, whether I have to or not
- I consider drinking alcohol before a game unlucky and avoid it

 

[Ariadne]

The only remotely superstitious thing I do is find meaningless patterns and expect them to keep happening.

 

[Dale]

All I follow is baseball, and I'm big on the rally cap when my team's in trouble, but in day-to-day fandom I'm not that superstitious... I don't believe I can "jinx" the team or anything, though I always joke with my buddy the season ticket holder when the Dodgers lose that he should have taken me to the game... they always seem to win when I go in person!

Maybe I should be more superstitious!

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

I would have to say 'yes', both when watching and playing.

When watching, I have to sit in the same chair and can't channel surf.

I play beer league hockey and I've got a number of things I do - one season I had a 12 game point streak going. The first game of the streak while driving to the rink, I was listening to Jimmy Buffett. That CD didn't leave the truck until the streak was broken.

I put my gear on the same way every night.

I had to get new laces for my skates a couple of games ago. All the pro shop had was white and I have worn yellow forever. I played the one game and went and got yellow laces.

We've got one guy who always carries the pucks out, the obligatory last guy on the ice and the goalie, who's just off anyway

 

[M'Sharak]

JingleBell Jarok said:
Are you superstitious when it comes to sports?

No, not at all.

 

[Pegaritaville]

I'm only superstitious when it comes to sports:

-I don't go to a lot of Wild games, but when I do, I'll only walk counter-clockwise around the arena. I can't even count the number of times I've circled XCel arena because I didn't want to reverse myself. I'm not sure how that started (never did that at the Met when the North Stars were around), but it's become a ritual.

-I've worn the same underwear (washed in between, of course) for every Packers game. I also wore the same ratty sweatshirt until they lost to Dallas- then I decided it wasn't the sweatshirt after all.

-I have to dig three times with my left foot before batting in softball. Doesn't matter what the batter's box looks like- I don't feel comfortable in my stance unless I paw the ground three times.

-I'm the worst when it comes to golf: I have a whole plethora of ridiculous rituals when it comes to my golf game. The oddest being that I keep an old tree branch in my golf bag- a friend gave it to me after I made my first birdie (decades ago), and I've carried it around ever since.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Only when I try to play... I'm injury-prone...

 

[Mick]

I always buy a season schedule t-shirt. I always wear the same jersey over said t-shirt. I always buy a new cap before the season and wear it to every game. I always buy a game day t-shirt for the Bowl game.

 

[DBR]

I sometimes have this thought that if I don't watch my team play, they will lose or do badly.

It never pans out that way, but the thoughts are still in my head...

 

[Jack Bauer]

Sometimes I think if I leave the room for a few minutes my team will improve and start scoring. If works occassionally which is why I still try it from time to time.

 

[Gertch]

No, I'm not. I'm not superstitious when it comes to anything, knock on wood.

 

[TrekkieMonster]

Wow, I sort of thought the superstition thing was only a New England deal. Glad I'm not the only one.

Funny thing is, in "real life" -- that is, outside of rooting for my sports teams -- I'm not really superstitious at all. But, there's just something about sports, especially the Red Sox.

During the 2004 MLB playoffs it was the worst. There was a group of us regulars who hung out at this particular restaurant/bar to watch games frequently. Well, we all decided to meet there for the first ALDS game. I won't bore you with all the details, but it got so bad that the bartender would save our seats for a group of 5 of us who would go every night; we all had to wear the exact same clothes (washing each day because we smelled like fajitas after 4 hours in the place); eat the exact same things; order "rally nachos" in the 7th inning of each game .... We even got random strangers off the street into it. There was this guy who was new to Boston who just happened to stop in one night on his way home from work. We won that night and decided he was good luck. We, of course, told him that he had to come back the next night to join us. He didn't show up. After a few innings when we were behind ... I called him and harrassed him until he came and joined us.

And we all know how that season turned out for our Sox so, of course, that only served to reinforce our obsessive behavior.

I think I need therapy ....

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I'm rarely superstitious, but sports is one of the two things I'm superstitious about (the other is theater).

 

[Rowan Sjet]

Not sports, but I've come to the conclusion over the last week that taking a break and watching some TV while playing Monopoly always ends up turning the tides of the game.

 

[Alpinemaps]

Yep. I've got my Chargers flag up on my house - I won't take it down until they're out of the playoffs. I did the same thing for the Padres.

 

[Holdfast]

Sometimes I bet on the opposition in a big match I really care about. That way I hedge my enjoyment. Not sure if that counts as superstitious really.

 

[nevermore]

I won't wear or touch anything purple during a Ravens game. Last year I had a purple lighter during the playoff game against the Colts, and that ended badly, so I feel vindicated.

The only exception to this is that I will wear a jersey when I go to a game, but even then, it's a black away jersey...

Jack Bauer said:
Sometimes I think if I leave the room for a few minutes my team will improve and start scoring. If works occassionally which is why I still try it from time to time.

I turn the TV off for a few minutes. Somehow good things always happen when I'm not watching...

 

[T J]

Yes I'm very superstitious when it comes to sports. I hate all sports and find them pointless. I fear if I start watching sports I'll become as stupid as my red reck in-laws... No thank you, I'll stick to higher pursuits.

 

[Super Grover]

I can't seem to turn or listen to a game, and have something go bad. It always seems the moment I tune in, things turn sour.