Torres Tackles: Superstitions in sports/rodeo

Superstitions in sports

By Jose Torres

With today being Friday the 13th, I figured it would be the best day to talk about superstition in sports.

Superstition is a big part in sports, even today in 2013. Players commit to a certain routine on game day, in fear of having an off day. Fans do crazy things to avoid bad luck towards their respective teams. Everyone seems to have something.

When I was in college, I started this tradition that would ensure a win for my favorite NFL team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Every Sunday morning I would wake up and go to church. I would then go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast. My ritual didn’t begin until I got back to my dorm.

When I’m finally in my room, I changed out of my church clothes and put on all of my Eagles affiliated attire. First my jersey went on, then my midnight-green shoes and finally my old Eagles cap to top it off. Everything was ready for me to cheer on my high-flying Eagles. I even had a miniature-sized football with the Eagles logo on it.

During the game, I would mess with my football, just to have something to hold on to. If the Eagles were losing, the first thing to go was that football. I would toss it somewhere, because the ball was obviously bad luck.

The next things to go are my shoes. If the Eagles continue to lose, I’m forced to change my shoes because they are obviously bad luck as well. Finally, the last thing to get tossed is my hat.

Once the game is over, if the Eagles lost, my jersey gets tossed in the laundry basket so that I can “wash away the loss” and have a fresh jersey for next week. However, if they win, I would keep the jersey on all day, hang it up before I go to bed, and leave it unwashed until the next game to begin this ritual again.

Very silly, I know, but I kept at it throughout my college career. In the back of my mind I knew that I had no effect on a team playing miles away from my North Carolina home yet I still did it anyways.

Players are also known for their rituals before, during and after games. Baseball players are stereotypically the worst offenders when it comes to superstition. One great example that I joke about all the time is when a pitcher is throwing a perfect game or a no-hitter. Players do not speak of what’s going on, nor do they even talk to the pitcher, for fear that they will jinx the “perfecto.”

Fans don’t talk about the “no-no” either, which at face value seems strange, especially those fans who aren’t even at the ballpark. The idea that fans that are nowhere near the game can affect the outcome based on rituals is asinine, yet we do it anyways because it makes us feel like we’re a part of the team.

Superstitions are actually quite important in sports. It gives fans another reason to feel invested in a team, and I’d argue that watching sports is a lot of fun when you have some sort of emotional investment, whether it’s rooting for a specific player or maybe a whole team. Our rituals give us a chance to be invested and to make sports fun.

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Superstitions in rodeo

By Jessie Holt

As in any other sport, rodeo contestants have superstitions of their own.

Contestants may wear a certain color every time they compete, wear certain jewelry, say a certain prayer, warm up in a special way, etc. The list can go on and on.

As for myself, I always do the same thing before every run. I go away from everyone else, get off my horse, check my equipment, tighten my saddle, re-mount, and say the same prayer. If I ever do something different I feel that it affects my performance.

Superstitions tend to vary from person to person, however two superstitions are relatively constant throughout the rodeo community.

One superstition, but seems to be getting less severe, is to never wear the color yellow in the arena. I’m not sure of the reasoning behind that, but growing up my mom wouldn’t allow me to purchase a rodeo shirt that had that color on it.

However, the number one rule that every rodeo cowboy or cowgirl knows is “never set your cowboy hat on a bed.” From what I’ve been told this superstition comes from the relation of sleep and death.

It is thought that setting your cowboy hat on a bed could be the cause of a serious injury in the arena.

I remember being a little kid on the pro rodeo road with my dad and I tossed his cowboy hat onto the bed. I will never forget the spanking I received.

This rule/superstition stuck with me throughout my softball playing days. My softball cap, batting helmet, catcher’s helmet as well as my entire equipment bag never touched a bed! To this day I will not even set any form of “headwear” onto a bed.

Other superstitions that I’ve heard of include the following:

• Always shave before a rodeo so you are ready for lady luck.
• Don’t compete with change in your pocket because that is all that you will win.
• Never pay your fees with a $50 bill or have one in your wallet.
• Never compete with cash in your pocket.
• Never eat peanuts on the way to a rodeo.
• You should eat a hot dog before a rodeo.

There are so many different superstitions in sports, rodeo is no different than the others.

Jessie Holt is the advertising manager of the Gonzales Inquirer. You can reach her at marketing@gonzalesinquirer.com