Unbound Sport Superstitions

Competition, athleticism, and pride are just a few things that follow sports everywhere. There is one other aspect that is not only experienced by the players themselves but also the fans. This one word takes fandom to a whole new level. This separates the normal fans from the diehard. The one simple word that causes people to not wash their socks for months. Superstition.

It is known that fans will do anything and everything in their will power to help their team win. If this means leaving the volume on the television at a certain number or not taking a bathroom break for 4 hours while the game is on, they will do it without hesitation. Even companies and the media have caught on to this trend. Bud Light, one of the NFL's official sponsors has jumped on the superstition train with their "It's only weird if it doesn't work" commercial which can be seen below.

However, fans are not the only people partaking in these beliefs. Some of the most strange habits and actions come from the athletes themselves. Listed below are just a few of the strangest superstitions I have ever heard of by professional athletes.

#1. Turk Wendell, Major League Baseball

Turk was an unconventional pitcher in the Majors from 1993-2004. Most people don't know anything about Turk's performance over the 7 seasons. What they do know is how crazy his superstitions were for every game. If Turk was on the mound, you best bet that he had four pieces of black licorice in his mouth. At the end of every inning he would hurdle the baseline, spit out the licorice, brush his teeth, and replace it at the beginning of the next inning in order to leap back over the baseline to start the next inning. Wendell even went as far to make sure all numbers in his contract end in 99, his jersey number of choice. 

#2. Jason Terry, NBA- Atlanta Hawks 

Terry and one of his college teammates always wore their jersey shorts to sleep the night before. That may be a little odd to some, but in the world of sports that is borderline "normal". When Terry made it to the League with the Hawks, he took this mild superstition to another level when he started wearing the shorts of the next day's opponent. This obviously required many good relationships with people at 30 teams. When he played against the Heat in the 2006 finals, he couldn't find any team shorts so he wore the Mavericks instead. Terry's superstition with shorts was not his only apparel delusion. He also wore knee high socks...five pairs of knee high socks at one time while he played. 

Women Making History in a Man's World

     Danica Patrick. When most people hear her name they think of the super sexual Go Daddy commercials that air on television. If I had to guess, most people remember the Go Daddy name more than the athlete's. I am sure Go Daddy has no problem with this whatsoever. If they didn't know before the commercial aired, most people can infer that she is some sort of race car driver. What a lot of people don't know is that she is making history within the sport industry.

     There are few sports where women compete directly with males under the same rules and during the same event. Most often there are separate leagues for each gender. People have and will continue to compare the men's and women's leagues to each other. The typical stereotype is that men always have been and always will be the superior athletic sex. Men are always considered the dominate gender. Because of this, people also generalize that men's sports are more entertaining than women's. Danica is now forcing people to reconsider these stereotypes.

     On Sunday, February 17th, Danica Patrick made history when she became the first woman in history to win the poll in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. What made this feat even more impressive was she qualified first for the famous Daytona 500. The top qualifying spot for this particular race for a woman previous to Patrick was 18th. Danica beat out 44 other drivers, all male, to grab the top spot.


 

     What does this mean for women in sports? Danica is proving that not only can women battle with men in the same competition, but they can be extremely successful while doing so. She may be carrying on the same theme of portraying women in sports in a sexual manner; however, she is also reinforcing the fact that she is more than just a pretty face. She is an athlete who deserves recognition and credit where it is due. She is forcing people to reconsider the female role in athletics.

Harlem Shake

The Harlem Shake has made its way down south from New York and taken the UGA camus by storm. Even the swim team has joined in on the action. Check out their underwater rendition!

February: Black History (and Future) Month

     For as long as I can remember, February has always been known as Black History Month. I am more than happy to say that all of our professional sports in the United States are fully integrated. Jackie Robinson would be proud to see what today's baseball culture looks like. Even though we have come a long way since Mr. Robinson made his debut in 1947, there is still much work to be done.

 
  Certain racial groups are profiled and stereotyped to play certain positions. African Americans are typically thought of as your wide receiver or your running back in football while Caucasians are thought to be better at the quarter back position. This theme is reinforced through media coverage of games. It is not uncommon during live coverage of games to hear an announcer say "That was a smart play" or "To play this position you have to be very smart" when referring to a white quarterback. It is also not uncommon to hear an announcer say "What an athletic play" or "He sure is fast" when referring to a black running back or wide receiver. 

    The problem does not just stop with players. The issue continues up the ladder to coaches as well as General Managers. There are only 3 African American head coaches in the NFL and only 5 managers in the MLB. There are no majority owners in the NFL or MLB. This a trend that needs to be addressed and stopped. We say that these sports are fully integrated when in reality there is still a long road ahead. Until a young boy of any race can have realistic dreams of whatever career in sports they want, we will not have fully integrated sports. 

Superbowl = Super {Power} Surge

     As I am sure you all know, last night was the Superbowl. Before the game even started, anyone who knows anything about football knew what the majority of coverage outside of the game was going to entail: the Harbaugh brothers. This was the first Superbowl featuring brothers as opposing head coaches. What people were not expecting was a power outage at the beginning of the third quarter.

   
     The Superdome was constructed over thirty years ago with major reconstruction after hurricane Katrina. This outdated facility lost power and delayed the Superbowl for thirty minutes. This will likely hurt the city's bid to host future championships as well as solidifies the trend of hosting major events in the newest stadiums around.

    What does this say for the city of Atlanta? I think it proves that if Atlanta fans and residents want to see a Superbowl or any other major championship game played in this great city, a new stadium must be in the plans for the future. Arthur Blank knew this truth before the blackout on Sunday night. With talks of LA wanting a NFL team and a team owner who is pushing for a new stadium, if Georgians want to see the Falcons stay in their home state, it is inevitable for the city to build a new home for the team.