We have all seen or practiced a superstition. Crossing our fingers for good luck or avoiding the path of a black cat. Some are as old as the written word. They have woven themselves into the fabric of everyday society. Probably the most superstious group in our society is the athlete. Baseball players will not step on the foul line as they leave the field of play.
Football players have exact pregame rituals that can not be interrupted. The hockey fans of the Detroit Red Wings will throw an octopus onto the ice after their team scores a goal. The Red Sox did not will a World Series all of those years, simply because they trade Babe Ruth to the Yankees. The Cubs are still paying for not allowing a goat into one of their games. While all of these can seem borderline absurd, they are what players and fan alike adhere to in a religious fashion.
These superstitions, like those of the Red Sox and Cubs, are used to explain away years of frustration. The curses placed on them can be the only reason that they have not won the World Series. The Babe’s curse made the ball go through Buckner’s legs and the goat made Batman reach onto the playing field and take the ball away from the left fielder. The fact that both of these incidents took place in the sixth game of each of these series makes no difference. It was the curse not the team. A curse is a much more colorful, even tangible thing to hold on to.
Arguments like, the other team out played us or our team did not play very well, can not stand up against a curse. A fan can then shift blame from the players and team that they love, to a ready made excuse. They can bond together and wallow in each others sorrow. Being superstitious is something that most players will not admit to being, but the rest of the team will not talk to a pitcher pitching a no hitter. It is an unwritten rule that even if you do not believe in the superstition, you still do not challenge it. A pitcher who was in the middle of pitching a perfect game was receiving a cup of water from the same bat boy in between innings.
The Essay on Apr 2005 Fans Game Fan
Who Is To Blame? At a home game against the Indianapolis Pacers, Detroit Pistons Center Ben Wallace reacted with fury against Pacer's forward Ron Artest after a hard technical foul by Artest. An argument ensued followed by a shoving match between the two which got both teams involved. In a matter of minutes the brawl escalated into the seats of the fans, with some fans throwing fists and full cups ...
Before the eighth inning the bat boy did not give him his cup of water. Panic set in, the ritual had been broken. On his way to the pitcher’s mound, all he could think of was the cup of water. He went on to pitch the perfect game, but the effect the superstition had on him is evident. His most memorable moment of the game was not getting that cup of water. Over thirty years later, this is what he remembers.
The common denominator behind most sport superstitions is confidence. By following these idiosyncrasies, the player maintains his confidence. A pitcher on a winning streak will keep using the same undershirt and socks without washing them. Not doing this will upset the baseball gods and they will end his winning streak. In reality it is just an extra boost to his confidence. An extra confident pitcher can make the out pitch when it is needed.
Another result of superstition is rhythm. A basketball player will go through an exact routine prior to attempting a free throw. This superstition / routine which is done over and over again gets the player in the right rhythm and mind set to make the shot. While we all laugh and joke about different superstitions, most of us will not challenge them in a meaningful way. We just don’t want to tempt fate..
