subject: Superstitions In Sport That You Want To Know [print this page] Sport has forever been riddled with superstition-the number 13 on the back of a shirt, the scores 111 and 87 in cricket, lucky socks and hence the question must be asked, why are sports stars superstitious? There are many examples of superstitions around the world, some with logical explanations behind their origins, others seemingly random.
Notable examples of superstitious sports stars include Michael Jordan who would wear his North Carolina shorts under his Bulls shorts for good luck. Additionally, Rafa Nadal meticulously places his water bottles in exactly the same position from where he picks them up during a match.
However, this seemingly innocent superstition has led to a fierce rivalry developing between Nadal and the Swiss player Robin Soderling who famously mocked this superstition during Wimbledon 2007. Nadal was less than amused by Soderling's actions; Nadal however got the last laugh by defeating Soderling in the match.
Also, Tiger Woods one of the greatest sportsmen of the 21st century, widely renowned for making his own luck is not immune to a little bit of superstition. Woods famously wears red on the final day of a tournament without fail. The reasoning behind this, as admitted by Woods himself on the Jay Leno show, is that his mother believes it to be a 'powerful colour' and to be honest who would argue with her as Woods has won 14 majors whilst reppin' red on the final day.
However, some of the strangest superstitions in sport belong to lesser known players around the globe. For example, Turk Wendell, an MLS baseball player between 1993 and 2004 chewed four pieces of black liquorice while pitching. Then at the end of each innings he would spit them out and brush his teeth in the dugout before repeating the ritual again at the conclusion of the next innings.
Additionally, if anyone were to touch the baseball star Kevin Rhomberg during play he would have to touch them back. As knowledge of this particular superstition became more widespread certain opponents decided to have some fun with it by touching him and then running away. It has been report that on one occasion Rhomberg waited at the airport just to return the touch that an opposing player had given him in the game the day before.
Finally, possibly the strangest superstition I have come across while researching this article is that Nic Pothas, wicketkeeper for Hampshire, steps to the legs side before every delivery to banish the demons. However, one thing is certain, to minimize the impact of superstition on your game it is important to use the best equipment, all of which you can find on our website.
