Call me superstitious
So today UCF played in the Quarterfinals vs Rice. It was an afternoon game and it was on the radio. I tried very hard not to listen to UCF on the radio today because the few times I heard them we have lost. This season I heard them lose a game we were by 10 up with 3 minutes left and lost in OT and I heard the heartbreaker where we were up by 20 vs Houston and managed to lose in OT. When I did not hear an away game and saw the score at the end we won.
I know it is odd and some may think it is foolish but I believe it. I am a superstitious guy.
Example: I have worn the same outfit (I did wash it) the entire UCF basketball season (UCF hat, Kirk's Jerk Shirt, khaki shorts and my crocs). The one time I decided to wear my "lucky" donkey eye necklace vs Memphis to give UCF extra luck. We end up losing and finish the season 15-1 at home. Yes I know Memphis finished undefeated in Conference play and were 7th in the country at the time.
So today when I began listening to the game I decided to turn it off. I was good for a majority of the game, until my co workers kept coming over towards the end of the game and wanting to listen to the final few minutes. So what do I do- Turn on the radio. Where I got to listen to the last 50+ sec left in the 2nd half.
If you do not know what happens next- Morris Almond from Rice drills a 3pter with 2.8 secs left to have Rice lead by 2pts. My co-workers tell me there are still 2.8 seconds left. "You have a chance". At that point I hear Marc Daniel say- Mike Battle will inbound the ball- I look at them and say "Game Over" and Mike Battle throws the ball out of bounds. And that the Ballgame!
I know that I cannot change the outcome of the game. I do not have any special powers. I cannot change the outcome. Yet I still am superstitious. Are you?
I did some research and came across this is from APS Observer:
Superstition as a Way to Cope
Superstitions are an integral part of sports, and they may also be yet another way fans cope with their team's performance.
In ongoing research, Wann and his colleagues are exploring the role of fan superstition. Over half of his 1,000 participants can readily define a superstition or ritual they believe in. Moreover, some are truly convinced that their participation in ritual superstition impacts the outcome, says Wann. The more highly identified with a team the fans are, the more likely they are to believe that superstitions matter.
"It's a real struggle that sports fans experience," says Wann. "They so much care about the outcome of the event they have absolutely zilch control over. How do we gain control? We may develop superstitions."
I know it is odd and some may think it is foolish but I believe it. I am a superstitious guy.
Example: I have worn the same outfit (I did wash it) the entire UCF basketball season (UCF hat, Kirk's Jerk Shirt, khaki shorts and my crocs). The one time I decided to wear my "lucky" donkey eye necklace vs Memphis to give UCF extra luck. We end up losing and finish the season 15-1 at home. Yes I know Memphis finished undefeated in Conference play and were 7th in the country at the time.
So today when I began listening to the game I decided to turn it off. I was good for a majority of the game, until my co workers kept coming over towards the end of the game and wanting to listen to the final few minutes. So what do I do- Turn on the radio. Where I got to listen to the last 50+ sec left in the 2nd half.
If you do not know what happens next- Morris Almond from Rice drills a 3pter with 2.8 secs left to have Rice lead by 2pts. My co-workers tell me there are still 2.8 seconds left. "You have a chance". At that point I hear Marc Daniel say- Mike Battle will inbound the ball- I look at them and say "Game Over" and Mike Battle throws the ball out of bounds. And that the Ballgame!
I know that I cannot change the outcome of the game. I do not have any special powers. I cannot change the outcome. Yet I still am superstitious. Are you?
I did some research and came across this is from APS Observer:
Superstition as a Way to Cope
Superstitions are an integral part of sports, and they may also be yet another way fans cope with their team's performance.
In ongoing research, Wann and his colleagues are exploring the role of fan superstition. Over half of his 1,000 participants can readily define a superstition or ritual they believe in. Moreover, some are truly convinced that their participation in ritual superstition impacts the outcome, says Wann. The more highly identified with a team the fans are, the more likely they are to believe that superstitions matter.
"It's a real struggle that sports fans experience," says Wann. "They so much care about the outcome of the event they have absolutely zilch control over. How do we gain control? We may develop superstitions."
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