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+---- Thread: *Luck and Superstition (/showthread.php?tid=22319)
*Luck and Superstition - Kyamprac - 05-21-2020
The Bizarre Role of Luck and Superstition During Playoff Season
With playoffs on the horizon, everyone is making last minute preparations to ensure their teams are equipped with the skills they need to perform at their best. Players are training hard and making necessary adjustments to really prove their worth in what looks to be an exciting race for the Ultimus and, in the case of the DSFL, a very tight race for the Ultimini.
Similar to previous years, the media is taking great pains to analyze the players and their teams, running raw statistics through innumerable scenarios to decide who is most likely to come out on top and how. However, history has shown that the outcomes of games are not solely determined by mathematics - there is a great deal of luck that factors into winning a championship. A surprising surge in performance by an up and comer, a miraculous catch in the end zone, an unfortunate fumble, or a difference in field goals can really shift the tide of a game and favour the underdog over a team that should statistically have the leading edge. What is it exactly that contributes to this luck? In the case of this league, some may argue that luck is determined entirely by some unreliable feature in the sim.
Others may make a strong case for superstition. Players, coaches, and entire teams have been known to practice consistent pre-game rituals that, in their view, play an essential role in securing a victory over their opponents. Failure to grow a beard, wear lucky underwear, drink chocolate milkshakes, or sit in a special chair before a playoff push can cause a lot of anxiety and have disastrous consequences for a team that believes they will be cursed if they do not practice such rituals before a game. As a new player in the DSFL, it's hard to define the odd quirks that really make this league’s players and teams tick. In the coming weeks, I'm hoping to see some of the pre-game strategies used by teams in the NSFL and DSFL as they really vamp up to make their playoff push. In the meantime, while I get my footing here and get to know everyone I thought I would share some fascinating rituals practiced by players and teams in other leagues to increase that luck factor.
Game Day Meals
One of the most common pre-game rituals involves eating (or not eating) before or after a game.
- From the time he was a kid, Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks notoriously scarfed down a bunch of Skittles before every game (or as his mom reportedly called them, “power pellets”)
- Harrison Smith, a safety for the Minnesota Vikings, eats the same meal before every game, which includes a cup of coffee, a plain bagel, and a shot of Tabasco before kick-off
- Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliot reportedly eats a slice of pizza and a piece of cheesecake the night before every game
- Les Miles, the head football coach at the University of Kansas, eats a clump of grass off the sidelines before a particularly gut-wrenching game, citing that it makes him feel “part of the field and part of the game”
Athletes can be incredibly superstitious about the equipment they use and how they treat it.
- One of the most recent and extreme cases in the NFL is that of Antonio Brown, who rose a huge stink over not being able to wear the same helmet he wore during his entire career due to the NFL phasing out unsafe helmets. He was reportedly very attached to the helmet as it helped him “kick ass”.
- Tom Brady, now a quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has worn the same shoulder pads for 25 years. It seems the reasoning for this mostly just has to do with the fact he likes the way they fit compared to the newer models, but many speculate that he really keeps them as they have brought him a lot of luck since his time with Michigan.
- As we all learned after watching Space Jam, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan, wore his University of North Carolina shorts under his uniform in every game. He believed the shorts gave him extra luck as he wore those same shorts when he went to the NCAA Championships in 1982.
- Wayne Greztky, the “Great One” of the NHL had several rituals, one of which involved putting baby powder on the blade of his stick before faceoff. When asked why he did this, he stated “I think it’s essentially a matter of taking care of what takes care of you”.
- Patrick Roy, one of the greatest goaltenders in the NHL, used to talk to his net (like a lot, in a super weird way) and thank it for deflecting pucks when they hit the posts.
In true Lightning McQueen fashion ("speed....."), many players have a specific ritual that hypes them up for a game, or at least gives them more hope.
- People are aware of the Madden and NHL cover curses, but some players find some luck in the game itself. Saints' wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders hypes himself up for every game by first beating the opposing team in a game of Madden.
- John Henderson, formerly a defensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars, used to ask his trainer to give him a good smack to the face to get him fired up before a game.
- In a far less extreme approach, Curtis Martin, formerly a running back for the New York Jets, picked his jersey number based on a verse in the Bible (Deuteronomy 28). He read that verse of the Bible before every game.
It may be hard to quantify whether these rituals really do have any impact, but I would argue some of the greatest players can really mess with their own mindsets via these rituals going into a game, contributing heavily to "luck" and whether they play at the top of their abilities during an already tense playoff series.
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Ready for grading - word count: 1,071If you have a fun pre-game ritual (or know of someone elses') please feel free to share it here! Would love to hear them