Hungry Elle

Superstitions and the Control They Have on Us



Posted: Monday, November 28, 2011

by Hungry Elle

I have been playing team sports all of my life; thusly I have been superstitious for as long as I can remember.

At the start of every softball game in high school, we had certain 'rules' we needed to follow. We had to place the ball next to a specific rock, then we all had to touch the ball with 1 finger before the game, and every time we walked on or off the field we had to enter or exit by touching the nearest base (1st or 3rd) first. These are just a few of our crazy superstitious behavior.

Personally, I usually wouldn't wash my socks during the season (gross, yes), I had to keep a certain routine with my glove, my stance, and my swing, and would even go so far as to make sure I wore my hair a certain way, if we were on a hot winning streak that is.

Of course it goes beyond just the teams I played for. Being a lover of baseball and football, I watch a lot of games. And somehow I figure that the clothing I wear makes a difference in the outcome of the game.

As I write this, I'm on the couch with an avid Giants fan who is wearing a Giants tie, a NY jersey, and has a Lawrence Taylor figurine staring at the screen. Clearly by the score the outfit isn't working. (New Orleans goes on to beat them pretty severely.)

Though I'm not much better. I routinely bring both my Mayo jersey and my Brady T-shirt to our Sunday football outings. I start by wearing the jersey and if we're not performing well, I'll put on the t-shirt because that has proven to bring a Patriots win.

But what drives us to these superstitions? Why do we feel that an article of clothing or a routine will make a difference on a field? I feel this is something that most athletes come across and understand, yet I'm not sure that any one of us can explain our obsession with it. Perhaps it is because we just do not want to rock the boat or take any chances in ruining a good thing.

Do you have any superstitions? Are you crazy and ridiculous about something that makes no sense? I love hearing that we're not alone.
Elle works on developing recipes for Hungry Girl (website, Food Network show, and Best Selling Cookbooks) and has been a food stylist and food photographer for the company. She also freelances; writing articles and on food photography projects.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by elle kynzer 162 days 10 hours ago.
32 fans. Follow elle kynzer on twitter!
I personally can't think of any superstitions I have, however I remember a guy who crossed off black cats, if they ran in front of him.
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