Lee,  Randomness,  Sports,  Weird shit that happens

What’s that smell? It’s superstition and sports

Have you noticed that during March Madness superstition in sports seems to ramp up? People be crazy. Other people, of course, not me :)

Wichita State T-shirt
Sports and superstition: taking a lucky shirt from the dirty clothes

After watching Wichita State beat Gonzaga to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament last weekend, Lee mentioned that the WSU T-shirt he was wearing had done its job – he had pulled it from “near” the dirty clothes to wear Saturday night because when he wore it Thursday, the Shockers had also won their game. {Seinfeld fans: I think this is the same as the pastry that George ate after it was “hovering” in the trash}

Lee’s done this before – in fact, a couple of seasons ago he went about two months wearing the same black collared Shocker polo every time WSU played. They kept winning and he kept airing the shirt out. Note: he did wear an undershirt, so this is how he justified wearing a dirty shirt.

I don’t think I’m too superstitious but maybe I am just a lil’ bit.

I’m pretty sure I created some bad karma in 2012 when I purchased tickets from Norfolk State University. See, that was the only way to get tickets at face value for the NCAA regional in Omaha. So even though it was the team Missouri was playing in the first game, I bought tickets in their section. I didn’t think anything about it before the game {except how brilliant I was to think of this plan} but after Norfolk State upset my No. 2-seeded Tigers, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had played a role.

Back in my Hickman High School volleyball and basketball playing days, I do remember having a number of traditions that I liked to happen before a game. I didn’t think of them as superstitions, more like routines :)

For example, I wanted to listen to the same song on the way to the gym (Kool & the Gang’s Victory playing on a cassette). Oh, and a few of us would rub the short buzz-cut hair on the back of this one teammate’s head and say “lucky rub” before taking the court. {OK, I promise that sounds weirder than it actually was.}

How about you – do you have any superstitious behavior now or in the past?

p.s. Game time is just a few hours away and if you’re wondering, Lee accidentally washed the lucky shirt. So you know where to direct your anger if the Shockers lose tonight!

Sports and superstition: Hickman Kewpies
Flashback to 1988-89 — my days at Columbia (Mo.) Hickman High School.

 

 

Writer. Photographer. Lover of travel. Believer that all who wander are not lost. #Mizzou grad living in Wichita, Kansas.

5 Comments

  • Quailman

    When watching the Braves or Gamecocks play baseball (live or in person), I only sip my beer when the other team is in the outfield. Never sip beer when my team is in the field. In fact, I try to take a sip when the camera is on the opposing pitcher getting ready to pitch. The alcohol makes his pitches less sharp and easier for my guys to hit.

  • Kim Hale

    Hey girl- you forgot the the part about having out our numbers on our underwear because they showed through our white game shorts! Lol!!! :)

  • Melinda

    By the way, Lee wore the same shirt as in the photo (although it had been washed) last night and apparently Tide did not wash away the good luck … Shockers and the shirt move on to the Elite 8 on Saturday!

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