2008 Woodie Awards
Penguin athletes share stories of strange habits, superstitions
Aaron Blatch, Sports Reporter
Issue date: 4/29/08 Section: Sports
"I always write 'Wajda Boy' on my mark that I start off on before jumps," she said. "It helps to calm me down."
Among common sports-related superstitions listed on Fact Monster's Web site, some, such as a basketball player wiping the soles of his sneakers for good luck, are likely to be habitual. Others, such as baseball players never speaking to a pitcher who is throwing a perfect game or a no-hitter, have been unwritten rules in their sport for years. Some, however, border on ridiculous. Some fishermen fear that fish won't bite if a barefoot woman passes on the way to the dock. Some professional football players avoid taking a new number when traded to another team.
No matter how strange, sports superstitions often do provide something important to athletes: comfort. Doing the same thing over and over again, even if it isn't based in logic, can help a player relax and feel comfortable. So in a way, sports superstitions could potentially help an athlete's performance. If this is the case, what Penguin athletes do with their doorknobs before games could be more important than we thought.
Among common sports-related superstitions listed on Fact Monster's Web site, some, such as a basketball player wiping the soles of his sneakers for good luck, are likely to be habitual. Others, such as baseball players never speaking to a pitcher who is throwing a perfect game or a no-hitter, have been unwritten rules in their sport for years. Some, however, border on ridiculous. Some fishermen fear that fish won't bite if a barefoot woman passes on the way to the dock. Some professional football players avoid taking a new number when traded to another team.
No matter how strange, sports superstitions often do provide something important to athletes: comfort. Doing the same thing over and over again, even if it isn't based in logic, can help a player relax and feel comfortable. So in a way, sports superstitions could potentially help an athlete's performance. If this is the case, what Penguin athletes do with their doorknobs before games could be more important than we thought.
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