BY JESSICA SCHIEBER
When it comes to sports, the weirdest parts of people tend to show. From super fans to players in the game, everyone has their own superstitions. I have a few superstitions of my own.
One of mine is that when my favorite hockey team— the New Jersey Devils — play, I must have been or be wearing something from merchandise or their colors all day.
I know what I do has no effect on these people, but when I do it, the team wins more games.
Many players eat the same meals before every game. The most consistent I’ve heard is players eating pasta and chicken.
Luke Hughes from the New Jersey Devils has said he even takes a two-hour nap before games.
There are players who take things a little further, however,. like Connor Bedard who doesn’t let anyone touch his hockey stick once he has it tapped.
He places his stick against the wall with the blade not touching the ground, and no one can touch it until game time.
A Hall of Fame goaltender, Patrick Roy, would have conversations with his goalposts.
Another goalie, Eddie “The Eagle” Belfour, wouldn’t let anyone touch any article of his equipment. This superstition was so strong that he was known to threaten anyone who came near or touched his equipment.
The legendary Wayne Gretzky would apply baby powder to his stick before games. He refused to have his hair cut while on the road.
He also had a specific order he put his equipment on. In warm-ups he would purposely miss his first shot on net wide right. Following warm-ups, he would drink Diet Coke, water, Gatorade, then another Diet Coke.
Sidney Crosby must have each stick cut to a specific length and taped in a specific way.
Many other players have a superstition regarding being the last to leave warm-ups, which leads to some serious stand-offs before games start.
Hockey isn’t the only sport to have superstitions either. Patrick Mahomes, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs football, has admitted to wearing the same pair of red underwear for every game of his professional career.
In the NBA, there are superstitions regarding lucky clothing and some odd rituals that are believed to influence performance and secure wins.
One of the most well-known is Michael Jordan wearing his college shorts under his NBA uniform.
LeBron James does his chalk toss.
On top of this, many players have a free throw routine they do when they have to shoot them.
Make sure to share your superstitions with us at nwnews@nwosu.edu.